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Is ACT! 2008 Software
Right for You?

ACT! by Sage Premium 2008

While I don't advocate updating software purely for the sake of updating, you should give this version a look...to see if it has some of the features you have been waiting for. The three biggest changes are:

  • Dashboard View (giving you a visual view into your key performance indicators-see the graphic below),
  • Field editing in Contact List view (similar to version 6 where you can edit the record in Contact List view), and
  • Vista and Office 2007 Compatible.
But there are a few more interesting features as well. And of course there is still a direct link to Outlook (YEAH!!) and Field-Level Security by user. Take a look below at my picks for the top 10 reasons to upgrade from your older ACT! software to this new release.

Sincerely,
Susan Clark
President

Order ACT! 2008 Now P.S. Since we are one of the largest resellers of ACT! in the nation, we can offer you great pricing (even better than what ACT! is currently offering in their current mailings).
Top 10 Reasons to Upgrade from ACT! 2007
  1. ACT! DashboardDashboard - The all-new ACT! Dashboard gives you a visual (and customizable) overview of key performance activity and opportunity indicators of your business.
  2. Multiple Contacts/Opportunity - You can associate multiple Contacts per Opportunity (for those committee decisions).
  3. Customizable Opportunity Fields - If you own the Premium version of ACT!, you can define the Opportunity 1-8 fields as Date-type fields, if you like. Edit Mode in ACT
  4. Editing in List View - You can enter and edit data in the Contact List, Group List, or Company List views (similar to the way that you could edit in versions 6 and earlier).
  5. Groups and Companies Security - If you own the Premium version, you can assign Limited Access for Groups or Companies (my favorite). Now your users don't have to see all the Groups or Companies that others have created, you can limit what each user sees.
  6. Advanced Queries for Groups and Companies - You can create Advanced Queries for Companies and Groups that allow you to do lookups based on company or group field data.
  7. Easier lookups for subgroups and divisions - Now you see a tree-view display in the Group/Company selection dialogs, making lookups of subgroups (or divisions) a lot faster.
  8. Ability to Create Duplicate Group or Company Names - Now if you want a "Sales" group under Joe and a "Sales" group under Jane, it's no problem.
  9. Duplicate Checking - By First and Last Name and also dup checking for Groups and Companies Shortcut in ACT!
  10. Attach shortcut - You can attach a shortcut to a file on the network instead of attaching the actual file and copying it to the \Attachments folder.
Overview: You have several options to choose from when selecting which ACT! is right for you.

ACT by SageACT! by Sage
ACT by Sage PremiumACT! by Sage Premium
ACT by Sage Premium for WebACT! by Sage Premium for Web

If you choose one of the Premium versions (Web or desktop), you can choose to upgrade your database platform to Microsoft® SQL ServerTM Standard. How do you know which to choose? Well, it's all about scalability.

I've created several comparison charts below to help you decide which ACT! is the right one for you and your company. You can view the minimum system requirements for all 2008 versions. OR, try using our Select Your ACT! Version Wizard to help you decide what you need.

Because we are one of the largest resellers in North America, we can offer you a better deal than the one ACT! is currently offering.

ACT! by Sage 2008
ACT! by Sage
ACT! by Sage Premium 2008
ACT! by Sage Premium
Order ACT! 2008 Now or call
877-661-5200 for more details.



ACT! 2008 vs. ACT! Premium 2008

Key Differentiating Features
This abbreviated chart helps you decide among the options. Instead of focusing on all of the amazing features that you will find in ACT (see that chart next), this chart lists only the major differentiating factors to help you understand the differences when making your selection.

First see if any features are missing from the version you are considering and then check for scalability.
Key Differentiating Features ACT! Prem Prem Web
Software Integration Features
Works with Microsoft Word X X  
Works with Lotus Notes X X  
Syncs with PDAs (Palm or PocketPC) X X  
Peachtree or Quickbooks Integration X X  
Create Contact from Outlook Email X X  
Outlook Calendar Integration X X  
Automatic Outlook Calendar Sync   X  
General Features
List Edit Mode X X  
Add Document Shortcuts X X  
Availability tab in Schedule Dialog   X  
Customizable Opportunity Fields   X X
Instant Quote X X  
Limited Access for Contacts, Groups, Companies   X X
Custom User Permissions   X X
Field Level Security   X X
Database Backup   X X
Database Sync   X  
Silent Install Support   X  


Platform Differentiating Features ACT! Prem Web / Windows Prem Web / Windows SQL [ST]
Scalability
Number of Users 1-10 1-30 1-50+
File Size Limitation of Database 4GB 4GB No Limit
Max RAM Used 1GB 1GB OS Max
Max Number of Processors Used 1 1 4



Feature Comparison Chart: ACT! 2008 Product Family

  • Icons were updated, however, the basic interface did not change from 2006 or 2007 and is very similar to earlier versions of ACT!
  • Feature set is consistent with ACT! 6.0: Important menus maintained and Hotkeys and Function Keys work the same.
  • View the system requirements for all 2008 versions.
  • Been using ACT! and not sure how to prepare your database prior to upgrading? Download our report on The 5 Things You Should Do Before Upgrading.


Bolded items below are new or improved features to the 2008 release.

2008 Features ACT! ACT!
Prem
ACT!
Prem
Web
Organize Your Contact Data in One place
Track Complete Information: Including attachments, documents, sales opportunities, emails and more X X X
Attach documents to Activities and History items X X X
Attach shortcuts to Activities and History items X X  
60+ Pre-defined Fields X X X
More easily prevent duplicate Records X X X
Enter virtually unlimited date-and time-stamped Notes and History X X X
Split-Panel Note and History Preview Pane X X  
Edit Mode in Contact (or Group or Company) List View X X  
Create Company Records X X X
Specify Linked Contact/Company Fields X X X
Update Company Linked Fields from a Contact X X X
15 hierarchies of Groups and Subgroups - Dynamic membership X X X
Share Notes and Histories Between Contacts X X X
Rich Text Formatting - supports colors, bullets, graphics, URLs X X X
Layout Designer X X X*
Customizable Navigation Bar X X  
Maintain Private Contacts, Companies, or Groups X X X
Maintain Limited Access Contacts, Companies, or Groups X X X
Stay in Touch and Grow Business Relationships
Linked Correspondence X X X
Last Communications Fields X X X
Built-in ACT! Word Processor that supports tables, HTML images, spell checking, and more! X X X
Mail Merge using Microsoft® Word® X X  
Pre-formatted templates X X X
Opportunity Lookups X X X
Multiple Contacts per Opportunity X X X
Customizable Opportunity Fields (including date-type fields)   X X
Drop-down lists in Opportunity Fields   X X
Instant Quotes X X  
Sales and Pipeline Reports X X X
Export to Excel® X X X
Schedule from an Opportunity X X X
Schedule Activity Series X X X
Get a Complete View of Customer Interactions
Dashboard of your own Activities X X X
Dashboard of other User's Activities   X X
Advanced Keyword Search X X  
Advanced Query of Companies or Groups   X X
Quick Search     X
Save Lookups as Groups X X X
Lookup Ranges X X X
Lookup Indicator X X  
Edit within Queries X X  
Access 38+ standard reports X X X
Use Report Designer X X X*
Field Types - Picture, Yes/No, Memo, E-mail X X X*
Customize Drop-downs; Utilize Multi-Select values X X X
Share Drop-down lists across different fields X X X
Custom Activity Types X X X*
Custom History Types X X X*
Custom Priorities X X X*
Securely Administer and Deploy to Workgroups and Teams
Increased Scalability to accommodate your workgroup or team   X X
5 Security Levels for Users X X X
Custom User Permissions (including Managing Sync Subscription List)   X X
Grant Contact Access en Masse   X X*
Lookup Contacts by Access   X X*
Complexity of a Password, Expiration Options, and Password Reuse X X X*
Field Level Security   X X
Automatic Database Sync   X X*
Automatic Database Backup   X X*
Automatic Database Maintenance   X X*
Silent Install   X  
Eliminate Duplicate Records X X X*
Prevent Duplicate Records X X X
Access critical information when mobile or remote
Citrix®/Terminal Services support X X  
Synchronize Palm OS® X X  
Synchronize Pocket PC X X  
Works with ACT! for Palm OS X X  
Accounting Integration
Peachtree by Sage, QuickBooks Professional/Premier, Simply Accounting by Sage, Sage MAS 90 and Sage MAS 200, Sage BusinessWorks X X  
* Asterisks in this chart denote items in the Web version that are available, but must be designed or handled in the desktop version of the software.

Differences from 2006

  1. Direct Link to Microsoft Outlook® e-mail. No more ACT Email Window interface.
  2. New menu command (Write, Email from template) to quickly send a form e-mail (with graphics if you like) without going through the e-mail feature.
  3. Notes, History, Opportunities, Secondary Contacts and Documents now inherit the Contact Access security of the Contact Record. For example, if the Contact is Limited Access, then all their Opportunites will have the same Limited Access. If you don't have rights to see the contact, you won't see their opportunities in Opportunity List view or on the Company record.
  4. Field Security by user with Full access, Read-Only access, and No Access (Hidden).
  5. Regulate password usage through a global password policy. You can require employees to change passwords every set number of days, define the compexity required of passwords, and set password re-use limitations to ensure your data is secure
  6. Define which fields are linked between the Company and the Contact records.
  7. Last E-mail System field keeps track of your email correspondence
  8. View multiple notes at once and preview the critical ones using the new split-panel notes feature
  9. Enhanced query and lookup capabilities (better keyword searches, current lookup indicator displays in the status bar and ability to edit existing queries)
  10. Scheduled database maintenance (Check and Repair)
  11. Scheduled syncing of Outook calendars with ACT!
  12. Speed...I promise...it is so much faster, you can't believe it. Testing shows over 60% faster than 7.0. Calendar views now open faster than version 6.0

Differences from 2005

  1. Enhanced Feature Sets
  2. Increased Compatibility
  3. Improved Data Security

Differences from ACT! 6 and Earlier Versions

Focus on six major feature areas
  1. Groups
  2. Companies
  3. Opportunities
  4. Calendars and Scheduling
  5. Synchronization
  6. Security

Order ACT! 2008 Now
or call
877-661-5200 for more details,
or try our Select Your ACT! Version Wizard to help you decide what you need.


Don't Forget ACT! 2008 Training Manuals

ACT! 2008 Quick Study GuideWe really did write the book. We authored the "Official ACT! Quicky Study Guide" for ACT! 2008 (as well as for ACT! 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 (or 6) and 2000 (or 5). We also have developed courseware modules that you can use for teaching how to better use ACT!. The courseware comes with laminated cheat sheets to help you learn the new features more quickly...or you can buy these reference guides separately, if you like. If you want additional information about our courseware and learning aids, contact us toll free at: 877-661-5200 or email us.


Certified consultants for the ACT! contact management software through technical support, act software training and user groups.

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For comments or questions, email us
info@cornerstonesolutions.com
or contact us at:
Cornerstone Solutions, Inc., PO Box 270514, Houston TX, 77277-0514
Phone: 713-661-5200    Toll Free: 877-661-5200
Copyright © 2007 Cornerstone Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.