Life and Times with ACT! by Sage

Office 2010 support with ACT! by Sage #SageACT

2010-08-28T15:25:00.001+10:00

For some months, people have been asking about support for Office 2010 in ACT! by Sage with no information or direction from Sage itself.

Up until this point I had assumed that, like with many earlier versions, Sage would provide a patch for the currently available version of ACT!, but that it would be significantly improved with the next major release. Well, this was not the case.

Sage management had left everyone guessing till finally an announcement from Larry Ritter. In brief:

There won’t be a patch to provide full Office 2010 support in ACT! by Sage 2010
There is a workaround to provide limited support for Outlook 2010 by downloading a preference file from ACT!’s knowledgebase article 26713 - ACT! by Sage Compatibility with Microsoft® Office 2010
Sage ACT! 2011 will support Office 2010, but only if installed in 32bit mode

Let me address each of these points in turn:

No patch for ACT! 2010 for full support

There are two possible reasons for Sage’s decision not to provide a patch for users of ACT! 2010.

Either there were significant changes in the new Office version that produced major challenges to incorporate in the current code base, or Sage completely underestimated the faster uptake to Office 2010 compared with Office 2007 and didn’t foresee it would be an issue for enough of its user base.

Whatever the reason, Sage decided it was better value for their R&D dollars to concentrate on ACT! 2011

But why has it taken so long to provide this necessary information?

Limited support via a replacement preferences206.xml file

While I do applaud Sage for at least providing this bandaid fix, there are a few issues I have:

It’s important to read the knowledge base article linked above to see that, while it provides limited support for Outlook, it provides no support for Word or Excel integration.
Back in June, a user posted to this Sage’s Community site article that he had received XML files for this fix. I contacted several people within Sage to see if I could get some information on the custom XML files, but did not receive a single reply. Seeing as they knew about this fix in June, why did it take so long to post it to a knowledge base article or even make it available to other users in need?
When Sage did post the knowledge base article, it only included a fix for the US version of ACT! 2010. Within a couple of hours of being informed how the XML was made, I had provided an AU version to Greig Hollister to update the knowledge base. I see that a Sage Australia Tech Support staff member also took the effort to provide one – their name has removed from this blog at their request not to be associated with any form of communications … but you can see who on Larry’s blog. I found the request to remove their name particularly telling as the problem here is the lack of public communication from Sage as this is what they objected to.
But so far those are still the only versions posted. Sage needs to realise that this product is used world-wide and either produce the localised versions from their North American office or request each of the regions to provide them in a timely manner. I have also been told that the US version will work for Canadians as long as you rename it to CApreferences206.xml
For any users or resellers in the other regions who want to create their own:
- On a clean OS, install Office 2007 and then ACT! 2010 12.1
- Open ACT! and set up the Office integration
- Go to the folder appropriate to your operating system:
  - Windows® XP: C:\Documents and Settings\{User_Name}\Application Data\ACT\ACT for Windows 12)\Preferences
  - Windows Vista® & Windows® 7: C:\Users\{User_Name}\AppData\Roaming\ACT\ACT for Windows 12\Preferences
- Copy the file XXpreferences206.xml (where XX refers to your country version)
- This file can then be used as per the knowledge base article linked above with Office 2010

Support for Office 2010 in Sage ACT! 2011

On a 64bit operating system, Office 2010 can be installed in either 32bit or 64bit, but ACT! 2011 will only support Office 2010 in 32bit mode.

I’m not sure of the reasons for this, but it is important to note that many products from Microsoft, Google and others are also limited in their Office 2010 support to 32bit.

I don’t see this as too much of a problem because the only real advantage of operating Office as a 64bit application is if you need to operate on huge (multi-gb) Excel or Word documents.

However, it is something that will be important for Sage and resellers to make users aware of, especially as I would think most pre-installed versions of Office on new systems would have been pre-installed as 64bit.

In Conclusion

While it would have been nice for Sage to have patched ACT! 2010 for full support, there are obviously technical and/or business reasons for their decision not to do this. Certainly it gives justification for users to purchase the maintenance package each year.

What I fail to understand is why it took so long for Sage to inform the user-base of their decision and, more so, to provide the work-around to users caught out by this when they knew about it so long ago.

ACT! is a business tool and its users need timely communication from Sage in order to plan their own business projects. It seems that, since the days under David van Toor and Sam Hunter, ACT!’s management have been communicating in absentia.

What do you think?

Technorati Tags: ACT!,SageACT!,Sage,CRM,MS Office,Office 2010

ACT! by Sage Whitepapers

2010-05-29T23:56:00.001+10:00

A collection of ACT! by Sage Whitepapers from ACT! Knowledgebase article 25908

ACT! 2010 and Microsoft Office Integration
This Whitepaper details ACT! integration with core Microsoft Office applications, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel®, Microsoft Outlook®, as well as Internet Explorer®. It explores how ACT! users can leverage the power of both ACT! and Microsoft Office when integrated together. The integration capabilities addressed in this Whitepaper pertain to the 2010 versions of ACT! by Sage, ACT! by Sage Premium, and ACT! by Sage Premium for Web.

ACT! by Sage and Social CRM - Part 1
This whitepaper is Part 2 of our ACT! and Social Media series and will explore the benefits of using social media to engage with your customers, and demonstrate how ACT! 2010 can make it easier to find new prospects, learn about their needs, and grow those relationships. For more information about getting started with social media, please refer to Part 1 of our whitepaper series, Connecting with Your Customers: A Guide to Social Media, which provides a general overview and description of social media and step by step guidelines for how to get started.

ACT! by Sage and Social CRM - Part 2
This whitepaper is Part 2 of our ACT! and Social Media series and will explore the benefits of using social media to engage with your customers, and demonstrate how ACT! 2010 can make it easier to find new prospects, learn about their needs, and grow those relationships. For more information about getting started with social media, please refer to Part 1 of our whitepaper series, Connecting with Your Customers: A Guide to Social Media, which provides a general overview and description of social media and step by step guidelines for how to get started.

ACT! by Sage 2010: Delivering on Usability and Productivity
This whitepaper discusses how in the past year, Sage Global CRM Solutions has increased efforts related to usability, and therefore, implemented a progressive program of customer research involving hundreds of customers and partners. To determine the quality of the ACT! 2010 design compared to the competition, Sage conducted a Keystroke Level Modelling (KLM) study of ACT! and five competitors. The results of the KLM study presented in this paper show that ACT! was rated number one in user productivity, while Microsoft® and Salesforce.com finished 5th and 6th respectively. Overall, ACT! was rated as most efficient with on average 17% higher productivity than competitors. Notably, the same tasks take 25% longer to complete in Microsoft Dynamics® CRM and 37% longer using Salesforce.com.

ACT! Reporting and Data Access Methods
This whitepaper discusses the technical aspects of the ACT! reporting and data access methods. For example, the ACT! architecture provides four additional data access methods that can be used for querying, reporting and data extraction: ACT! OLE DB Reporting Provider, ACT! Reader Utility and account (ACT! Premium only), ACT! Password Utility (ACT! Premium only), ACT! SDK (Software Developers Kit).

Using ACT! Premium in Microsoft® Terminal Server or Citrix Presentation Server Environments™
The whitepaper explores the benefits of deploying ACT! Premium through Terminal Services, outlines deployment requirements and recommendations, and provides installation and performance tips. It is intended for IT Administrators who are considering deployment of ACT! using Microsoft Terminal Services, with or without Citrix.

Factors That Affect ACT! Performance for Individual Users
This whitepaper examines the factors that affect ACT! application performance for the individual user. It includes results of testing performed by an independent benchmark testing company using ACT! by Sage 2006 (8.0), as well as testing performed by Sage on subsequent ACT! versions.

Scalability Results for ACT! Premium Solutions
This whitepaper provides performance and scalability test results and hardware recommendations to deliver a cost effective and positive end-user experience.

ACT! Architecture, Customization, and Integration
This whitepaper discusses the ACT! product family architecture, deployment methods, customization, and integration capabilities with other products and is intended for IT managers or system administrators who want to better understand the underlying platform and capabilities.

Keys to a Successful ACT! by Sage Deployment
This whitepaper explores various deployment scenarios possible with ACT! solutions, based on the organization’s needs, whether users require online access, offline access, handheld mobile access, or a combination of access types.

ACT! Security Model
This white paper discusses the ACT! security model, which was developed to support stand-alone and workgroup implementations and provide consistency and flexibility to managers and IT personnel charged with protecting contact information.

ACT! Synchronization Architecture
This whitepaper provides an overview of the ACT! sync model, including a description of the key features, abilities, and concepts. It is directed at current users and potential customers seeking to perform a functional and technical evaluation of the product. Diagrams and examples are provided where appropriate, as well as greater detail on Internet synchronization, focusing on setup and configuration.

Managing Customer Relationships: The Choice Between What's Cheap and What Works
Authored by Aberdeen, this research document will examine the benefits of free and paid CM solutions for small-to-medium sized businesses. Organizations in need of a sales automation solution to manage account, contact, and company information will be advised on how to select a CM tool that can satisfy short-term needs and meet long-term goal.

CRM: A Business Imperative for Companies During the Global Economic Downturn
This whitepaper examines how Sage is working with small and medium sized businesses today to help them protect and grow their revenues during the economic downturn through the use of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.

Automating Success: The Choice Between Contact Management and Customer Relationship Management
Authored by Aberdeen, this whitepaper will enable users to determine which solution best fits their business type, as well as the organizational capabilities necessary to ensure the successful adoption of a Contact Management or Customer Relationship Management solution.

Technorati Tags: ACT,ACT! by Sage,CRM

Getting ACT! on your phone

2010-05-20T22:23:00.001+10:00

A comparison of various PDA links for ACT! by Sage

This is an excerpt of the PDF: Getting ACT! on your phone

Mobility has been one of the great driving forces behind the use of ACT!. From the ability to sync to laptops (originally supported with ACT! 2.0 for DOS) to PDAs (since the HP95LX version in 1992) and even Web versions, people have found the need to provide access to remote users and to staff on the road to be an essential aspect to their management of customer relationships and of their staff.

I previously described many of the options for remote access of ACT! by Sage in the post:
Supporting Remote Users with ACT! by Sage

With the high uptake of "smart phones", there are now a wide variety of options available depending on your needs and I thought it would be useful to take a look at these and compare them.

The contents of this document are the result of over 60 separate installs in various configurations over a two month period.

Disclosure: I have been using Handheld Contact (on both Blackberry and iPhone) since switching from CompanionLink nearly ten years ago. I also support Handheld Contact resellers and users in Asia Pacific. However, I shall endeavour to provide an accurate an un-biased analysis of all the products.

The products included in this evaluation:

Testing environment:

Windows XP Professional SP3 (with all updates) on domain
Office 2007 SP2 (with all updates)
Exchange 2003 6.5 SP2 (with all updates)
Blackberry Pearl 8100 with OS 4.5.0.102 via BES
iPhone 3GS 32GB with OS 3.1.3 via Exchange OWA
HTC Touch Duel with Windows Mobile 6 Professional via ActiveSync 4.5
All regional settings set to Australia, Sydney

Areas included in evaluation:

Supported ACT! versions
- Method of sync
- USB
- Wireless via sync server
- Via other software such as Outlook, Exchange, Google Apps
What ACT! data is supported
- Contact fields
  - number of fields
  - data types and formatting
  - pull downs
  - field level security
- Activities
  - linking to correct contacts (or multiple contacts)
  - clearing activities
  - viewing and scheduling for other users
  - custom activities
- Notes / Histories
  - viewing
  - creating on the road (including from emails, phone calls and SMS)
  - linking to multiple contacts
- Sales Opportunities - viewing and creating
- International issues - date and phone number formats
Other functions
Administration
- Ease of setup and implementation
- Ability to control what each user has access to
- Data reliability
- Security
Support issues

Conclusions

After doing far more testing that I had planned for this document, my recommendation for the best product is Handheld Contact Professional for the following reasons:

It is by far the easiest and fastest product to setup and implement and it's just as easy for a single user setup on a local PC as for a 100+ user setup on a network using a computer dedicated to Handheld Contact
It is the easiest product to administer and maintain without technical skills
It provides the most "ACT!-like" experience on the phones it supports
It is a fully integrated application with Contacts, Activities and Notes/Histories in the one interface
Using its own application means that recording of emails, sms and call history can be automatically tracked and synced back to ACT!
It is one of only three products I couldn't cause to duplicate data in the ACT! database - the others being Handheld Contact Basic and 123 Synchronizer
It is one of only two products that operate using a Windows service, which I think is important for network security. The other being ACT! Mobile Live

* A useful point to note for the future: Handheld Contact is working to incorporate the full Sales Opportunity tables as well as those of Accounts Master! towards the end of this year. That will mean Handheld Contact Professional users will be able to view the sales history with their customers, but also to be able to create invoices from the road. Accounts Master! will integrate many accounting/ERP systems into ACT! and Handheld Contact.

It's only negatives are that it's limited to specific devices (Blackberry, iPhone, Windows Mobile Professional) and that the amount of data it requires means that on Blackberry there is a lower contact limit... although this limit is about to be significantly raised in an expected upgrade

My 2nd choice was, to be honest, a surprise to me. I hadn't played with 123 Synchronizer before and was surprised how solid it appeared. If you are using devices that are not supported by Handheld Contact Professional or if your business wants their ACT! data to synchronise with Outlook/Exchange, then this is the way to go.

It is the only product other than Handheld Contact where I didn't manage to cause to duplicate data in the ACT! database
While it didn't run as a service, it does have the option to be called from a command line and run without requiring a user account to be logged into Windows.

The only negatives I found are that it can be quite complex to set up in some configurations - I recommend using an ACT! Consultant - but check that they have done implementations of this product first. Also that it relies on Outlook/Exchange and possibly another product if you want wireless - while this would suit most users, you should check this before selecting it.

If you are running ACT! versions prior to Sage or using a device not supported by Handheld Contact and also not using Outlook, then Companionlink is the choice. But be careful to keep good backups in case of duplication issues. Doublelook really needs to have the option to run as a service to be really considered as an “Enterprise” product.

The free links should really be treated as a one-way option (from ACT! to the phone). The ability to cause problems in ACT! going both ways makes this a poor choice

Regarding ACT! Mobile Live, having supported ACT! since 1987, it really pains me to say I would not advise users to consider this as a realistic option under any circumstances. It has been 20 months since Sage first publically announced the beta of this product. They would be doing a favour to their users and VARs if they either started from scratch or dropped it and purchased one of the other products.

For full details, please see:

Technorati Tags: ACT,ACT! by Sage,CRM,PDA,iPhone,Blackberry,Pocket PC,Android,CompanionLink,Doublelook,ACT! Mobile Live,123 Synchronizer

ACT! – Configuring Your Way to Success

2010-04-23T13:02:00.000+10:00

Sage’s Brian Mowka recently published this useful post on editing the ACT! Configuration XML file that can improve the startup speed for some users: ACT! – Configuring Your Way to Success

I hope he will publish some more posts on tweaking the XML files in ACT! to improve it's use for various users.

Technorati Tags: ACT,ACT! by Sage,XML

Social Media and CRM – thoughts on how they should connect

2010-04-01T20:02:00.001+11:00

I have done a few articles in my blog on how I'd like to see Social Media integrated to CRM (especially ACT!). The two most relevant are ACT! by Sage and Social Media – Social CRM and Thoughts on ACT! 2010 beta (#ACT2010) - The good, the bad and the ugly

But, since those, I have seen the social media sites expand their capabilities and have seen many more people using them for the business connections as well as their social ones.

From a business point of view, this is introducing many issues with maintaining and managing those relationships and the methods you use to communicate with them. So I thought I would expand my view of some of the ways they should integrate. Obviously, as my focus is ACT!, some of the items might be specific to that CRM environment.

Contact importing/sending and syncing

Social Media has meant that people are making connecting with people in a wide variety of social networking sites like LinkedIN, Facebook, Plaxo, Twitter, Google Buzz and others.

But good CRM strategy means that you should be able to centralise all the points of contact. Basically, I think this should just be one way (from Social Media to CRM) – although, some social media platforms also allow you to load your contacts into them to search and see if they exist, then link them. This would be a good option for those platforms that provide this facility.

Import all (or a lookup) of social contacts/friends from the social media platform
- Check to see if Contact already exists by email (all email fields) or Contact Name
- For each Social Media site, there should be a dedicated field to fill in the key that links the CRM contact to their profile
- As many people use different email addresses for social media sites, when adding the email, it should check if the email address exists. If not, add it to an additional email field
- Ability to define if the imported contacts are Public (all CRM users), Limited Access (some CRM users) or Private
Should also import picture field (if available)
Ability to send a lookup of CRM contacts to the social media network and request to connect or invite the contact if not found
Ability to sync changes made by contacts on social site to CRM - including a picture field. This can be turned on for all or some social sites. An easy way to keep your data up-to-date

Events/Activities

Many social media platforms (like LinkedIN and Facebook) provide the ability to add “events”. These should be imported as activities in the CRM – with the option to link to a specific contact or to the user’s own record in the database.

Social Media Display

This is to display the contact's social media profile in a tab when you are working with them.

For each social media platform this requires two URLs and a dedicated key field
When looking at the contact and displaying their SCRM tab
- If key field is empty, use first URL for search. Try email first (all email fields). Then, if that fails, try Company+Contact or just Contact
- Allow user to select a contact (if only one contact auto select - most likely for email match) and link to the Contact in the CRM by adding the necessary data to the key field
- When contact selected, and the direct key added to the special field and use this with 2nd URL for future views of the contact directly
- Add a check to see if user is connected to the contact. If not, add a button to add them - this will usually display more data and can also change the link field

Blog/Micro blog

From the Social Media Display (above)
- These might be URL with dedicate field from above (Twitter, Facebook, etc) or a web field separate from the web site field in ACT! (for Blog)
- Should also have the ability to "favourite" an individual post - record it in History
- For additional power add for Facebook/LinkedIN (Comment, Reply Privately), Twitter (Reply, Retweet, Direct) - so it's like an off-line client
- Comments, Replies, Retweets, Directs should have option to automatically generate a history
Email
- Maybe add ability to read/send emails via Facebook, LinkedIN, etc
- If Send, also write these to History
Collection of data for accounts
- Ability to combine updates on Groups/Companies like is done now for Notes, Histories, Activities, Sales Ops – this allows a Company wide view of their social media
- Also ability to create Dynamic Groups based on Twitter or Facebook lists and LinkedIN groups

Security

I haven't really thought through the implications of this... but if all of the above is done, some additional security might be necessary - eg you might be a LinkedIN Contact, Facebook Friend, etc with a contact that others in your company are not and not wish them to see
What other items might need to be controlled?

As you can see, my view is that CRM (specifically ACT!) should be the centre of all knowledge and communication and this level of integration and functionality makes that a reality for social media

I'd be more than happy to hear any thoughts/comments any of you might have on this

Technorati Tags: ACT,ACT! by Sage,CRM,SCRM,Social Media

ACT! Fanatics LinkedIN Group 1000th member prize

2010-03-10T07:38:00.001+11:00

The LinkedIN ACT! Fanatics Group was created as a place where ACT! users, resellers, add-on vendors and Sage staff from around the world could communicate and share their knowledge of using ACT! by Sage

The success of this is proven by the huge volume of valuable information that has been shared and now we are rapidly approaching 1000 members.

As a special present, some of the add-on vendors who are members of this group have offered to put together two packs of ACT! add-ons:

One for the 1000th member to the group
One for a random member of the group at the end of the week that the 1000th member joins
To be eligible for this prize, you must post a reply to the News article referring to this offer in the LinkedIN group stating why you would like to use any of the add-on products in this promotion.
The decision on the winner will be made by me in conjunction with the add-on vendors taking part

Both packs can be used by the winners or, if won by a reseller, Sage staff member or a user unable to use them, they can be sold at their retail values.*

The following products are included in both packs:

Handheld Contact – Professional Edition (1 yr)	Handheld Contact wirelessly syncs and manages your ACT! Contacts, Activities and Notes/Histories from your BlackBerry, Pocket PC, or Treo Smartphone - it's like having ACT! with you anywhere, anytime! *iPhone version now in beta and due soon
itDial – Advanced	Enhanced calling interface from ACT! via TAPI phone systems and/or Skype VoIP. itDial for ACT! makes keeping track of telephone calls easier than ever. Using itDial, ACT! users can dial and answer calls, update contact information, add new contacts, create history, and schedule activities for incoming and outgoing calls with just the click of a mouse.
Company Wizard	Mass update and build company records based on a Lookup of Contact and create the contact links
Duplicate Contact Wizard - Expert	Powerful De-duplicating Contacts and Companies in your ACT! database while retaining the extended data (Notes, Histories, Activities, Attachments, etc).
ACT! E-marketing (6 months)	ACT! E-marketing helps you reach out to your contacts, grow your database, qualify new leads and automate your business processes. The offer will be 6 months of: Pro service level Silver Drip Marketing 1 user on the account 1,000 email per day send limit
Stonefield Query (6 months)	Stonefield Query for ACT!® is a user-friendly database report writing, query, and data mining tool designed specifically for ACT! putting Business Intelligence reporting in the hands of the end-user where it belongs. Stonefield Query has been customized specifically for ACT! giving you an intuitive, easy-to-use BI reporting solution that you will love!

* Option to resell does not apply to ACT! E-marketing or Stonefield Query

Technorati Tags: ACT,ACT! by Sage,CRM,Handheld Contact,Blackberry,iPhoney,PocketPC,LinkedIN

ACT! 2010 Service Pack 1 is available!

2010-03-06T03:22:00.001+11:00

For ACT! 2010 users, Sage has just released Service Pack 1.

It adds a number of fixes and enhancements and I recommend it for all users.

Note: Apply this update to all machines that are involved in database synchronization to avoid issues surrounding renaming layouts, queries, and reports. This includes all machines that contain the Main Synchronization Database, Main Remote Database, and machines that have the ACT! Network or ACT! Internet Sync Services applied.

You might find the following knowledge base articles helpful:

Technorati Tags: ACT! by Sage,ACT2010,ACT,CRM

What I learned from my last blog post… and what would you like me to blog about?

2010-02-12T13:45:00.001+11:00

Let me start by saying that, while I do like speaking, I don’t consider myself to be a good writer. This is the reason that my posts are largely bullet points or PowerPoint posts and tend to be mostly of a technical nature. Fortunately, blogs in the technical arena gain readerships according to the market they target.

As my blogs are targeted in a small niche of ACT! users who want to improve their technical understanding of the product, I don’t chase the volume hits of more professional bloggers. To put this in perspective, I have been typically achieving about 2000 hits per month on this blog (about the same as I get on the main GL Computing web site.

I try to post at least a couple of times a month and my posts do have a fair degree of text contact, which the search engines love to index.

I do promote my posts via Social Media:

Twitterfeed automatically sends a Tweet on Twitter very soon after an update
New posts are automatically added to the News section in the LinkedIN ACT! Fanatics Group
Networkblogs automatically posts them to the GL Computing Facebook page and to the streams of those who follow either the blog page or are fans of the GL page.
I also find other similar blog posts and, where applicable, add a comment referencing my post
Additionally, I use links to the posts when answering forum questions where I have covered the topic in a post.

Currently, about 50% of hits to the blog are from referring sites (mainly forums I post to and the social media links) and only 35% from search engines.

However, last week, I posted about Why I prefer Blackberry over iPhone for Businesses. This was picked up by a couple of journalists and professional bloggers like Neerav Bhatt on his blog: Introduction to RIM Blackberry Mobile Phones: Pros and Cons

Not only did this article receive a lot of nice comments, but it was highly re-tweeted and has so far received about 1000 hits in less than 2 weeks (500 in the first day).

This raises some questions that I’d like to pose to you:

What would you like to see me blog about?
While I intend to keep targeting the ACT! user base, should I keep the focus on product technical posts? Or would you like to see more posts on other topics that might be of interest, such as: mobile computing, social media, general CRM, general sales/marketing or general IT?
Would it detract from the site if I added some Google Ads or sponsorships?
As I provide the content of this blog for free, do you think it would be a problem to go down this path? Previously, I had not considered the hit rate to be high enough to make this worth-while and also reasoned that the technical people who read the site wouldn’t be interested in this.

To add one more thing – While I don’t sell to end-users, if anyone wishes to utilise my services for any work related to ACT! or IT, you just need to have your reseller contact me to book some time. I can be available remotely for work at any time of the day as we support (via our resellers) in all time-zones.

Please let me know via a comment to this article, a comment in the ACT! Fanatics Group or privately via our Web Site Contact Page if you have any thoughts on what you’d like to see articles on or if there’s anything I can assist you with.

Technorati Tags: ACT!,ACT! by Sage,Blogs,CRM,SCRM,Social Media,support

Why I prefer Blackberry over iPhone for business

2010-02-01T16:12:00.001+11:00

Update: I will be updating this article to reflect iOS4… probably in about a month to do through it to the same level. So, anyone who’s interested should drop back in then

After many years using Blackberry phones (several 7xxx models and, until recently, an 8100 Pearl) I have reluctantly had to switch to an iPhone (3GS 32GB) in order to test some software.

I thought I would give it some time before posting this blog as I wanted to make sure my issues weren’t just a question of not having found how to perform the functions I was used to.

Having now spent 3 months on the iPhone, I am at a loss as to how anyone would choose this device for business use or if email is really important to them. There are so many functions that I relied on that are just not available on the iPhone. I acknowledge that some of these might be specific to my carrier and some might be due to the actual way I prefer to operate. I have come to use, and rely on, my Blackberry as a virtual office and communications centre that allows me to be fully in touch when on the road.

So I thought I would put together a list and see if any of the iPhone experts can tell me if I'm doing it wrong or if this device is really so flawed and I’m immune to the cool-aid.

Note: For users of ACT! by Sage who want to put their ACT! data on their phone, see this: comparison of various PDA links for ACT! by Sage

Hardware

The device certainly seems well-built and solid… like most of the Blackberry phones (except the Flip). But dropping the iPhone on it’s face (without a protective case) will likely need a replacement
Having to use a pin to insert/replace the sim card just seems odd. Not having this “Ikea special tool” I had to wait a day to get a pin before I could use the device
As does having no way to replace the battery. This became a real issue when I found how limited the battery life is compares to the Blackberry - about 7 hours in the iPhone compared to several days on the Blackberry. When travelling with the Blackberry, I’d take one extra charge battery and have over a week using it is my sole means of communications
Argh! A non-standard USB cable… and they don’t include a separate one for the power supply – so moving the phone from the PC to a wall power means buying another cable or carrying the supplied one with me. I can only see this an an artificial way for Apple to make some extra on the cable.
No slot to use for an additional memory stick seems wrong for a supposedly powerful device. It makes sharing data with other systems and platforms much more limited
Even with carrying the cable and without ability to use external memory, it has 32GB – but still can’t be used as a memory stick or external drive via USB (except for photos). What a waste! I should have purchased the one with 8GB
Shouldn’t all phone cameras now have a flash and zoom?

Setup

I found the setup to be very easy. Although I am disappointed in having to use iTunes for everything
There doesn’t seem to be a way to setup multiple devices for a business over the air
Connecting to my Wi-Fi was pretty easy once I’d changed the settings. My Wi-Fi supports IPSec security which the iPhone doesn’t
Adding email accounts (Exchange and POP3) was remarkably easy – it was fortunate I have OWA
No way to roll-out, administer, secure or wipe the device remotely

Data

Unlike the US, the iPhone is available here in Australia through all the major carriers. But, unlike with the Blackberry, none of them offer unlimited data. I guess this means more searching for Wi-Fi spots
But don’t worry US… the call drop-outs and disconnects that people in the US seem to think are related to the AT&T network – they happen here with the iPhone on all networks.
I’ve found that downloading the same amount of data (email, web pages, etc), the iPhone uses between 5 and 20 times the bandwidth. This might explain why carriers are reluctant to give unlimited data. It also explains why the iPhone is so much slower at performing similar tasks.

Security

When it comes to security, there is no contest. See the Blackberry Official Statement
On the other hand, the iPhone has been found to have some major security issues:
Additionally, the iPhone requires MobileME in order to remotely wipe a lost phone. For remote-wiping on a BlackBerry, you can do this through BES, BIS or customers can opt for an emergency feature where their phone automatically erases all of its data if it’s been off the network for a set amount of time. This is powerful as it helps protect against someone who steals the phone and pops the sim card before trying to access the data.

Operation and Interface

No multi-tasking. That means no back-ground sync for databases or the ability to have an application run a task in the background which doing something else in the foreground
This also means you can’t really use it for Instant Messaging with products like Skype, Live Messenger, etc as you can only receive messages when that application is the open one.
Not even task-switching. Applications close and have to re-open (then wait till they get up-to-date data). I have lost work when checking a received email or answering the phone.
Why can’t all Settings be accessed from within the applications. Having to check both the iPhone settings application and any option in an application itself just doesn’t make sense.
The Blackberry menu makes accessing more common tasks faster.
The scrolling, while pretty, actually makes it slower to get to the actual point you want
The scroll wheels to set the time or alarm, while a pretty novelty the first few times take more time to set than just typing the digits.
Maybe my thumbs are a bit big, but even after several months I keep pressing Shift or Del accidently (depending on the side of the screen) - even in Landscape. Worse, even though used to a much more narrow device, I still can’t get the right keys as fast in Portrait mode… but in same apps, Landscape isn’t an option – this slows data entry.
In these days of internet shouldn’t the period and @ be on the main layout? Sure it has the same double Space for period at the end of sentence, but this isn’t great for a URL or email address
The spell check only gives one option… what about other words that are similar?
The spell check on the Blackberry can also include all the data from the address book – your contacts names and companies. Makes typing much easier.

Phone

When you start entering the data in the Blackberry phone, it auto searches the address book (first, last and company name) and as you scroll, shows each contact’s numbers to click and call. With the iPhone, you have to go through additional steps with this
The “End Call” button is large and seems to be right where my check touches the phone if not using hands free or via headset. This has caused me to accidently hang up prematurely on a few calls

Contacts

It is neat that you can add additional phone/address fields, but unfortunately these don’t sync back to Exchange.
You can’t sort by Company or even view that field in the Contacts application. While you can search by that field it's a bit harder to find the right contact
Searching for a Contact means you have to scroll all the way back to the top. With the Blackberry, you just start typing and it will show the contacts that have a matching First, Last or Company Name – no matter where you are in the list. The Blackberry search is also MUCH faster
When my Exchange server was down, I couldn’t access any contact and they had to be fully downloaded when it was up again… shouldn’t these be stored locally? I haven’t tried to see if I lose all this data if I’m out of radio range.

Email (Exchange 2003 is my Primary server)

An email received by Exchange, sent via BES to the Blackberry is nearly instantaneous. It can take considerable time to appear on the iPhone unless I open the folder.
There is no Home screen notification of having received emails, requiring you to manually scroll through the email folders after having left the device alone or while in a meeting.
When viewing some wide HTML emails, you have the options of the text being way to small to read or zooming it and having to scroll back and forwards each line. The Blackberry method of the user being able to select the font for all emails might make the rendering less accurate, but makes the emails much easier to read and respond faster.
I have about 180 folders in Exchange with rules that file incoming emails automatically. I had to manually select each folder for Push… and, when my Exchange server went down, other than having no local data. I also had to re-select all the folders for Push, manually! Why doesn’t this get stored?
The Blackberry Message List allows me to see all emails received (and include SMS in the list if you want), no-matter which folder - like Unread Mail in MS Outlook. But on the iPhone, I have to scroll through the folder list (the 180 I mentioned above) and know the unread figures of each folder to check for any new items. Nothing notifies you which account or folder has the new email.
File to Email Folders - to file a message to a folder on the BB, I just have to type the first few characters of the folder. The next time I file a similar email, it remembers the folder I users for that user/subject from last time. With the iPhone I have to manually scroll down the list every time
There is no option to set detailed filters for which email you want (by sender, size, times, etc)
No option to set/change Exchange “Out of Office” auto reply
From the email list on the Blackberry, I can also click and select to call the contact (if they exist in my address book) or to forward via another system (SMS, Facebook, etc). On the iPhone you have to open the email, then go to the Contact to call/SMS and can only Forward via email.

Browser

While the iPhone does render many pages more accurately, this ironically makes many harder to read
When viewing wide pages, you have the options of the text being way to small to read or zooming it and having to scroll back and forwards each line. The Blackberry column view might not display a page as the publisher intended, but makes them considerably easier to read.
Apple don’t seem interested in Flash whereas RIM and Adobe have announce a partnership to improve the support for rich content through these technologies - RIM and Adobe to Simplify Delivery of Rich Content and Applications for BlackBerry Smartphones
The Blackberry menu makes it MUCH easier to copy a URL or even to send that URL via another app – Email, SMS or even non-core apps like Facebook, Twitter, other social media or Instant Messaging

Notifications and Ringtones

The Blackberry LED displays in different colours to let you know of an event without even touching the device
For more detail, clicking once on the keypad will show you how many items you’ve received – separated by emails, SMS, missed calls, Facebook Messages, Windows Messenger IMs or Skype chats. The iPhone will only show SMSs and missed calls until you open each app to check.
Why do I have to stuff around changing the media formats in iTunes? The Blackberry can use any media file for a ringtone
The Blackberry also allows different ringtones for each event type
The iPhone doesn’t allow different settings (ringtone, volume, number of repeats, etc) for each event
On the Blackberry you can create different Profiles to set all the notifications to the ringtone, volume, LED use, number of vibrations and how often to repeat. The iPhone doesn’t provide the flexibility of choices let alone the ability to change all the settings in a couple of clicks (eg when you go into a meeting)
The Blackberry even allows exceptions for specific users … eg having the device in Silent mode except for certain important contacts

Multi-media

This is an area where, with it’s heritage in the iPod, I would expect it to excel… but even here, there are items better done on the Blackberry. For example, the Blackberry allows you to jump to the previous track, beginning of the current track or next track by holding the volume controls on either phone or headset. Much easier than having to get the device from your pocket and turn it on to make those changes
While they both play video, the wider screen of the iPhone is an area that it wins. Although I don’t watch enough videos or TV on the device to make this much of an advantage
It’s annoying to have to go via iTunes to add/remove media. On the Blackberry, you can view it as a USB drive and copy the files into folders of your choosing

Social Media and Instant Messaging

The lack of background tasks seriously reduces the option for Instant Messaging, which I prefer to SMS in many ways.
It also means when starting up a social media app you have to wait till it updates the information as the applications can’t sync in the background
While apps like Facebook, LinkedIN and some of the Twitter apps I have tested are comparable in the functions, the do miss some areas that reduces their effectiveness:
- Notifications are only available from some apps… and even then are not reliable (as above)
- Facebook only shows last Notification on Home screen. To see if you have more, you must go to the app
- both Facebook and LinkedIN have the ability to import their contacts to the phone… but LinkedIN only as new contacts (I already have most in my address book) and neither can link to a Contact that I might have with a different name from their social media account.
- The both take some time to sync, but at least on the Blackberry, this happens in the background
- The FaceBook app won’t bring in the email address on phone (saying it’s a privacy issue), but this is done on the Blackberry
- If using Social Media to schedule events, the iPhone can’t sync these with the calendar (the Blackberry does this and in the background)
- The Blackberry API has permitted some applications to create dedicated fields in the address book to link the contacts to their social media profiles

Software Development

The requirement for all apps to only install via their AppStore means that developers can’t get selected groups of users to test code before release. While this can be done by “Jailbreaking” the phone this is not something you want to tell users to do.
Update: I’ve just been informed that it is possible to beta test software, although with an unnecessarily complicated procedure to create an Ad Hoc iPhone Apps Distribution
The AppStore delivery requirement reduces the possibility for more complex licensing models
Apple’s certification process seems to be easy for trivial apps (like iFart), but more stringent on more complex products. They also don’t seem to want to tell a developer if a particular function will pass till the product is complete and the money spent.

Technorati Tags: Blackberry,iPhone,RIM,Apple,Facebook,LinkedIN,Twitter,Skype,Social Media,Phones,Smartphone,smart phone,iPhone Vs Blackberry,Blackberry Vs iPhone

GL Computing awarded Experts-Exchange Titan award – 2nd year in a row

2010-01-25T16:32:00.001+11:00

The epic performance of GL computing in 2009 has earned a spot as a Top Expert in the 6th Annual Expert Awards.

From a competitive field of over 30,000 qualified experts worldwide, GL Computing has been awarded the:

Titan Award - 2009

From Experts-Exchange: “Thank you for sharing your unparalleled, inconceivable, and brilliant knowledge with the members of Experts Exchange, without you Experts Exchange would not be the #1 IT resource in the web.”

GL Computing also won the Titan Award – 2008 and is the only Experts-Exchange Certified ACT! Sage

Technorati Tags: ACT!,ACT! by Sage,CRM,Award,Experts-Exchange,GL Computing

Tips for converting ACT! 6.0 (or earlier) databases to ACT! by Sage

2010-01-22T22:28:00.001+11:00

The most common problem with converting the older versions of ACT! to ACT! by Sage is if there is some damage in the database. Unfortunately, the older versions could become corrupt but not be noticed if you didn’t access that part of the data. As everything needs to be read for a conversion or sync, these functions can show up issues that might have been there for some time.

First, no-matter which version you have, make sure you have a backup of the data before you start.

You should also make sure you have the User Name and Password for someone with Administrator access to the database.

Because the repair tools were improved could fix more types of damage as the versions progressed, I recommend always upgrading earlier databases to ACT! 6.0 and cleaning them there before converting to ACT! by Sage.

If you don’t have ACT! 6.0, you can download the ACT! 6.0 30-day Trial – this will give you the time to convert, clean and repair your database to ready it for converting to the later versions.

Convert Earlier Versions to ACT! 6.0

Always perform a database compress and reindex in the version you have before going to ACT! 6.0. The steps for that conversion depends on how old your version is:

From ACT! for DOS, see:
Converting an ACT! for DOS Database to ACT! 3.0 or Later Format
From ACT! for Windows/MAC 1.x/2.x, see:
How to Convert an Old ACT! for Windows 1.0/1.1b Database to ACT! 6.0/5.0/2000 Format
From ACT! 3.0 – 5.0 (2000), see:
How Do I Convert a Database Created in a Previous Version of ACT! to a Later Version?

Repair and Clean the ACT! 6.0 Database

Next you should do a repair with ACTDIAG as per:
How To Use The ACT! Data Diagnostic Tool (ACTDIAG) to Scan and Repair a Database

Please note: If you got any red check marks, keep running it till they show all green
But if you’re still getting red checks after 3-4 runs, you’ll need to use additional tools to repair it
or have it professionally repaired

If getting an ACT! Consultant to help you with the conversion (recommended)
I also recommend that they run ABC_Scan on the database

If you are having problems are want to be really sure about your data, I recommend:
Red Flags from Cornerstone Solutions

If it still won’t clean or the conversion below still fails, please contact GL Computing

Centralising Attached Files

If you have attached files, especially if they are stored in different locations or on local workstations on a LAN, you should move these to one folder. You will then need to adjust the links in the database to show the new location. There are a number of tools to do this, I personally use Oak!Check! – Validate Attachments. You can also use it to do any other data cleaning you might need.

Converting to ACT! 2010

You are now ready to install ACT! 2010 as per: Sharing ACT! – Network or Sync (Part 1)

Which ever version of ACT! you are converting to, make sure you have the latest build and Hotfix. At the time of this article, for ACT! 2010, this is 12.0 Hotfix 4. It has some fixes for converting some databases. See: How to Download and Apply the ACT! by Sage 2010 Hot Fix 4

Then you should just be able to open the database from ACT! 2010 and it will convert. See:
How to Convert an ACT! 3.x, 4.x, 5.x (2000) or 6.x (2004) Database to ACT! by Sage 2010

If you have any questions, please post a comment here or in the LinkedIN ACT! Fanatics Group

Technorati Tags: ACT,ACT!,ACT! by Sage,CRM,Convert

Quick tip to improve speed on ACT! Premium for Web

2010-01-15T23:25:00.001+11:00

A user recently pointed out to me that the favicon.ico file used by ACT! Premium for Web is about 300KB.

For those who don’t know, the favicon.ico is an optional file that can be included on a web site and shows as a logo in web browsers next to the URL, the Browser tab and in bookmarks.

For more information, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favicon

This file loads with every page, increasing the bandwidth. Consequently, these should be kept as small as possible.

The file on an APFW server is /APFW/images/favicon.ico

If you are using ACT! Premium for Web, you might find an improvement by using an ICO editor to reduce the file size… this is especially important if supporting clients on slower connections or if you have a lot of users.

If you don’t have an ICO editor, feel free to download a small ACT! favicon I created:

www.glcomputing.com.au/ACT-favicon.zip

Extract the favicon.ico to the folder I mentioned above on your server. It’s not too pretty, but as it’s under 4KB will save nearly 300KB per page

It’s not a huge improvement, but every bit helps, right?

Technorati Tags: ACT!,ACT! by Sage,CRM,Web,favicon

Handheld Contact Professional Edition for Windows Mobile update

2010-01-14T09:40:00.001+11:00

Version 1.4.0.0 of the Windows Mobile application for Handheld Contact Professional Edition is now available.

To upgrade, sync Handheld Contact from the device first to ensure the latest changes are updated in ACT! and then visit www.handheldcontact.com/ota on your Windows Mobile phone.

This release of the Handheld Contact Professional Edition phone application includes improvements that include:

Integrated Google Maps with Contacts. Clicking an address will load it in the Google Maps application for Windows Mobile.
Handheld Contact application now supports mapping as many yes/no fields and date fields as desired up to the field mapping limit. Previously these fields were limited to 10 mappings.
Read only contacts fields in ACT! are now also read only on the phone.
Task list is now easier to read and use with updated interface.
Contact list is now easier to read and use with updated interface.
Calendar-Agenda view is now easier to read and use with updated interface.
Increased the activities custom type description to 60 characters.
Corrected an issue that could potentially stop the Handheld Contact application when placing a call.

For more information of putting ACT! on your smart phone, see Handheld Contact

Technorati Tags: ACT!,ACT! by Sage,CRM,Google Maps,Handheld Contact,PocketPC,Windows Mobile

What’s the best CRM?

2009-11-27T02:05:00.001+11:00

I often get asked or see on-line posts asking this question and people seem surprised when I, as an ACT! Evangelist, tell then that it can’t be answered without more detailed information. This is especially important in the SME market where there is a greater range of options available than in the Enterprise space.

Any recommendations without this info would be like asking for the best car or religion, and any suggestions would be akin to the adage "If the only tool you have is a hammer, all problems look like nails"

You need to identify your needs:

How many users are you expecting to have? Now and over the next 12-18 months.
How many records (contacts and/or companies)? Also now and over next 12-18 months
Where is your data sourced from (initial setup and on-going leads)?
For example: your web site, external companies, social media, Excel, paper entry
What do you want to do with the data? Reports, email merges, news letters, etc
You need to involve internal users at different levels (sales, marketing, management)
Do you want to integrate with legacy systems – accounting, ERP or other software?
Do you want to integrate with new technologies – social media, Twitter, LinkedIN, etc?
Do you want remote access – remote offices, laptop users, smart phones?
If so, do you have reliable internet connectivity?
What sort of security is important to you? Eg should all users be able to see/edit all records?
What sort of infrastructure do you have – operating systems, hardware, network.
Would you be prepared to invest in improving this?
Do you have your own IT? If so, will they need training to administer the new system?
What sort of support do you think you’ll need?
What sort of budget do you have?

One common issue is looking at management needs (administration and reporting) over usability... if the users find it to complex to use or un-helpful to them, they won't enter good data. Then any reports will be meaningless.

Remember that your customer database can be one of your most valuable assets and equipping your business with the right tools to mine that asset can produce valuable returns – especially when financial times are perceived to be tough.

Often the best way to to it right is to speak to a consultant in the field to provide some advice. Here is an article that I did on picking a CRM consultant: How to pick the right CRM Consultant

When speaking to vendors, and even many consultants, remember their competitive info isn't always accurate. You need to do your own research if you are comparing products.

You really want to know “What’s the best CRM solution for YOU?” Anyone who makes a recommendation without knowing or asking these questions can’t possibly be answering that.

Technorati Tags: ACT!,ACT! by Sage,CRM,SCRM,SME

Should ACT! by Sage move into the “Cloud”?

2009-11-11T02:15:00.001+11:00

There has been a lot of discussion about "cloud computing" or SaaS (Software as a Service) – even some by Sage management on the ACT! Community Leadership Blog. So I thought it would be a good topic to discuss

With most ACT! users who have modern Smartphones/PDAs now wanting wireless updates. The options for that either require the user to have web infrastructure or use an externally hosted sync server. As most ACT! users (other than Prem for Web) not having the systems and/or skills, those PDA links doing this are using the cloud and charging for the service.

Handheld Contact only offers subscription based, CompanionLink offers it as an option and Sage are looking at their own solution (ACT! Mobile Live)

In a recent discussion in the ACT! Fanatics Group, Sharon Randall of SJR said she, and many of her users, prefer CompanionLink because it's a one-off purchase. Ignoring other feature differences to HHC, this also means it is only a connected cable sync - no updates on the road. It's also the primary reason I've seen when users pick CL over HHC.

This is also one reason a user might choose ACT! over SalesForce. There are many others, but this is a core difference.

But, at the same time, there are users starting to ask for more cloud options from ACT! – and there certainly has been movement in that direction, at least with a deal Sage Australia did with a local host.
See comments below http://blog.glcomputing.com.au/2009/11/supporting-remote-users-with-act-by.html

The ability to share remotely means cloud is nearly always the better option for users with PDAs - except for the single user who isn't sharing their data. But what about other functions? Or even ACT! itself?

I also have a personal interest in your opinions on this... our soon to be released Accounts Master! (to integrate with accounting software like QuickBooks) will also use a subscription model. We did this because:

It will work for users where the accounts staff don't use ACT! and ACT! users don't have access to accounts – It will even work with Web versions, Sync users, Term Services and hosted.
It means we don't have to explain to users who upgrade ACT! and then get upset that they have to also pay for their add-ons to be upgraded - it does take work to accommodate changes with each new version of ACT!
We can roll out enhancements when they are ready, rather than having to wait till we have enough to justify an upgrade fee or having to really a build with bugs to meet a marketing timeframe - this is something I really like about Handheld Contact

So... after all this: What do you think about cloud/subscription Vs purchase/upgrade?

With some users wanting Cloud and others resisting, which camp are most ACT! users in now?
Will this change over then next year or two?
Should Sage wait for the ACT! user-base to demand this as they mature (if this is the future) or should they lead?
If Sage moves to early, it may upset some users... but will it upset enough that it's a worry?
Might this be an issue in some areas in the world where internet access, reliability and speeds are not as good?

Alternatively, without the cloud, how would users feel to a subscription model for ACT! in their own office - an annual license key and has to be renewed, but includes upgrades? I guess this is like Upgrade Insurance

For ACT! resellers, I've asked a follow-up in the ACT! Resellers Group on LinkedIN

I’d appreciate any thoughts or comments you might have. Thanks.

Update:

For those looking at a SaaS offering for ACT! by Sage now, see http://glcomputing.actondemand.com/

Technorati Tags: ACT,ACT!,ACT! by Sage,Sage,CRM,PDA,QuickBooks,Cloud,SaaS

Supporting Remote Users with ACT! by Sage

2009-11-05T02:45:00.001+11:00

With users like the Professional Sales Road Warriors that made up much of ACT!'s early user base to field service technicians, trades-people, telecommuters who work from home, remote offices and others who need access to their data while out of the office, ACT! has needed to make use of every changing technology so that the data can be provided to the users as they need it.

From it's creation in 1987, ACT! has been at the forefront of remote and mobile users. From the ability to merge databases with ACT! for DOS 2.0 in 1990 (where users would need to bring their databases into the office to sync) then through the HP95LX PDA version in 1992 and ACT! Mobile Link for laptop users in 1995, ACT! users have been able to access ACT! while remote from their office.

Over time advances in internet speeds, more scalable databases, browser technologies and other technological improvements have made it easier for organisations to implement and administer remote access solutions for their staff.

Currently, there are a range of options available to provide this remote access but users are often not sure how to determine the solution most suitable for them. So I thought I'd provide a selection of the most common options available... but remember, that for many sites, a combination of these should be implemented.

For some users, it may be better to have the database hosted externally, then using one or more of the options to provide access. One host providing this at very good rates is Conetix

Direct Access of the database via VPN

Infrastructure
- Requires the technical skills to setup and maintain VPN server
- Needs higher than normal internet bandwidth as the VPN protocols use up a significant amount
- Users lose access to the data if their internet connection goes down
Installation
- Sharing a database over a VPN is no different than sharing the database over a LAN. Each remote user must obtain a copy of the .PAD file for the shared database and have read/write access to the database folder and the Supplemental Files folders.
- See - http://blog.glcomputing.com.au/2009/02/sharing-act-network-or-sync.html
- Firewall exceptions on server should be same as for LAN
Administration
- Administration and Maintenance of the VPN needs to be done well. Many VPNs tend to drop out WINs and then ACT! won't be able to find the server
- It is usually more reliable to use the IP address of the server in the PAD file rather than the machine name. But for most VPN implementations, using Sync is the best solution.
- All users need to be using the same version and build of ACT! - so upgrades and patches need to be carefully planned
Speed
- Speed is dependant on both the bandwidth of the main server and the bandwidth that the users connect to the internet
- Remember that most consumer internet connections don't have as fast an upload speed as they do download - if the server is also on a consumer grade connection, the actual speed will be the slower of both the user and server.
- Due to the overhead of the VPN protocol most internet connections won't be adequate and users may be better using sync
Security
- If the VPN is set up correctly, this type of access is very secure.
- User access to records can be determined by Limited Access in the Premium editions
- Other security may need to be implemented if you wish to prevent users from exporting or reporting data that they have access to locally

ACT! Synchronisation Services

Infrastructure
- Remote users only need direct connection to the master database when they need to sync
- ACT! by Sage does require ACT! to be open and logged into the Publisher database to sync but Premium editions can use Network or Internet sync servers to allow sync as a Windows service
- Sync for remote users doesn't require Internet Sync server (which uses IIS). It can also be done with Network Sync server and port forwarding or VPN using a VPN server or Hamachi
Installation
- ACT! is set up normally, but then Remote Data Base files are created for each remote.
- For more info, see:
  http://blog.glcomputing.com.au/2009/01/sharing-act-network-or-sync-part-1.html
Administration
- All users need to be using the same version and build of ACT! - so upgrades and patches need to be carefully planned. If using sync server, these should also be updated when patching ACT!
- Note: If you update the local users, the remote users still access their local data and can sync when you update them.
- If syncing a database larger than 4GB and wanting all data to sync, needs SQL standard at each point the database will be located
- Sync can be automated with ACT! Scheduler - better if using Premium
- The Administrative Dashboard can be used to determined when users sync
- If using sync via VPN, administration and maintenance of the VPN needs to be done well. Many VPNs tend to drop out WINs and then ACT! won't be able to find the server
Speed
- Speed for each user is dependant on their local hardware (RAM and HDD speed)
- Speed for the sync is dependant on the bandwidth between the user and server. If using VPN, speed is reduced due to the protocol overhead.
- Sync speed depends on volume of changes and bandwidth of connection - especially if syncing a large number of attachments
- As only the delta (changes) are sent, this uses less bandwidth than a direct connection
Security
- Users only have access to the records in their defined sync set and, if using the Premium editions, that they have access to
- The sync process itself is reasonably secure as data is encrypted during the sync process (I have not heard of a breach)
- Additional layers or security can be achieved by:
  - Using a different port for the sync process
  - Sync via VPN - this is a very secure protocol and removes the need for port forwarding from the internet to the database server
  - If using Premium Editions, putting the Sync server in a DMZ

ACT! Premium for Web

Infrastructure
- Requires a Windows server running Internet Information Services (IIS) - can be hosted by a third-party if the user lacks infrastructure or skills. If hosted, it is better to select a host who specialises in ACT! for Web hosting and knows how to maintain it
- Remote users only need a supported web browser and internet connection
- ACT! for Web is also the only solution for allowing access to MAC users (internal or remote) via the Safari browser support (currently Safari 3.0)
Installation
- Installed once on IIS server. Easiest and fastest install for IT with suitable skills
Administration
- Easy to administer and maintain as everything can be on a single server. It's a bit more complex if using multiple servers
- IT doesn't need to worry about remote users OS or hardware
- Sharing of user preferences makes admin and backup a bit easier. while not the default, is done as per this ACT! Knowledge Base article
Speed
- Speed is dependant on the server speed, configuration and bandwidth
- For large volumes of users, implementing one or more web servers separate from the database server allows better allocation of resources
Security
- As this is a Premium edition, users only have access to records according to ACT!'s Limited Access and Teams
- Additional layers or security can be achieved by:
  - Using a different port for the web server
  - Putting the IIS server in a DMZ
  - Using HTTPS/SSL
  - Requiring Windows Authentication to the Virtual Folder before getting access to the ACT! for Web interface
  - Access Web via VPN

Remote Desktop (Terminal Services, Citrix)

Infrastructure
- Requires Windows Terminal Server, Remote Desktop Services in Windows 2008 or Citrix - can be hosted if user lacks infrastructure or skills
- Remote users only RDP client and internet connection
Installation
- Installed once on server.
- Here are the steps to install on Windows 2008 Remote Desktop Services
- Requires some additional work for Outlook integration. See: this ACT! Knowledge base article
Administration
- Easy to administer and maintain as everything on a single server
Speed
- Speed is dependant on the server speed, configuration and bandwidth
- For large volumes of users, implementing one or more client servers separate from the database server allows better allocation of resources
Security
- If using a Premium edition, users only have access to records according to ACT!'s Limited Access and Teams
- RDP on TS and Citrix provide a range an additional security options

Included ACT!Link for PDA/Smartphones

Infrastructure
- Currently supports Palm OS and Windows Mobile devices (no Palm OS support for Windows 7, so no ACT! Link support)
- Uses direct USB connection to full ACT! client - no support for Web or Remote Desktop (Terminal Services/Citrix)
- Only supports fields and functions in PDA PIMs
Installation
- Installed on each user PC
- Care needs to be taken for supported Phone OS and driver versions, depending on version of ACT!
Administration
- Can be complex to maintain with issues if user updates their phone OS or driver
- Admin can only set if the users can sync via Manage Users
- Administrator has no control over what is sync'd and connection issues are known to cause duplication in the ACT! database
- No access to Custom Activity types
- No support for Activities, Notes, Histories that link to multiple contacts
- Calls, SMS, Emails sent from phone not recorded in ACT!
Speed
- Speed is dependant on the phone type and amount of data sent
Security
- If using a Premium edition, users only have access to records according to ACT!'s Limited Access and Teams
- User can select to sync any records they have access to
- Data on lost phones can't be wiped

Handheld Contact Sync to PDA/Smartphones

Infrastructure
- Currently supports Blackberry OS and Windows Mobile devices with iPhone due soon
- Uses a console with wireless sync - fully supports Web and Remote Desktop (Terminal Services/Citrix)
- Basic/Entry supports fields and functions in PDA PIMs
- Professional Edition adds support for up to 76 fields and many additional functions
- When Console installed on PC not hosting ACT! database requires change to service login
Installation
- Installed on ACT! server, it's own server or on each user's PC
- Easiest PDA solution to remotely configure and install remotely for one or more devices
Administration
- Very easy to roll out and maintain
- Administrator controls what data is sync'd and how often.
- Administrator can set contacts sync'd with each user based on Groups an Activities
- No known issues with duplication of ACT! data
- HHC Professional supports ACT! Custom Activity types for activities and history
- HHC Professional supports Activities, Notes, Histories and Email that link to multiple contacts
- Calls, SMS, Emails sent from phone recorded in ACT! if instigated from HHC Professional
Speed
- Speed is dependant on the phone type and amount of data sent
- As HHC can send items based on Groups or Activities, users can reduce the number of records they keep on the phone
Security
- Administrator has full control over what is sync’d to each user
- Data on lost phones can be erased remotely by Admin, providing phone in radio range and turned on
- Data is sent securely via https and encrypted

Technorati Tags: ACT!,ACT,ACT! by Sage,CRM,Remote,Web,IIS,Synchronization,VPN,SaaS,PDA,phone

A couple of useful Outlook tools – #Xobni and #LinkedIN

2009-09-30T13:44:00.001+10:00

I hope my regular readers won’t mind if I digress from my usual ACT! related posts and add this article on a couple of free tools I find really useful for Outlook - Xobni and LinkedIN Outlook Toolbar

Both of these tools are useful in finding contacts as well as developing and maintaining your relationships, and so are useful for the types of work that ACT! users like to do. I fact, I believe both of these would be great functions to add to ACT! itself.

Xobni
Xobni is an add-in that indexes your Outlook data and then provides a number of useful functions: Very fast searching across your email file. It’s pretty much instantaneous on my Outlook file, which is over 6GB! Ability to link multiple email addresses to a contact if the contact has more than one address or if their address changes over time Additional information on your contacts from sources like LinkedIN, FaceBook, Twitter and Hoovers. Reports on the times you usually correspond with the contact via email Find other contacts that might be connected from emails between you and the main contact where others have been included in emails To: CC: Sort all emails between you and the contact into threaded conversations – even if the various emails are in different Outlook folders File all attached files sent between you and the contact Auto suggest addresses from your contacts when creating a new email After you install Xobni, your system may run slowly for a day while it creates it’s index. Do not be concerned by this. Once it has completed the index it will speed up your day. *Note: If you’d like to see Xobni create a link to ACT! by Sage, please add a vote on this post on the* *Xobni Community Site*
LinkedIN Outlook Toolbar
LinkedIN is a business oriented social network. Their Outlook add-in is a powerful resource for building and maintaining your network from inside your email system. Functions include: Build your network selecting from people you email often Create Outlook contacts by highlighting their info in an email and selecting Grab See suggestions of who to invite based on email frequency Invite with one click to build your network faster – using custom templates Update your Outlook contacts with LinkedIn profile information Receive notifications when your contacts change their LinkedIn profiles See LinkedIn mini-profiles for everyone that emails you Use the LinkedIn dashboard to stay up to date with your network with suggestion of emails you might need to reply to or follow-up Access LinkedIn with one quick and easy click ACT! users should also join the LinkedIN ACT! Fanatics Group

Both of these outlook add-ins are free and Outlook users should give them a try

Technorati Tags: Outlook,LinkedIN,Xobni,SCRM,Social Media,Facebook,Twitter,ACT!

How to Download and Apply the ACT! by Sage 2010 Hot Fix 4

2009-09-22T08:47:00.001+10:00

NOTE: This document has now been superseded by - ACT! 2010 Service Pack 1 is available!

This documentation describes Hot Fix 4 for ACT! 2010 for the following versions:

ACT! by Sage 2010
ACT! by Sage Premium 2010
ACT! by Sage Premium for Web 2010

Do not apply this hot fix to any other versions or products.

Note: To determine the version of the product you are using, see the version number in the Help > About box. After the hot fix has been installed, the version number will read "12.0.409.0, Hotfix 4" depending on the version you originally had installed.

This hot fix applies to all international English locales.
Note: This hotfix (including any software and related documentation) is provided "AS IS." Sage Software disclaims all express or implied warranties of any kind with respect to the utility, including but not limited to, any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose

Who Should Install This Hot Fix?

Note: Apply this hot fix to all machines that are involved in database synchronization to avoid issues surrounding renaming layouts, queries, and reports. This includes all machines that contain the Main Synchronization Database, Main Remote Database, and machines that have the ACT! Network or ACT! Internet Sync Services applied.

ACT! hot fixes are cumulative, so hot fix 4 also resolves issues fixed in hot fixes 1, 2 and 3. If you have already installed hot fix 1, 2 or 3, you can safely install hot fix 4.

Hot Fix 4 for ACT! version 2010 may resolve your issues if:

You are an ACT! Premium for Web user and are unable to print from the address book.
You cannot replace the contents of the Record Manager using Edit > Replace.
You are using a Microsoft® Outlook® rule to automatically attach incoming e-mail to ACT! contacts and see Microsoft Outlook stop responding when you received e-mail.
Your installation has advanced queries or dynamic group/company membership that is based on contact access (contact is private) and have problems after upgrading your database from ACT! by Sage 2008 (10.0) or ACT! by Sage 2009 (11.0) to ACT! 2010.
You see slow performance when switching views or looking up records.
You are an ACT! Premium customer whose installation includes customized databases, have upgraded from ACT! by Sage Premium 2008 (10.0) or ACT! by Sage Premium 2009 (11.0), and are now seeing generic application crash errors when viewing Group, Company, or Opportunity views in ACT! by Sage 2010
You are an ACT! Premium customer whose installation contains fields set to “No Access” that reside in the Contact Spillover Table (spillover tables are created with customized databases). Since upgrading your database to ACT! Premium 2010, the schema update fails and corrupts the upgraded database.
You are an ACT! Premium customer whose installation contains fields set to “No Access” that reside in the Contact Spillover Table (spillover tables are created with customized databases). Since upgrading your database to ACT! Premium 2010, you are unable to build a remote database.
You are using a certified add-on application with faxing capabilities and have problems when doing a Mail Merge direct to Fax when your word processor is Microsoft Word.

The following tables list the area affected by the hot fix, the description, and the effect of the hot fix for each known issue.

New in Hot Fix 4

Area	Description	What the Fix Does
Address Books	ACT! Premium for Web users are unable to print from an address book.	Enables the user to print from the address book.

Fixed in Hot Fix 3

ACT! hot fixes are cumulative, so hot fix 4 also contains the following fixes distributed in hot fix 3.

Area	Description	What the Fix Does
Contacts	Record Manager is unavailable as an option in the Edit > Replace field function.	Enables the Edit >Replace field function for Record Manager.
Outlook Integration	Users see slow response time when opening a database or performing a lookup on a database that contains a large number of fields.	Repairs memory issue so performance does not suffer during this operation.
Database Upgrade	Customers who have sync sets built on Opportunity and who upgrade to ACT! 2010 see ProductException error messages.	Updates the SQL statement to correct the syntax which can cause the update not complete successfully.
Database Upgrade	Upgrade users who have queries or dynamic membership based on contact access receive error message when attempting to access Contacts, Groups, or Companies.	Modifies the schema to find and correct any syncset, group, or company queries where Contact Access is part of the criteria.

New in Hot Fix 2

Area	Description	What the Fix Does
Performance	Users see slow response time when opening a database or performing a lookup on a database that contains a large number of fields.	Enables layouts to refresh more quickly.

Fixed in Hot Fix 1

ACT! hot fixes are cumulative, so hot fix 2 also contains the following fixes distributed in hot fix 1.

Area	Description	What the Fix Does
Groups/Company/Opportunities	This issue impacts ACT! Premium 2008 or ACT! Premium 2009 installations where fields residing in the Contact Spillover Table (spillover tables are created with customized databases) are set to “No Access”. Upon upgrading the database to ACT! Premium 2010, the schema update fails and corrupts the upgraded database. The user experiences generic application crash errors when viewing Group, Company, Opportunity views in ACT! Premium 2010. ACT! Premium 2010 users who have spillover tables and set fields to “No Access” will not be able to create and restore remote databases.	Enables metadata to be created for the upgrade scripts.
Faxing	Users will not be able to mail merge directly to fax.	Enables the SDK method call to trigger a response from ACT!

Applying Hot Fix 2 for ACT! 2010

This hot fix is for version 2010. Do not apply this hot fix to any other version of ACT! To determine the version of the product you are using, see the version number in the Help About box. After the hot fix has been installed, the version number will read "12.0.409.0, Hotfix 2".
Apply this hot fix to all machines that are involved in database synchronization to avoid issues surrounding renaming layouts, queries, and reports. This includes all machines that contain the Main Synchronization Database, Main Remote Database, and machines that have the ACT! Network or ACT! Internet Sync Services applied.
Applying the Hot Fix

Log onto to your computer as an Administrator.
Stop the Network Sync Service.
Please click on the link below to download Hot Fix 2, depending on the version of ACT! 2010 you have installed and your locale.
ACT! by Sage 2010 Standard Tier (All Locales)
- ACT! by Sage 2010 Standard Hot Fix 2
ACT! by Sage Premium 2010 Tier (Locale Specific)
Close ACT!.
When the download dialog box comes up, choose Save and save to your Desktop.
After the download completes, close ACT!, Internet Explorer® and all Microsoft Office applications.
Locate the ACT12HotFix.exe that you downloaded to your desktop and double-click it to begin the installation.
The Unpacking ACT! progress indicator briefly appears followed by the Disclaimer dialog box.
Review the disclaimer, and then click Apply.
The installer verifies your Windows® rights and ensures that no open programs will conflict with the hot fix installation. If any of these conditions exist, the appropriate message will appear. Please follow the on screen instructions.
The ACT! - Applying Updates window appears while the hot fix is being installed.
When finished the ACT! dialog box appears.
Click Ok to complete the installation.
For all Windows Vista® users with UAC enabled, you will see a Program Compatibility Assistant dialog box. Click This program installed correctly to complete the installation.
Restart the Network Sync Service.
If you are using the Internet Sync Service, you must reset IIS:
1. Click Start.
2. In the Run box, type IISReset.
3. Click OK.
Start ACT!
From the Help menu, select About. The version number will "12.0.409.0, Hotfix 2".

Changes To Your Installation

Installing the hot fix applies the following files:

ActFramework.MailMerge.dll
Act.UI.Wordprocessor.dll
Act.DataCreation.dll

Technorati Tags: ACT,ACT!,ACT! by Sage

Automating backups for ACT! by Sage

2009-09-21T15:14:00.001+10:00

One of the problems we notice is that users are not sure of the different options available to create and maintain proper backups of their ACT! data, so I thought it would provide value to list them here.

As ACT! by Sage database uses a SQL engine, it can't be backed up by simply copying the files or by using a normal backup product. The SQL service keeps a lock on the database as soon as Windows starts, even if no-one is logged into ACT!

Manual Backup

The standard function to backup a database from ACT! is: File | Backup. See:
http://kb.sagesoftwareonline.com/cgi-bin/sagesoftwareonline.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=19211

ACT! Scheduler Backup

Users should automate these to make sure data isn’t lost if it becomes damaged through a PC failure, virus or other problem.

In ACT! 2005 (7.0) to ACT! 2007 (9.0), only the Premium version can automate this with the ACT! Scheduler
In ACT! 2008 and later, automated maintenance and backups are also available with non-Premium builds
Also note: ZIP has a limit of 4GB... with ACT! 2008 and later, you can do the attached files separately if you're hitting this limit

If running Premium 2005-2007 or ACT! 2008 or later, have a look at this article to automate backups:
http://kb.sagesoftwareonline.com/cgi-bin/sagesoftwareonline.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=19218

If backing up with the Scheduler on another PC from the database or backing up to another PC, see:
http://kb.sagesoftwareonline.com/cgi-bin/sagesoftwareonline.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=17427

It's always good to do regular test restores to ensure the backup is working.
You can do this with use File | Restore
Then select Restore_As to restore the backup to a different name, location or onto a different machine

It's also useful to occasionally check that the "Backup" folder under the database supplemental files folder is empty. This is where ACT! places temp files during the backup process. If the backup fails, they remain there and will be included in any subsequent backups. You can delete any files in this folder unless a backup is currently in operation.

Batch File Backup

If not running Premium and not upgrading, you can do it this way.
Create an ACTBackup.bat file with Notepad as follows:

REM - Change these SET Parameters as appropriate for your system
SET ACTSourceFolder="C:\Act\Database"
SET ACTDestinationFolder="D:\Backups\Act\Database"
SET XcopyOptions=/M /E /C /H /O /Y /I
REM
REM - Stop ACT SQL Service
NET STOP SQLAGENT$ACT7
NET STOP MSSQL$ACT7
REM
REM - Perform copy
XCOPY %ACTSourceFolder% %ACTDestinationFolder% %XcopyOptions%
REM
REM - Restart ACT SQL Service
NET START MSSQL$ACT7
NET START SQLAGENT$ACT7
END

With the SQL engine stopped, you can use anything to copy/backup the database and supplemental files. You could replace the XCOPY with a command line ZIP or other back-up utility.
Then run the BAT file from the Windows scheduler

While you can't restore to a different name to test it with this method, you can restore to another machine, delete the PAD file and open the ADF so it resets the machine name.

ACT! Email Backup

If using the ACT! Email client, you should also back up it's database as per:
http://kb.sagesoftwareonline.com/cgi-bin/sagesoftwareonline.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=19212

Corporate and third-party Backup

Finally, if wanting to use a proper corporate backup product that understands SQL and you have a Premium version of ACT!, you can get the SA Pass utility. This is free in Europe, but does cost in other regions - contact your local Sage office for the pricing and process.

There is a third-party product with more advanced backup and maintenance options: AutoAdmin 2008/2009

Technorati Tags: ACT!,ACT! by Sage,Sage,SQL,Backup,Restore,Scheduler,AutoAdmin

Which MS SQL versions should you use with ACT! 2010 (#ACT2010)

2009-09-18T21:59:00.001+10:00

There have been some changes to the supported SQL versions with ACT! 2010 and some users may need to look at which version to use in order to maximise the performance or scalability of ACT!

The standard ACT! by Sage 2010 only supports SQL 2005 Express as per: ACT! 2010 System Requirements

The Premium and Corporate versions support SQL 2005 Standard and now even MS SQL 2008. For a full list of supported versions, see:

While ACT! is only shipped with MS SQL 2005 Express, you can set the Premium version up with SQL 2008 Express (x32 or x64)’ and the Corporate versions with those and also SQL 2005/2008 Standard (x32 or x64)

Note: You must purchase SQL CALs for Standard separately from Microsoft

But, should you change the version of SQL and, if you chose to, how do you do it? To make this decision, you should have a look at these:

From these, you will note that the advantages of Standard over Express are:

Express is limited to a 4GB database size – There are very few users that will reach this limit. It’s only the ACT! ADF that’s limited, it doesn’t include attachments
Express is limited to 1 CPU and 1GB RAM – If your server machine doesn’t have multiple processors and 3GB (or more) RAM, you will not see a benefit to ACT! in using the Standard version. But, on a machine suitably configured, there will be a performance advantage in using Standard.
Changing to Standard on a suitable server should definitely be considered for 25 or more users.

Here are some useful ACT! Knowledge Base articles on installing ACT! with different editions of SQL:

There are a couple of additional points to note:

While having Standard (2005 or 2008) on the server and Express on the workstations is ok. If you upgrade to SQL 2008, you must also upgrade all systems sharing the database via Sync to 2008
You can upgrade the SQL 2005 instance of ACT7 to SQL 2008, you can’t upgrade to the x64 versions. You would need to uninstall the ACT7 instance and manually create one using the x64 edition of SQL.
While I have not tested these personally, I have been told by Sage that there is no noticeable advantage to ACT! in using SQL 2008 or the x64 versions. So the only reason to implement these would be to comply with a current infrastructure where these are already implemented.
While the Enterprise editions are not officially QA tested or supported, I have heard from a number of users that these work with the Premium and Corporate versions of ACT! as per the SQL Standard editions with the additional performance levels they provide. The same applies to using SQL 2008 Express with the standard version of ACT! by Sage – not supported, but should work if required.

Technorati Tags: ACT,ACT!,ACT! by Sage,ACT! 2010,ACT2010,MS SQL,SQL

Upgrading ACT!, especially when you are using add-ons

2009-09-15T00:39:00.001+10:00

It is important to note that many add-on products will require updated versions in order to work with different versions of ACT!. If you are using any specific add-on(s), you should check with the add-on vendors to see if they support the new version and the procedures to get an updated build, if required.

For ACT! 2010 some add-ons (like Handheld Contact) just require a new download while others may charge an upgrade fee for the new version.

When upgrading ACT!, it is usually a good idea to uninstall any add-ons first. Then perform the ACT! upgrade and then install the latest versions of the add-ons after checking they support the new version.

This also applies if you want to upgrade your MS-Office version or your operating system – you should confirm that your version of ACT! supports this or if you need an upgrade.

Checking these things first reduces potential disappointment if you later find out you need other upgrades that might not yet be available or that you hadn’t budgeted for.

Technorati Tags: ACT,ACT!,ACT! by Sage,Upgrade

What's New in ACT! by Sage 2010

2009-08-31T09:19:00.001+10:00

The ACT! 2010 release is focused on a number of major improvements in ACT! and includes customizable opportunities, a redesigned navigation, a new welcome page, e-Marketing* and much, much more. All this enables you to work more effectively, become more productive, and better serve your contacts. You can select one of the following links to go to the specified section in this document.
*Requires additional subscription

New Features and Functionality
This release addresses functionality that users have requested in ACT! and introduces some new features. The following lists highlights a number of the most significant: A new navigation system, Customizable Opportunities, ACT! E-marketing* , a new Report View, new reporting and dashboard components, iCalendar support, and multiple remote database creation.
*Requires additional subscription

Globalization
- Ability to specify database currency.
  - At the time of database creation, users can specify the currency that will default for all currency values in the database.
- Allow users from different ACT! languages share a database.
  - Allow users from different ACT! languages to access the same database. Example: A user has French ACT! and creates a database. A user with German ACT! should be able to access the same database.
Opportunities
- Modify Opportunities in ACT! so that they are completely customizable (like Companies, Groups and Contacts) and users can attach notes, histories, activities and documents to them.
- Add the ability to associate custom tables to Opportunities
- Modify the security model of Opportunities to allow users to limit access by teams like they can for Companies, Groups and Contacts.
- Allow users to create an Opportunity that does not REQUIRE a contact to be associated to it.
- Allow users to customize the product/services grid in the Opportunities detail view.
Navigation
- Modify the navigation in ACT! to reflect the accordion style navigation in the left navigation pane as well as adding in “Big Easy” buttons along the top row.
- After extensive user testing, it was determined that the “Look For” box in the list views was confusing to new and existing users. The “Look For” box has been hidden by default in the list views. If users wish to re-surface the box, they can use the “options” button in the list view and choose “show Look For”.
- Display the Contact List any time the user looks up all contacts. This is in response to usability test feedback in which users were surprised that looking up all contacts did not produce a list.
- When a menu has sub-menu items that are never accessible in that view, they can be removed (instead of just disabling them).
- Dynamic lookup menus so that when the menu is opened in a specific view, the menu options are specific to the view that the user is currently in.
Welcome Page
- A new view has been added into ACT! to help new users get up and running in ACT!. This new view has links to common start-up tasks in ACT! as well as many Help resources. The tasks in this new view are specific to user types in ACT!, so that non-Admins will not be shown admin-only tasks.
- The new default view for all ACT! 2010 users is the Welcome Page. However, after closing ACT! 2010 for the first time, users will be prompted to change their default view.
ACT! E-marketing*
- Added e-Marketing capability in ACT! so that users can access the functionally supplied by Swiftpage™ for marketing purposes and track the results in ACT!.
*Requires additional subscription
Colour Schemes
Web Info Tab
- New tab in ACT! that allows users to see context-aware information from the internet in both their Contact and Company views. This tab will come with several ‘canned’ links as well as the ability for users to add links that are specific to their needs.
Remote Database Creation
- The remote database creation panel has been modified to allow users to create up to 50 remote databases at one time.
Report View
- New view in ACT! that displays all the reports saved to a Users’ database. In this view, users can specify “favourite” reports, run reports, edit reports and modify the descriptions of reports
New Reports
- In ACT! 2010, there are 13 new default Opportunity reports included for all users.
  - Opportunities by Record Manager and Process
  - Opportunity Summary by Record Manager and Process
  - Opportunities by Process and Status
  - Opportunities by Estimated Closing Month
  - Won Opportunities and Days Open
  - Won Opportunity Summary by Sales Process
  - Won Opportunities by Sales Process and Competitor
  - Won Opportunities by Sales Process and Reason
  - Won Opportunities by Sales Process and Record Manager
  - Won Opportunities by Sales Process
  - Won Opportunities by Actual Closing Month
  - Pipeline Report by Sales Process and Stage
  - Pipeline Report and Products by Sales Process and Stage
New Dashboard Charts Components and Views
- 12 new dashboard chart components and two standard new dashboard views have been added to ACT! 2010. The new default dashboard views are the ACT! Administrative Dashboard and the ACT! Contacts Dashboard.
  - Recently Created Contacts
  - Recently Edited Contact
  - Contact History Count by History Type
  - Contacts by Country
  - Contacts by Department
  - Opportunities Open by Product
  - Opportunities with Contact Info
  - Opportunities by Products
  - Opportunity Weighted Total by Stage
  - Remote Database Information by User
  - Remote Database Sync Status by User
  - User Status
- The 12 new dashboard chart components all pull data from the ACT! database using the new OleDb 2.0 provider.
New OleDb Provider
- A new OleDb provider (OleDb 2.0) has been provided in ACT! 2010 that gives users access to Group/Company memberships as well as Activity information
iCalendar Support
- Users can send activity notifications via iCalendar format. If users have scheduled meetings with contacts who have an email address, they can select the item from the schedule activity dialog to “send invitation email” which will send an iCalendar object to the attendees.
- With this feature, ACT! users who use both Outlook® and ACT! can also choose to create ACT! activities from Outlook meeting requests if they have ACT! and Outlook integration setup completed.
vCard export
- User types “Admin” or “Manager” can export contact info in the form of vCard either by right clicking in the contact list view or using the “Send vCard” item from the Contacts menu.
Relationship dialog
- Users now have the ability to resize the relationship dialog
Help
- Help screen has been modified to use the same design as ACT! by Sage Premium for Web help screen.
Registration/Installation
- Reduce the number of registration questions that users must complete when they register ACT! 2010.
- Provide an automated answer file to assist in the silent install* process
  *Delivered as an MSI package. Software to distribute an MSI package is not included. Silent Activation on machines requires Internet access. Users must be machine administrators in order to activate.

Fixed Issues
Activities

In previous releases, activities with multiple resources appear as separate activities on Task List. In ACT! 2010, they are listed as one activity.
The right click menu or Activities Tab and Task List reads - Reschedule Activity3 instead of “Reschedule Activity”. This has been modified to read: “Reschedule Activity”
'Show Cleared' calendar preference is not sticking when selecting via right click/filter calendar. This preference is not sticking. This issue has been resolved.
When using the “Copy Calendar” feature, bi-weekly reoccurring activities copy incorrectly to Outlook Calendar. This issue has been resolved.
Using the 'Go to Contact' functionality brings up contact scheduled with another user's private activity. This issue has been resolved and private activities are no longer returned to users who do not have access to them.
In the mini-calendar on the schedule activity dialog, the 'start time’ calendar un-readable when scheduling activities. This calendar has been modified so that users can see the actual start time on the calendar
Activity details were deleted when the date for the Activity was changed. The details are no longer deleted.
Activity detail tab color palette duplicates when choosing the color for the detail tab multiple times. The palette no longer duplicates.
Removing attachment from activity causes object reference error and red X in task list. This issue has been resolved in ACT! 2010.

Contacts

When sorting relationships by access level, record creator or record manager fields cause list to disappear. This issue has been resolved.
In the Contact view on the activity tab, when using the filter drop downs, the drop down menus were truncated and the scroll bars were missing which would not allow users to scroll to all the items in the drop down menu. Scroll bars have been added to these drop down fields to allow for complete scrolling.
When sorting the Contact list by certain secondary fields, ACT! freezes.

Conversion/Importing

Cleared ACT 3.x, 4.x 5.x (2000) or 6.x (2004) activities were not being marked as cleared during conversion. In ACT! 2010, they are not being cleared during conversion.
The Update Database prompt gave no option to cancel. An option to cancel has been added.
Converting a 6.x (2004) database changes the create date for records to today. When users convert in ACT! 2010, the create date is preserved from the 6.x (2004) database.
Error "Define Fields encountered an unexpected error and has logged the issue" after editing a field if the dashboard is viewed first. This error no longer exists.

Layouts

When “display country code” preferences was enabled in the contact detail view, phone numbers disappear. The default layout fields have been expanded to accommodate the extra data.

Printing

Weekly calendar print view in Letter Full Page showed the start day in the upper left hand corner is the same as the end day for the week. It now shows the first and last day as range in header like all other weekly prints.
Avery ^® label 5164 was missing. This label type has been added back in.

Reporting

User specific filters defined in a report template are not respected. This issue has been resolved.
Group reports are blank when the user selects the option to include all sub-groups for selected groups. This issues has been resolved. This issue has been resolved.

Technorati Tags: ACT,ACT!,ACT! by sage,ACT! 2010,ACT2010

Handheld Contact computer application release for ACT! 2009, 2008, and 2007

2009-08-25T06:03:00.001+10:00

Handheld Contact is pleased to announce an update to the computer console for Handheld Contact for ACT!.

This update of the Handheld Contact computer console is optimized for even better performance when the Handheld Contact computer console has more than 150 users sync ACT! to their phones. "We wanted to improve the performance of Handheld Contact for larger customer installations and enterprise users," says J2X Technologies President and Handheld Contact General Manager Wes Worsfold. "This release v2.1.16.0 increases the number of connections to ACT! allowing larger customer installations to sync more users, more quickly. We recommend customers with more than 100 users to implement this upgrade."

Note for upgrading: Please visit the HHC Downloads Page, select your version of ACT!, and download and run the 'Handheld Contact ACT! Computer Application' to upgrade to the latest version of Handheld Contact.

Handheld Contact is the leading product to sync data from ACT! by Sage to Blackberry and Windows Mobile Phones

Technorati Tags: ACT,ACT!,ACT! by Sage,Handheld Contact,HHC,Blackberry,Windows Mobile

Sage eSummit 2.0 – ACT! by Sage Agenda

2009-08-06T16:22:00.001+10:00

Sage Business Solutions Australia is presenting their 2nd ACT! eSummit

Wednesday 12th August 2009

To see the recording of the webinar, click here

Title	Presenter	Description	Time
Sage Marketplace	Mike Lorge, MD, Sage Business Solutions	As the leading provider of business software for small to medium businesses, Sage has a range of solutions that can automate all areas of your business, including finance, warehousing, ecommerce, distribution etc. This short session will provide a brief overview of the complete range of solution offerings provided by Sage.	10.00 am - 10.15 am
Driving Revenue & Reducing Costs with Email Marketing	Bob Ogdon, Swiftpage	This session highlights a range of effective tips to make your email marketing campaigns easy, powerful, and cost effective. Learn how Swiftpage, an integrated email marketing and Sales Force Automation solution for ACT! by Sage, allows you to deliver marketing messages to the right contacts at the right time directly from your ACT! database.	10.20 am - 10.35 am
Personalising ACT!	Allen Duet, Global CRM	Check out some of the awesome ACT! plug ins available to you on Devnet. This session will showcase how you can customise ACT! with some of these free plugins that work with the latest version. If you've always wanted to pimp your ACT!, this is a session you can't miss.	10.40 am - 10.55 am
Anywhere and Everywhere with ACT!	Mike Lazarus, GL Computing	Handheld Contact for ACT! allows you to take your ACT! database anywhere and access it from a mobile device such as a Blackberry, Pocket PC, or Treo Smartphone . Learn how this ACT! mobility solution can increase the productivity of your mobile sales force and field force agents, while keeping them connected and up to date with company and customer records. By providing simple, easy access to information through wireless devices you can greatly improve the level of service you deliver to your customers.	11.00 am - 11.15 am
Reduce Costs through Accounting Integration with MYOB	Josh Noonan, Red Onion Software	This session will highlight the benefits of integrating ACT! with your accounting system;, including:• Increased efficiency by streamlining workflows between accounts and front office staff• Increased sales opportunities by Integrating essential client information between ACT! and your accounting systems• Allow sales staff to monitor and manage customer credit• Eliminate dual entry of customer information • The complete solution for optimising workflow and increasing operating efficiency	11.20 am - 11.35 am
SMS Marketing with ACT!	Michael Bryant, ACT! Certified Consultant	SMS4ACT allows you to make sure your appointments are confirmed by sending SMS to your customers or contacts straight out of ACT!, this way you can ensure that your communication gets to the person and not caught up in the junk mail. You can also conduct SMS Marketing to your database and letting them about an upcoming specials or events. Improve the effectiveness of your communication through SMS, all the while tracking these communications against the contacts in ACT!	11.40 am - 11.55 am

Technorati Tags: ACT!,ACT! by Sage,CRM,Sage,Handheld Contact,Blackberry,Pocket PC,MYOB

Thoughts on ACT! 2010 beta (#ACT2010) - The good, the bad and the ugly

2009-07-28T06:38:00.001+10:00

There have been a number of posts from people on ACT! 2010 (due soon) and as we at GL Computing have been running our production data on the new version for a while, I thought I would posts my thoughts on it so far. Here is a list of what’s new in the up-coming build.

Here is the ACT! by Sage Version Comparison Chart - Compare your version to ACT! by Sage 2010

Note: The following are my personal views on the beta and features may change in the release.

Welcome Screen – A start-up screen displaying useful help links. This will be nice for new and upgrading users to learn the new functions quickly
New Look and Navigation
- While the left-hand Nav bar has some nice functions (Quick Lookup and a context-sensitive list of Related Tasks), it’s less customisable than previous versions and doesn’t allow adding of direct links to the List views or the different calendars.
- The Top icon ribbon is too large and takes up valuable screen real-estate for little value.

Customisable Opportunities – these have been given a major overhaul including:
- The ability to add custom fields to both the opportunity and to the products and services table
- Personalise the layout of the opportunity like the Contacts, Groups, Companies layouts
- Track activities, history, notes, documents and other items tied to the opportunity
- New reports and more security options

Web 2.0 Technologies – this is a nicer version of the free Contact Web Context Browser
- See your contacts’ information on a variety of Social Media and other sites, such as: LinkedIN, Facebook, Plaxo, MySpace, their web site, Google, Google Maps, Google News, Yahoo and others. It also allows you to create your own links.
- Noticeably missing from the default list is Twitter, although it’s very easy to add.
- For the Social Media sites, the links are just a search based on standard fields. To really work, this function needs to be able to enter a direct link for the contact (once found) to a “system field” and then use this link. If nothing in the field, then revert to the search. In a similar way to how Xobni does for Outlook
- Additionally, there is no way to store specific “status updates” to these sites to a history or to view a combined feed for a company or group.
- There is no way to update ACT! contact information from these sites (or at least highlight when they are different), which would be a nice option, especially from sites like LinkedIN.
- Finally, there should be an ability to post updates from ACT! to the Social Media sites and store the posts in ACT! – this would allow a company to report on and review posts made by staff across multiple sites
- I had previously posted some of these ideas in this blog post:
  http://blog.glcomputing.com.au/2009/03/act-by-sage-and-social-media-social-crm.html

E-Marketing – Swiftpage has been incorporated out-of-the box to provide:
- Better mass/merged emails
- Survey and web forms
- Drip marketing
Reports and Dashboard Components
- There have been many new reports and nice report selector with option to select favourites – it would be nice if the Favourite Reports were added to the Reports menu, even to a sub-menu.
- The Dashboard has some new components, including a Data chart (like the previously available Data Chart control) and a Facebook Friends List.
More Integration
- The ability to email activity invitations in iCal format (a function missing since ACT! 6.0 had vCal) to users of Outlook, Gmail, Apple iCal, Windows Live, Facebook, GroupWise or Lotus Notes
- Create an ACT! activity when you accept an iCal meeting request in Outlook
- Share contacts with the vCard format. Also a nice addition missing since ACT! 6.0
Administration
- Create up to 50 remote database simultaneously for easy roll-out of larger sync implementations
- Support global environments by being able to set the currency when creating the database and allowing different international versions to share the database
- New Admin Dashboard to see user information, logon and sync status and more.
Platform support – including SQL 2005 64 bit and SQL 2008 with Premium and Corporate.
- For a full list of supported platforms, see the ACT! 2010 System Requirements
- Update: Windows 7 is now fully supported with ACT! 2010

Sage have obviously been very busy over the past year and there are also, as one would expect, many more enhancements and improvements that will improve your ability to use ACT! to assist your business.

Overall, this is been a good beta. The product has been very stable and there is much to entice current users to upgrade, especially the opportunities area. However, I think some of the new functions could have been implemented to provide a better use of the product (the navigation) or more power (Web 2.0 Tab)

Technorati Tags: ACT!,ACT,ACT 2010,ACT!2010,CRM,SCRM,Sage,Facebook,LinkedIN,Social Media,Twitter,Beta,Swiftpage

Life and Times with ACT! by Sage

Office 2010 support with ACT! by Sage #SageACT

No patch for ACT! 2010 for full support

Limited support via a replacement preferences206.xml file

Support for Office 2010 in Sage ACT! 2011

In Conclusion

ACT! by Sage Whitepapers

Getting ACT! on your phone

A comparison of various PDA links for ACT! by Sage

The products included in this evaluation:

Testing environment:

Areas included in evaluation:

Conclusions

ACT! – Configuring Your Way to Success

Social Media and CRM – thoughts on how they should connect

Contact importing/sending and syncing

Events/Activities

Social Media Display

Blog/Micro blog

Security

ACT! Fanatics LinkedIN Group 1000th member prize

Handheld Contact – Professional Edition (1 yr)

itDial – Advanced

Company Wizard

Duplicate Contact Wizard - Expert

ACT! E-marketing (6 months)

Stonefield Query (6 months)

ACT! 2010 Service Pack 1 is available!

What I learned from my last blog post… and what would you like me to blog about?

What would you like to see me blog about?

Would it detract from the site if I added some Google Ads or sponsorships?

Why I prefer Blackberry over iPhone for business

Hardware

Setup

Data

Security

Operation and Interface

Phone

Contacts

Email (Exchange 2003 is my Primary server)

Browser

Notifications and Ringtones

Multi-media

Social Media and Instant Messaging

Software Development

GL Computing awarded Experts-Exchange Titan award – 2nd year in a row

Tips for converting ACT! 6.0 (or earlier) databases to ACT! by Sage

Convert Earlier Versions to ACT! 6.0

Repair and Clean the ACT! 6.0 Database

Centralising Attached Files

Converting to ACT! 2010

Quick tip to improve speed on ACT! Premium for Web

Handheld Contact Professional Edition for Windows Mobile update

What’s the best CRM?

Should ACT! by Sage move into the “Cloud”?

Update:

Supporting Remote Users with ACT! by Sage

Direct Access of the database via VPN

ACT! Synchronisation Services

ACT! Premium for Web

Remote Desktop (Terminal Services, Citrix)

Included ACT!Link for PDA/Smartphones

Handheld Contact Sync to PDA/Smartphones

A couple of useful Outlook tools – #Xobni and #LinkedIN

Xobni

LinkedIN Outlook Toolbar

How to Download and Apply the ACT! by Sage 2010 Hot Fix 4

Who Should Install This Hot Fix?

New in Hot Fix 2

Fixed in Hot Fix 1

Applying Hot Fix 2 for ACT! 2010

Changes To Your Installation

Automating backups for ACT! by Sage

Manual Backup

ACT! Scheduler Backup

Batch File Backup

ACT! Email Backup

Corporate and third-party Backup

Which MS SQL versions should you use with ACT! 2010 (#ACT2010)

Note: You must purchase SQL CALs for Standard separately from Microsoft