A lot of the info are public information but the software does a nice job presenting it.  

There are a ton of good ones out there and here is a little dated list I put together some time back for REI podcasts:http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/12/topics/80389-list-of-real-estate-investing-podcast What has helped me is to add any links, names, software, or methods of interest to evernote from any of the books and/or podcast so I can easily find the information and implement them into my business.  

Does the software database all the contact info it finds and automatically avoid contacting the same people twice, unless it's regarding different properties?

I shall find out soonBy the way I don't have any legitimate MS software, I'd have to pay or pirate.

I am looking for accounting software and bought QuickBooks - the issue is my PM manages his own properties, and my properties, and I manage my own properties.  

I'm a software/ website development.  

She created this awesome software to automate your business and is strictly for the real estate professionals. 

* Is there a software available that is a "must have" for portfolio management?

Or if they use a PM software such as Appfolio, make sure you get login access so that you can run your own reports.   

I was wondering if anyone out there used propertyware.com as a property management software.