Communicate!'s multiple search features, hot-list capabilities, and predefined and customizable information fields let you manage your contacts completely. Communicate! also converts your PC into an intelligent auto attendant so you can manage your voice messages, fax messages, and administrative options from anywhere in the world. Communicate! answers your calls with your own prerecorded message or standard greeting while you're away. And you can customize your voice mail system to hold an unlimited number of password-protected mailboxes. Calls will be answered and routed to the appropriate mailboxes. With Communicate! you can retrieve and forward your faxes to wherever you are and easily create an automatic fax-back service to provide your callers with information.

Video phoning, Internet paging, and faxing are combined in one easy interface. Add audio and video snippets to e-mail, manage voice mail and fax scheduling remotely, and set up your own unattended bulletin board system (BBS), using regular phone lines or a dedicated Internet connection.

The learning curve is pretty gentle, too; while some of the newer or more advanced features might take some tweaking, you can jump right in and start making calls or faxes right away. Don't worry about translating your contact data from other programs, either--Communicate! i2000 offers plenty of import and linking features so you should be able to access any information from almost any software.

If you want to consolidate your communications software into one inexpensive, comprehensive package, Communicate! i2000 should be your first choice. When you're videoconferencing, reading e-mail, sending faxes, and on the phone with your stockbroker simultaneously, you'll wonder how long it'll take to get your jetpack and food pills. --Rob Lightner