RapidTask rethinks simple task managing

Task management application for individuals and enterprise builds on the simplicity of Gmail

If you thought you’d never see another task management application or to-do list application ever again, then you’re probably really bad at predicting the future.

Launched in the Google Apps Marketplace this week to begin public beta-testing, RapidTASK is a powerful, cost-efficient, and elegant task manager designed for organizations of all sizes.

While individuals could certainly take advantage of the spartan, web-based design of RapidTASK, the service’s single greatest benefit is aimed at companies: the ability to delegate assignments and projects to multiple users without having to register company accounts.

“Most task management systems require one main ‘Project Manager’ to set up all of the company's users, create projects, and assign the people to the project, etc.,” explains creator Chris Sands. “It's a really big hassle.”

“With RapidTASK, you don't need to be invited by someone else in your company. In fact, you don't need to be tied to any company, at all. Your account is an independent ecosystem and you can assign tasks to anyone using just their email, or receive tasks from anyone else.”

The software, with a look and feel based on Gmail, is incredibly intuitive. Tasks can be created with all the basic information: title, due date, and more detailed description. They can also be assigned to certain people, packaged with attachments (think documents, spreadsheets, etc.), and added to to-do lists.

Though he’s still working out the details, Sands plans to offer both a free and premium version of the application. With a free account, one has 100MB of project space for attachments and files (that get deleted after 45 days) and can delegate to up to five people at a time. The $5/month premium version comes with 1GB of project space (no files ever get deleted) and the ability to delegate up to 10 people. For each additional $5/month spent, RapidTASK adds an additional 1GB of space and capacity for 10 more people.

The standard for product manager software, as Sands points out, is to charge each company a certain amount based on how many employees plan to use the product.

RapidTASK doesn’t officially launch until later this week, but the public beta is already available in the Google Apps Marketplace today.