We have been using SugarCRM 2.0 for a couple of years. SugarCRM is a Customer Relationship Management system which tracks customer issues, potential customers/leads, and tasks. When we chose a CRM we looked at quite a few systems - including one called vTiger, which is (or was at the time) based on SugarCRM code. Both are good products, but at the time SugarCRM seemed to be more polished, while vTiger's interface struck me as slightly immature (no smart alec remarks from y'all, I know I need to redesign this site ;) Sorry, work stuff comes first).

That is to say, we've had it installed for a couple of years. I cannot say we've used it effectively. Due to limitations in SugarCRM we tracked leads, cases, etc. by other means. We ended up using SugarCRM as a glorified contact list.

Well, the time came to revisit the CRM because using multiple systems is cumbersome, ineffective, and a beast to back up. So, in looking at upgrade options I reoembered vTiger. I checked out both vTiger and SugarCRM 4.0 and based on the feature set as installed out of the box I chose SugarCRM, as they have a great interface for defect reports. The upgrade process was painful, to say the least.

Wait a minute, let me take that back. The SugarCRM upgrade process was tedious, but in actuality quite easy. The hard part was tracking down everything I needed to upgrade. When I downloaded SugarCRM "Open Source"(sic) edition 4.0, the instructions for upgrading from 2.0 merely included a URL to SugarCRM's web site. However when you load that URL you are not taken to the documentation or the files you need. I did a lot of digging (the navigation on the SugarCRM web site SUCKS) and a lot of reading in their support forums, and found the names of the files I needed. So, I revisited the download pages on the SugarCRM web site and the files I needed were NOWHERE to be found. I did a search in the form on SugarCRM's web site, and 0 results were turned up. What could I do? After digging around a little more, I turned to google: a site:sugarcrm "filename" (I don't recall the filename now) turned up exactly what I needed. At last! So, I read the documents and found I had to upgrade IN INCREMENTS to SugarCRM 4.0. What the hell?

So I upgrade to 2.5. I upgraded to 2.5.1. I had to upgrade to several lettered revisions. I could then upgrade to 3.0, then a couple of lettered increments, then to 3.5. then 3.5.(letter increment), then 3.5.1, then 3.5.(letterincrements) and FINALLY I could upgrade to 4.0 - or so I thought. The document didn't tell me I needed to download the "patch" installer rather than the full version. It was the most counter-intuitive upgrade path for any LAMP application I've seen! Anyway, after one and one half full days, about 12 hours of that time spent tracking down what I needed (documents, upgrades, etc) it was all upgraded, and we have been using SugarCRM for everything we wanted a CRM for. :)

However it is a week and a half later and I now regret not migrating to vTiger - and here's why:
- SugarCRM censors any mention of vTiger on their forums
- SugarCRM deletes posts questioning licensing
- SugarCRM deletes certain criticisms
- SugarCRM forbids you from running the OS edition if you subscribe to or HAVE subscribed to SugarCRM Pro or Enterprise
- They (SugarCRM) effectively hijack your customer data once you subscribe to Pro or Enterprise

I have questions for SugarCRM reps:

• If your product is Open Source and was originally released under a modified Mozilla Public License, why did you threaten legal action against vTiger, when your license specifically allowed for rebranding, and in fact, demanded rebranding as the original license was written?
• If someone suggests you revisit your licensing to something which allows for a mix of Pro and OS functionality (similar to Scalix's "Community" vs. "Enterprise" users), why do you delete such posts?
• If someone merely mentions vtiger, why do you censor them? If SugarCRM is so good, surely it can stand to be compared to vTiger?
• Why do you forbid folks from using THEIR data with the open source edition, if they have subscribed to Pro or Enterprise?

In one discussion regarding OS vs. Pro and Enteprise licensing, I suggested they revisit their licensing model to allow a mix of OS and Pro/Enterprise users, similar to Scalix's licensing model. I suggested that it would allow for more long-term growth because they would get a greater buy-in for pro from smaller companies. Much to my surprise, my post disappeared without a trace. I posted a question asking why they censored that post, and THAT post disappeared. I will keep reposting it until they address the issue publicly. If they don't, there are other means to get them to answer the questions - such as taking the issue to other messageboards associated with open source projects. I will be actively doing this, and in fact I did this afternoon on vTiger's messageboards where questions about SugarCRM arose.

Check out these articles and threads:

http://www.tectonic.co.za/view.php?action=view&id=392&topic=Linux
http://forums.vtiger.com/viewtopic.php?t=11&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=sugarcrm&start=0
http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2004-12-13-019-26-OP-SW-DV&tbovrmode=1
http://blogs.caseysoftware.com/?q=node/26

I have no problem with closed-source programs. In fact we will soon be dumping Exchange in favor of Scalix, which is closed-source. What I do have a problem with is a company releasing an "open source" project under the Mozilla license, and then threatening to sue when someone else conforms to the license both to the letter and in spirit. For that I cannot forgive Sugar, and when it comes time to upgrade we will either extend SugarCRM with our own reporting modules and GPL those modules (under GPLv3) or we will be migrating to vTiger.