ClearContext Corporate Blog

In our post v5: Streamlined & Smarter we mentioned that we plan to limit the display of FolderContext to Project Dashboards, removing it from individual folders. Given recent feedback, we’d like to know how you use FolderContext. Please take the poll below and post any additional comments you would like to share. Thanks!

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A quick thanks! to everyone who signed up for the v5 beta of our Outlook organization add-in.  If you sent us a note, we have added your email to the beta list and will let you know when a download is available.  In the meantime, here’s a review of what's coming in our v5 release:

ClearContext v5: Simpler, Faster, Smarter

ClearContext v5: Single-Click Filing

ClearContext v5: Prioritization & Views

ClearContext v5: Streamlined & Smarter

If you haven’t already signed up for the v5 beta, send an email to beta at clearcontext dot com.

We’re making ClearContext simpler, faster and smarter.  Previously we discussed v5 single-click filing and message prioritization.  Here are a few other near term changes coming in v5.0.

Smarter Threading

A frequent feature request is to improve the accuracy of message conversation threading.  In v4 and earlier, ClearContext uses subject name to link messages together.  In v5 ClearContext will use Outlook’s conversation ID (when available) for threading.  For those of you on mail servers that utilize this ID, the result will be smarter, more accurate conversation threading.  Subject-based threading will be used in cases where the ID is not available, most notably when receiving mail from some webmail services outside of Exchange.

Multiple Mail File Support

In v5 we are removing the filing limitation of one primary and one secondary mail file.  ClearContext will recognize all of your open mail files, allowing filing to all open PSTs.

Office 2010

Office 2010 support will include full ribbon functionality in the explorer (Inbox) and adaptation of custom UI elements (Dashboard, Scorecard, etc.).  A test version with Office 2010 32bit support will be available in Q4.  We plan to implement 64bit support in a future release, timing TBD.

Streamlined Features

We are removing some features in v5 to simplify the interface, improve performance and focus on our core capabilities.  In particular:

• FolderContext will no longer appear in each folder.  This information will still be available via Project Dashboards.
• Conversation Priority will no longer be supported.  Messages will still be automatically prioritized as they are received, but we will no longer support marking individual threads as important.
• Alerts will be removed in v5.0.  Pending feedback, we may bring this feature back in another form for a future 5.x release.

Improved Infrastructure\Performance

Many of the changes we have previously discussed result in improved performance.  In particular, startup is faster, folders open more quickly, and message conflicts are minimized.  With this improved infrastructure, the product will better support multiple machine use and mobile device access and we will be on track to expand beyond Exchange and POP support in future ClearContext releases.

v5.x

The changes we have discussed so far are all in our initial v5.0 release.  Future v5.x releases will include an overhaul of the project management features in the Dashboard, improved statistics and measurement and much more.  Keep an eye on the blog for future detail.

All v4 purchases made after August 1, 2009 and all ClearContext Connect subscribers will receive a complimentary upgrade to v5.  If you haven’t already signed up for the v5 beta, send an email to beta at clearcontext dot com.  The beta schedule isn’t finalized yet, but we will let you know when a download is available.

Last month we shared our plans for making ClearContext v5 simpler, faster and smarter.  This month we’re going to post additional detail on what’s coming.  We want your feedback as we finalize v5 features, so please post your thoughts in the comments on this post.

Faster Filing

This release heavily emphasizes single-click filing.   Our design goal here is very simple.  The vast majority of the time, file your email in the right place with one click.  In almost all other cases, file with just two clicks.  In place of the Suggested Topics dropdown, v5’s File Msg: button includes a folder suggestion.:

• If you have previously filed a message from the current conversation to a folder, that folder name is displayed
• If you have not previously filed messages in this conversation, the button suggests a folder based on filing history

If you would like to file to a different folder than the first suggestion, click the down arrow to launch our new folder selector:

Additional single-click suggestion buttons are at the top of the dialog.  To file anywhere else, quickly select the folder you want by typing or navigating the folder tree:

File Thread works exactly the same way, filing the whole conversation instead of just the current message.

Additional Changes

We have eliminated the old Topic dropdown in favor of this new scheme throughout the product.  When sending an email or saving a task or appointment, the folder selector is launched directly, eliminating several clicks previously required to find the correct folder or assign the desired Topic.

We have also simplified Original Message options when replying to a message or creating a task or appointment from a message.  The Original Message drop down has been replaced by the File Original toggle button:

When selected, ClearContext will automatically file the original message to a folder.  If you haven’t previously filed messages in this conversation to a folder, the folder selector asks where you want it to be moved to.

Filing has never been easier than it is in ClearContext v5.  It’s simpler, faster & smarter. 

We Want to Hear From You

We have a few questions for you to help us finalize these changes:

1. How many folder suggestions would you like to see in the selector dialog?
2. Should ClearContext file sent messages to related folders by default?
3. By default, should ClearContext ask for a folder assignment as new messages are sent and new tasks and appointments are created?

Thanks in advance for your feedback!  Subscribe to this blog for future updates regarding ClearContext v5.

All v4 purchases made after August 1, 2009 and all ClearContext Connect subscribers will receive a complimentary upgrade to v5.  If you haven’t already signed up for the v5 beta, send an email to beta at clearcontext dot com.  The beta schedule isn’t finalized yet, but we will let you know when a download is available.

Our next major release, ClearContext v5, will be about making the email management features our users have come to depend faster, more automated, and more intuitive.  We've made many incremental improvements to ClearContext for Outlook over the past year, as well as some major additions like our statistics and effectiveness components.  But we've also been working hard on the next major version of ClearContext for Outlook, and we're excited to share our plans with you. 

Our development efforts are concentrated on four areas:

• Infrastructure & Performance
• Message Filing & Organization
• Project Management & Dashboards
• Statistics & Effectiveness Measurement

Please note that we are still early in the release cycle, so a number of these details are likely to change.  We're very interested in hearing feedback about which features are most critical for you.

Infrastructure & Performance

We’ve re-architected the ClearContext infrastructure to be more flexible with lower overhead.  This will provide a number of key benefits including:

• Improved performance
• Compatibility with more mail configurations
• Support for the upcoming Outlook 2010 release

Message Filing & Organization

Inbox management is a critical part of everyone’s day.  ClearContext v5 will make filing and organization smarter and more automated.  Key improvements include:

• Smarter topic assignment and filing
• Flexible topic management
• Simplified message prioritization
• Additional automated message filing

Project Management & Dashboards

ClearContext v5 project management functionality will include a much stronger focus on tasks and actions, and make project dashboards much more flexible:

• Improved summary information on projects and actions
• Flexible project creation and organization
• Integration of additional information
• Additional task management and prioritization
• Project archiving and reporting
• Improved search and filtering

Statistics & Effectiveness Measurement

Our initial release of statistics and effectiveness measurement focuses very heavily on email – volumes, response times, and performance.  We’re continuing to gather feedback on the data you find most useful in understanding your email activity, as well as continuing to refine the ways we measure your email management effectiveness.  If you haven’t already, please visit ClearContext Online and let us know what you would like to see there.

In addition to email, ClearContext v5 will expand elements of the statistics and effectiveness modules into areas such as tasks, appointments, and project-focused measurement.

Next steps and beta

In order to deploy these features and enhancements as quickly as possible, we are organizing the v5 release into several stages. The initial ClearContext 5.0 release will focus on the infrastructure and filing/organization features. Additional 5.x releases will focus on the project management and statistics areas.

We haven’t finalized release dates and beta schedule yet.  Stay tuned to the blog for more details.  If you’re interested in being on the beta list, please send an email to beta at clearcontext dot com.  Thanks for your interest!

It's been a long wait, but the Office team is finally giving the public a preview of Outlook 2010, slated for release in the first half of next year.  Check out the end of this post to read more about Outlook 2010.

But why wait for 2010 when ClearContext Personal and Pro have Outlook 2003 and 2007 users covered already?  Here’s a breakdown of some of the new Outlook 2010 features and their ClearContext counterparts.

Ignore Thread \ Unsubscribe

Outlook 2010’s new Ignore Thread feature moves all messages in the current conversation to the Deleted Items folder.  Future messages are also automatically removed from the Inbox.  ClearContext’s Unsubscribe performs the same function, plus lets you review the messages later or resubscribe to a conversation.

Conversation View \ MessageContext

The new default view for Outlook 2010 is a conversation view that groups all related messages together in the Inbox.  ClearContext provides a similar threaded conversation view for the Inbox.  More importantly, the MessageContext window displays the entire conversation for each open message.  In Pro, it also shows any tasks or appointments generated during the course of the current conversation.

Quick Steps

Quick Steps in Outlook 2010 are a way to set up macros for commonly used multi-step functions.  ClearContext filing features provide many common functions without the need to create any macros — including single click filing (message or thread),  automatic message filing when replying (or creating tasks and appointments), and automatic filing based on email history.

Product Roadmap

It's nice to see productivity features like these making their way into Outlook – but at ClearContext we're already working on the next generation of more intuitive, powerful and automated productivity features for email.  Tomorrow we’ll post our full product roadmap, highlighting our continued mission to help email overloaded individuals more effectively prioritize, organize and manage their email and projects within Outlook.

More Info on Outlook 2010

Here’s the official Outlook 2010 preview video:

Here’s Robert Scoble’s longer interview with Chris Bryant, Group Product Manager for the Office 2010 team.

v4.6.6 is available for download and addresses the following:

• Enhanced inbox count reporting
• Streamlined stats upload to ClearContext Online
• Changed the Compare your stats online button in the Scorecard
• Added ENC as a valid conversation prefix (Portuguese)

This update is complimentary for all registered v4 Pro and v4 TWC customers.

Download: Personal & Pro  |  TWC

We have pushed a minor update to our Outlook client.  v4.6.5 addresses the following:

• Changed scoring of messages at startup to minimize un-scored messages in the Inbox
• Changed the cases where MessageContext is hidden on Tasks and Appointments
• Fixed multiple Topic display in the Dashboard when using a secondary data store
• Eliminated re-registration requirement on upgrades from ClearContext Personal

This update is complimentary for all registered v4 Pro and v4 TWC customers.

Download: Personal & Pro |  TWC

We added an oft-requested feature in v4.6 – a Jump to Topic button.  It’s on the toolbar by default or you can add it via ClearContext > Options > Preferences > UI\Toolbar.  The feature pretty much does just what it says – click Jump or hit Alt-J, select or type the name of the folder you want to open and hit enter.  ClearContext even suggests your most recently used folders at the top of the list.  Quick.  Easy. 

For those of your who haven’t customized your toolbar, the first thing you will notice when you upgrade to v4.6 is the addition of the scorecard button. The Email Effectiveness Scorecard provides an overall assessment of how effectively you’re managing your email and how heavy a workload you’re facing.

Email Effectiveness Rating

This score is an overall measure of how effectively you are managing your email communications.  The higher your score, the better you are doing with email!

Excellent (80 – 100)

great job at staying on top of email and getting a lot done!

Very Good (60 – 79)

you are doing a good job at keeping up with email!

OK (40 – 59)

you are just managing to stay in control of your email.

Warning (20 – 39)

you are falling behind in your email communications.

Danger (0 – 19)

Your email is getting totally out of control.

Rating Areas

Your email effectiveness score is made up of three components:

• Response Time: This factor measures how promptly you are responding to emails.  Getting back to emails that require responses within 24 hours will result in a good response time score. Use the ClearContext Daily Workflow to get through your email faster.
• Inbox Control: This factor measures how effectively you are processing the messages in your inbox.  The more messages you have in your inbox and the longer it takes you to read, file, and/or delete messages, the lower your score will be.  Manage your Inbox more efficiently with these tips.
• Communication: This factor measures how well you are doing at sending out messages and processing messages that require response/action.

Workload

Your workload score measures how heavy your email communication volumes are.  The more emails you send and receive, the higher your workload score will be – and the harder it is for you to keep on top of your email!  Review Top Five Ways to Reduce Email Traffic.

My Stats

The My Stats tab allows you to see your email performance over time and compare your email statistics with other ClearContext users.

** Due to the online component of our metrics, you must be connected to the internet to view stats **

Summary

The stats summary provides a snapshot of your email activity over the past week and an overview of your message priority breakdown while using ClearContext.

Compare Stats

The compare stats graphs let you view aspects of your email activity (messages sent, received, and average response time) over the past month, and see how they compare to the average ClearContext user’s statistics.

My Stats

The my stats graphs let you view how well you are keeping your inbox under control (especially users aiming for “inbox zero”) and track changes in your email effectiveness and workload over the past month.

ClearContext Online

You’ll notice a “Compare your stats online” link in the scorecard section.  This component is in beta testing and features much richer stats and analytics capabilities than what’s contained in the ClearContext Outlook client.  We have a lot of exciting things in store there that we’ll begin rolling out over time.