Welcome to the first edition of our product review posts. With each post we hope to provide the core details, the pluses and minuses from our point of view, and to encourage feedback from the audience.
For this review I have chosen the Peek Email Device. The website for the product is http://www.getpeek.com and the product itself is available through the site or retail at Target stores.
Let's start out by explaining my particular need for this device. For some time now I have worked to find the best way to manage communication. With the proliferation of various tools, devices, services, etc. it is easy to get lost in the shuffle or, in my case, to become completely overwhelmed. As a business owner and an IT service provider, I need to be able to stay in touch with the status of my systems. We also have the obvious need to provide support to our customers. The problem that I face as my company grows is that I personally can no longer be the only "go to" guy for technical support. When I do, my email box becomes the choke point or "single point of failure" in network-speak for issues that should be resolved by the people and services that work for me. Email has some advantages, but it is handicapped as a tech support tool because it cannot replace the features of a CRM solution (customer relationship management) such as multiple users, automatic prioritizing and routing of issues and emergencies, and solid record keeping. Therefore, we created a CRM solution to manage all requests - sales, service, and emergencies.
So if email is not the answer, why am I reviewing an email device? The answer is simplicity. A CRM solution needs to be monitored. The best way to obtain information from the system is through a technology that either receives updates by some form of text messaging or by email. Ahh - back to email again. The key to making this work is that the email address that I set up for the CRM system is not my personal, company, or third party address. In this case only I, my Peek, and my CRM know the address. No spam, no direct mail requests, no family, friends, or relatives, no vendors, no employees, etc. So when I get a message on my Peek it is assured that it is system related and not lost like a needle in the haystack.
Now, let's talk about the device itself. The device is simple to use. It has a Blackberry type push wheel and a nice sized keyboard. The device has a similar footprint to my Motorola Q except it is slightly wider with a larger screen. The text is more readable then my Moto Q. The device will open picture attachments, but no documents such as Word or PDF.
The biggest differentiator for me is that while it looks like a phone, it is email only. No calls, no web access, no text messaging. Some people could say this is a weakness. I feel, however, that this is what makes the device and service worth so much more. There is no competition with my personal phone calls, non urgent communication, text messages from my family, my Facebook updates, and so on. Complete isolation.
So now you ask "Why don’t I just use my cell phone for email?" Same reasoning prevails - Less confusion and no distractions. I can also re-route updates or physically hand off my device to someone who is on call. I can take my cell phone with me on vacation and know I can really walk away from the day to day operations because it is not my primary conduit to my company. Using the Peek also helps keep me out of the micromanaging department while on vacation!
So how does this device work? This device operates on the T-Mobile GPRS network and follows that footprint. I personally live in a dead zone for most all networks thanks to the perfect storm of location, interference, and topography. The peek device connects most everywhere I have tested across the metro Atlanta area. The device costs about $100 plus $20 / month for service. It provides no email address of its own, but accesses your Gmail, Hotmail, etc accounts. It does not connect to Exchange Server, only Pop accounts. If you need to use your own domain, they will add it to their list of allowed domains if you ask them, which only took about an hour for the update to process. I then had my device up and running in a matter of about 3-5 minutes.
So - for my use and for people who are not interested in power emailing then this device is the ticket. It is not a replacement for a laptop, for outlook, or for all written emails. Neither is it is not a replacement for a phone, but in my case it increases productivity when I "go mobile" and can be a welcome intervention!
Comments welcome - user experiences wanted!
Bill Cooey
www.e3datasolutions.com
