Cloud Contacts: A use for your business cards

by Michelle Lentz

I speak at a lot of events. Consequently, there is a pile of business cards on my desk. Literally a pile. I dig through it now and then because I remember a contact I made, but by the time I’m back home, I’m too behind to put a lot of effort into the cards I’ve collected. I even have a business card scanner I never use because I hate the software. So I’m intrigued by Cloud Contacts, a new startup from Allen Stern (of Centernetworks).

It’s a startup with a business model. Even in their current beta state, it costs money. That’s smart, right off the starting block. It also solves a problem that I have, and I’m obviously not the only one. Cloud Contacts takes that pile of business cards and converts them into useful information.

Here’s what happens:
You grab that pile of cards and send them into Cloud Contacts. You can pay for the shipping yourself, or have them send you a mailer for $2.50.  For $30, you can have up to 100 business cards converted into contacts and stored “in the cloud.” It gets better. You can access these new contacts from anywhere, and they are easily imported into most address books. Additionally, it appears that Cloud Contacts will find social networking information for your new contacs, which is something I never have time to do.

Cloud Contacts offers several packages based on the number of business cards you need converted, up through $500. I have a huge conference coming up in November, so I may give this service a shot. What are your thoughts on this? Would you rather use a card scanner? Do you have other methods for inputting and following up on business card contacts?

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Contact Michelle with your news, apps, and events via email, Twitter, Pownce, or FriendFeed. Visit Michelle at Wine-Girl.net and Write Technology. You can also catch Michelle presenting on Twitter at the upcoming DevLearn ’08 in San Jose.