Apr
2007
IslamCrunch interviews FunClient
IslamCrunch: What is your web application/service about?
Funclient: Funclient.com is a web based application that allows small businesses organize their customer information as well as keep track of their meetings, phonecalls, and also store files and documents online. Its also great for collaborating with others.
IslamCrunch: Why did you start this project?
Funclient: I started this project because of my previous failure in implementing a CRM(Customer Relationship Management) application in my previous business. I believe that the current CRM softwares out there are too complicated for small businesses to use.
IslamCrunch: How does your project relate to Muslims? Or is your project geared towards a general audience?
Funclient: Funclient is geared toward the general audience, however I would like to see Islamic organizations use this application to manage their contact information.
IslamCrunch: How much time do you devote to its growth?
Funclient: My partner and I are spending a considerable number of hours in refining and improving Funclient everyweek.
IslamCrunch: How large is your team and what are your backgrounds?
Funclient: Its basically just the two of us. We’ve gotten a lot of help also from three other students at Purdue University because this project was part of my senior project while I was studying there. Me and my partner’s background is in Software Development.
IslamCrunch: What is your design/service philosophy?
Funclient: Our application design philosophy is to create a software, release it and to continuously improve on it as much as possible.
IslamCrunch: What technologies are you currently using?
Funclient: We are using Ruby on Rails, Javascript, CSS, and Scriptaculous.
IslamCrunch: What are the most requested features from your users/community?
Funclient: So far, we’ve gotten a lot of feedback on features improvements. And we are still working on them as much as possible.
IslamCrunch: Where do you see the project heading in the next 6 months? The next 2 years?
Funclient: Although currently Funclient is web based, I’d like to see it more user-centric in the future. Whether or not the user is in front of a computer or not, they should be able to access their data.
IslamCrunch: What is the greatest challenge to your success?
Funclient: Getting mom and pop traditional businesses to use our software. We need to market more to the mainstream small businesses
IslamCrunch: Do you have a business model? If so, what is it?
Funclient: Our business model is subscription based. However, currently we are giving away a limited number of free accounts with 1GB of online storage. Those who’ve gotten the account before the quota is reached, their account will stay free. But after the quota, it will be based on monthly subscription.
IslamCrunch: If you’re able to disclose this information, how much traffic or usage do you see on an average day?
Funclient: Can’t say about traffic, but we currently have roughly 500 companies using it worldwide.
IslamCrunch: Are there any aspects of this project that has made you proud?
Funclient: I’m proud of the fact that we were able to successfully develop Funclient with limited resources as students. I’m very grateful to have the support of professors, students, and other people at my university as well as my community.
IslamCrunch: How would you describe the shift that’s occurring with the web right now to future generations?
Funclient: Currently, I feel that we are in the next dotcom boom. It is the right opportunity to start an online business right now, but we have be cautious and learn from the last Dotcom bust, because I believe history repeats itself.
IslamCrunch: What site(s) do you visit everyday other than your own?
Funclient: I usually read blogs about Web 2.0. I visit TechCrunch, Trizzle, OmMalik, and a few other things.
IslamCrunch: What do you hope Islamcrunch can help you to accomplish?
Funclient: I’d like to get to know other Muslim entrepreneurs, and organize a support group, where we would help each other and share ideas.
IslamCrunch: If you could collaborate with another organization or participate on another project, please list them here.
Funclient: I’d like to help Islamic organizations to manage their contacts information efficiently. For example, Masjids usually have many members, and I think if we can help them organize, and streamline that information, they would spend less time organizing it and spend more time doing more important things that would benefit the community.
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