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CRM-IT NEWS


 

ACT! 2019 is Compatible with both Microsoft Office 2016 and 2013

For System Requirements for ACT CRM version 21 circa 2019, click here: www.act.com/systreq   click here to request this fix. 

If you are using 2012 ACT! or earlier, sadly this fix won't apply.   If you are updating your Microsoft Office suite, upgrade to ACT 2013 too.

Celebrating - ACT 30th Anniversary  - July 11th, 2018

Join us as we celebrate  recent developments.  Discover new tips, tricks, and key empowerment's.  Anniversary cake will be served too.

Event Highlights
  • Hot Tips and Tricks for Productivity
  • Social Media Links inside ACT
  • Mobilize ACT - iPad, iPhone, Android and remote access
  • Easy eMarketing ACT- yes, most versions
  • Complimentary 1 year eMarketing subscription to plug in for ACT! -- all attendees (a $60.00 value - ROI (return on investment) could be $100K annually).
  • Quick peek at ACT Links for QuickBooks too
  • Q & A to follow 
- Click here to sign up - Wednesday, July 11th, 2018

    Century City Microsoft Store
    Presentation starts at 6:00PM
    7:00PM Q&A + Refreshments

Upgrade Relief - June 2013 Only

As you may or may not know, the current policy of upgrade pricing only honors upgrades for customers with the current release and, in most cases, two prior releases of a product.  See below for chart.

Otherwise if you're using a version of Act! older than that, you’re not eligible for upgrade pricing and will instead need to purchase Act! at full MSRP pricing.

For the month of June, SwiftPage will honor upgrade pricing regardless of the version of ACT you currently use.  Keep in mind, this applies to equivalent prior licenses.  Call us now so you can take advantage of this unique offering.

Countdown:  Top 10 Reasons to Upgrade to ACT! 2013

10. Windows 8 compatible - Remember XP will become functionally obsolete in April 2014.  Prepare yourself before you get pushed up against the deadline

9. Best in Class Features - Relationships Tab become essential tool in managing people networks.  Plus there's more too.  Smart Tasks got even smarter.  Check out the Scratchpad - use like post it notes.

8. Social Media Links  -  LinkedIn® and Facebook® profiles will strengthen your connections to contacts by keeping abreast of their concerns.

7. Sales Territory Management  - Create teams and territories with dynamic groups.  Empower managers to rally sales activities.

6. Easier Database Administration  - Move, Share, Backup and Sync are now even easier than before.

5. ACT! Premium Mobile Real-time access to key Sage ACT! details from your iPhone®, iPad®, and Android™ devices. No annual subscription -- it's included in ACT! Premium 2013 for Web license.  We strongly recommend ACT! Certified Consultant set up.  

4. Easier Mobile  with ACT Connect - On the go?  Use Sage ACT! Connect  to turn your smartphone or tablet, including iPhone® and iPad®, into a virtual office. Access your Sage ACT! contacts and calendar from anywhere. Annual subscription is less than $70 - easy set up.

3. Dynamic eMarketing Built into ACT! - Forget Constant Contact, it's pale in comparison. SwiftPage plug in trumps CC with response metrics in both the cloud and syncs with ACT too.  Tight integration, multi-user capable, plus reasonably priced subscription means this is a must have for any serious ACT user.

2. Office 2013 Compatible - Bumped up functionality for the whole suite including Outlook, Word, and Excel to make ACT more powerful than ever before.

1. ACT! Hook Up with SwiftPage -  Swiftpage purchased ACT! in the 1Q of 2013 for over 100m.  Hands down this is the best case scenario for ACT!.  It's pure synergy; Sage was way too stodgy.  We already know Swiftpage as agile builder of ACT addons.  They have the right stuff and have given use the unique privilege to alpha test the upcoming version.  As a proof of concept, we're thrilled.  Ask me about how you can insure you get both versions at very special pricing.

Facing Obsolescence Policy of Sage/Swiftpage

Support from Sage and Swiftpage is limited according to the software version.  Officially they support only the current release and, in most cases, two prior releases of the product.  

On the other hand, we do offer on a limited basis support for earlier versions.  These limits are designed to support clients ready to transition to current systems.  You will find it much less expensive to keep reasonably current rather than let things get to a critical mass that can cripple productivity.

Business Care Plan Expiration Regarding Sage/SwiftPage Support

Customers with an active support plan that are using an obsolete product will receive support through the expiration of the existing support plan only.   Beyond  that, it is not possible to renew a support contract with Sage or Swiftpage.  You will need to upgrade to a supported version of Sage Act!. If you upgrade prior to the expiration of your support plan, your plan will be transferred to the new product and remain valid until the plan expires.

Currently Supported by Sage/Swiftpage: Eligible for support until
Sage ACT! 2013 (15.x) 11/30/2015
Sage ACT! 2012 (14.x) 11/30/2014
Sage ACT! 2011 (13.x) 11/30/2013
ACT! by Sage for Real Estate 2010 (12.x)
ACT! by Sage for Financial Professionals 2010 (12.x)		 7/31/2013
   
Sunseted Versions Not Supported by Sage/Swiftpage: Discontinued support as of 
ACT! by Sage 2010 (12.x) products 11/30/2012
ACT! by Sage for Real Estate 2009 (11.x)
ACT! by Sage for Financial Professionals 2009 (11.x)		 7/31/2012
ACT! by Sage 2009 (11.x)
ACT! by Sage for Real Estate 2008 (10.0)
ACT! by Sage for Financial Professionals 2008,
ACT! for Palm OS 3.0		 11/30/2011
ACT! by Sage 2008 (10.x)
ACT! by Sage for Financial Professionals 2007 (9.x)
ACT! by Sage for Real Estate 2007 (9.x)		 11/30/2010
ACT! by Sage 2007 (9.x)
ACT! by Sage Premium for Real Estate 2006 (8.x)		 11/30/2009
ACT! by Sage 2006 (8.x)
ACT! for Palm OS® 2.0		 11/30/2008
ACT! by Sage 2005 (7.x) 11/30/2007
ACT! 6.x 2004
ACT! 2000 5.x
ACT! all other prior versions		 Support discontinued

Alpha Testing of ACT v16 (ACT 2014) at Perfecting ACT! Conference:

We've had a chance to alpha test the upcoming version of ACT at the Perfecting ACT! conference held in Scottsdale in May 2013.  This work in progress is anticipated to be released, if it follows the typical schedule, will debut in the late 3rd quarter of 2013.  It's already proved to be a stable release with many new enhancements to make keeping in touch with contacts even easier than before.

You may be interested to know Perfecting ACT is our annual professional development conference designed specifically for ACT! Certified Consultants. It continues the tradition of providing learning and networking opportunities from our peers, add-on partners, and programmers responsible for source code.  This event has such gravitas that it draws ACCs from all over the global.

Sage ACT! 2012 New Features

NEW Universal Search- increase your productivity with the new ACT! Universal Search feature. This more expansive search facility will search Contacts, Groups, Companies, Opportunities, Notes and History and now Attachments stored within Sage ACT!.

NEW  Scratch Pad- transforms the way you manage your time with the new Virtual Notepad in ACT! 2012. Eliminate the need for post its and note pads. Instead use the ACT! Virtual Notepad to capture priorities, plus check off notes and reminders. What’s more, tasks that require greater activity can be easily pushed into Sage ACT! as Activities or Notes and History, and assign them to contacts.

NEW Google Integration- with Sage ACT! 2012 seamlessly integrate ACT! with Google (including Gmail, Google Contacts and Google Calendars). Sage ACT! Google Integration offers you a centralized location to manage the details of your business relationships more efficiently and eliminates the need to access information in two locations.

NEW  Improved Import from Excel- Importing data is now much simpler in ACT! 2012, you can now import Excel files directly into the ACT! database without the need to convert to a .csv file. The import process is now more transparent than ever with a log of records migrated and if any errors encountered during the process.

NEW  Sage ACT! Connect- access your Sage ACT! data any time anywhere with Sage ACT! Connect, a subscription based service to store and update contact information in the Cloud. Sage ACT! Connect is compatible with Windows Mobile, Blackberry and Android devices, as well as web browsers such as Internet Explorer, FireFox and Google Chrome. Though we haven't tested this one yet, it will hold upwards of 2,500 contacts.

NEW Enhanced Compatibility- ACT! 2012 offers user enhanced compatibility and now interfaces with Micorosoft Office 2010, Microsoft Small Business Server 2011 and Sage ACT!for Web now operates within Internet Explorer 9 and FireFox 4.
 

Anywhere Anytime ACT!

Be free!  Why be tied to your desk when you can use one of two solutions to have your data as accessible as your own brain!

ACT! Private Cloud  As of June 2011, we are hosting the full featured windows desktop including ACT Premium, (sorry no ACT Pro) for firms with a diverse workforce.  Mac and or iPad users can enjoy full functionality.  Remote in from anywhere via the internet.  Sync ACT! with your smartphone (BlackBerry®, Windows Mobile®, Android™ or many more) for real time access.

Link ACT! & QuickBooks in Private Cloud

We are the first Intuit Solution Provider to offer a secure private cloud hosting of linked desktop versions of ACT! and QuickBooks.  Save yourself a ton of typing.  Hey, no more double entry, it auto sets up new customers in QuickBooks and so much more.  Contact us now to get your own private demo.


Recent Reviews of Sage ACT! 2011

Law Office Software:  "...incredibly popular software "
The 2011 version embraces the fast changing pace of social networking by also allowing the organizing of social media profiles on such sites as LinkedIn, Facebook and other leading social networking sites.


CEO Published by Intuit ProLine News

ProLine News, published by Intuit, commissioned an article for accounting pros to get the most out of QuickBooks.  Top 10 Productivity Tips for QuickBooks focuses on the most dyanmic time saving tricks.  You can find a copy at our sister site, www.qb-it.net.

Intuit has also engaged Ms. Marechal to share her expertise regarding fraud prevention in an upcoming 2011 edition of ProLine News. 


Beta Test: Four ACT! Link to QuickBooks Solutions

In August 2010 the group Sister ACT II completed a series of beta tests on recently released solutions to link Sage ACT! with QuickBooks.  Of the four tested only two were found to be suitable to support.

For more information on our findings please click here to contact us.


Announcement: Sister ACTII Formed

Sister ACT II, named in honor of the initial Sister ACT!,  a group of female ACT! Certified Consultants, banded together to support each other in an organization largely dominated by men.

Membership is by invitation only for ACT!, QuickBooks, and accounting consultants who do or wish to support ACT! Link for QuickBooks or similar solutions.


Forensic Consulting Highlighted by Intuit

Recently Victoria Marechal served as an outsource forensic auditor for a nationwide business consulting firm regarding a suspected fraud/embezzlment case. Because the experience expanded her understanding of consulting in a forensic manner, she wrote up a first person account of this job.

 To read all about this fascinating case go to Intuit ProConnection Newsletter.


Symantec Uses Free Anti-Malware Tool

The ultimate endoresment of a programmer's work is when a major player in the world of software picks up their application. You gotta know it is good.  Maybe in this instance it's not an official seal of approval.  Or could it be one better?

According to a recent review of Symantec's Tech Support in PC Mag March 2009 article, "Symantec Support Gone Rogue"  a support rep, presented with a problem on a delibertely infected system, used Malwarebytes as one of his clean up tools. 

Quoting Neil J. Rubenking in this article: "To my surprise, he downloaded and ran the free Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware utility. This is, of course, not a Norton program by any stretch of the imagination. It did find a few traces of various threats left behind...."

Consider, if the front line of Symantec are using this tool, it seems worth a try if you are caught with an infection.  Others have gotten the word.  According to CNET.com, it is the second most downloaded anti-malware with over 400K downloads just behind AdAware. It's something we are going to add to our security kit.


Quality Control

At CRM-IT.net we take pride in using state of the art security methods to protect our data.  Our protections include both hardware and software firewalls.  We also rely upon Symantec's Norton Internet Security package which includes Norton Internet Security, Norton Anti-virus, and Norton Spam e-mail protection.  In addition we use Microsoft Baseline Security Analyser as well as AdAware. 

We walk the talk regarding backups.  On site we have redundant backup systems.  In addition we also have storage online with one of our two our web hosting arrangements.