The Act CRM Edit Menu

by Tony Holowitz | Oct 25, 2021 | ACT CRM Sales Software Tips, Act CRM Software Fundamentals | 0 comments

Today we are going to explore Act’s Edit Menu to show you some of the key points of using this menu.

This menu gives you options to manipulate data within Act and I cannot stress enough how important it is to make backups before you make radical changes to your Act data. You will never be mad at yourself if you take a little of time to be safe by creating multiple incremental backups. You will make a mistake…eventually. Thankfully, the backups you made will save you.

As a computer user and Act user it is good to know about a few keyboard shortcuts that play a role on this menu and a few more:

Ctrl C is the keyboard shortcut for Copy
Ctrl V is the keyboard shortcut for Paste
Ctrl X is the keyboard shortcut for Cut
Ctrl P is the keyboard shortcut to Print
Ctrl Z is the keyboard shortcut to Undo

Act’s edit menu allows you to copy, move and swap data and this video explores and explains that in greater detail. Enjoy.

Upgrading Act: How do I upgrade my Act Software?

by Tony Holowitz | Oct 25, 2021 | ACT CRM Sales Software Tips, Act CRM Software Fundamentals | 0 comments

In this tutorial I will teach you how prepare to install an upgrade of your Act software.

Let me just clarify the key point here: this tutorial talks about upgrading your Act software from one year to the next. For example, you might be upgrading your Act software from version 19 to version 20. Occasionally, through the course of the year you might receive notices that there is an update available. That is different from an upgrade and if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me (Tony Holowitz: 781-728-9777) and I would be more than happy to answer those questions.

The 1st Step to upgrading your software is to make a backup of your database. When you uninstall Act software the proper way the data will not be removed. All that will be removed is the actual software, not the data. I asked you to make a backup because I think it is a good habit to get into but not necessary for this tutorial about how to upgrade your Act database to a new version. It is just a safety net.

The 2nd Step is to go into the control panel of your computer and uninstall Act. The video I have included with this tutorial will show you how to complete that task.

The 3rd Step is to reboot your computer before you install the newest version of Act. When you install the newest version of Act you might be prompted to reboot again. No problem. Just allow the software to reboot your computer a 2nd time. It is no big deal. When your computer restarts it will initiate the install again, so you don’t have to do anything.

ACT CRM Layout Customization: Editing User Fields Part 3

by Tony Holowitz | Oct 4, 2021 | ACT CRM Sales Software Tips, Act CRM Software Fundamentals | 0 comments

Part 3

Enjoy

How Do I Connect Act CRM Software to My iPhone in 2021?

by Tony Holowitz | Sep 20, 2021 | ACT CRM Sales Software Tips, Act CRM Software Fundamentals, HandHeld Contact for Act CRM Software | 0 comments

How Do I Connect Act CRM Software to My iPhone?

Option One: Act Companion | Free with Subscription

Apple protects the way people access their iPhone products. That includes Act users. So how do you get Act into your iPhone? As an Act CRM subscriber, you get, as part of your subscription a Mobile App called Act Companion which is compatible in the Apple App Store or at Google Play. You can visit Act’s web page to learn more: https://www.act.com/products/connections/act!-companion.

Option Two: Handheld Contact Classic (Orange) and Handheld Contact API (Green)

Full disclosure: I’m a Keystroke partner and Keystroke owns Handheld Contact. They purchased the software from the original maker of the software. Handheld Contact (HHC) is designed for Act Pro CRM and Act Premium CRM users and they have two versions. Act web only and SaaS consumers can also use HHC. This is their website: www.HandHeldContact.com.

Advice and Opinion

Pay to get help setting it up. My experience has been that the setup process can be a little frustrating because you need to know usernames, passwords, connection links, database names and more and working with an experienced technician is well worth it. Handheld Contact Classic is $79.95 and can be installed on one-computer. Handheld Contact API is $79.95 and you can install it on multiple computers & devices. Note: they also have a $49.95 option with fewer features that is perfect for most Act CRM users. They also have a free version. Handheld Contact offers a free trial. So how do I get the data to the address book in Microsoft Outlook? You can export it. It is a manual function and I typically do it once a month.

Act CRM Software New Version: Version 24 64 Bit

by Tony Holowitz | Sep 20, 2021 | Act CRM Software Fundamentals, Keystroke Blog, News & Updates | 0 comments

Act Version 24 Released September 17th, 2021

I am a Partner with Keystroke based in Toronto and Ken Quigley (Owner & President at Keystroke) has written a great article on the new version of Act: Act version 24. Act’s new 64 bit offering. From Ken Quigley at Keystroke:

The long-awaited Act! v24 is available today. Act! v24 delivers turbocharged performance via a 64-bit native architecture, while Office integration enhancements bring optimized usability. New marketing automation capabilities also enable greater collaboration and drive dynamic marketing outreach with intelligent follow-up.

Upgrade with confidence to Act! v24 – rigorously vetted for quality and user experience. Ongoing updates – including support for Windows® 11 – ensure you always remain compatible with the latest hardware and operating systems.

What’s New with Act! v24?

New 64-bit Architecture – Windows & Web

Act! v24 capitalizes on the inherent benefits of today’s 64-bit hardware and operating systems – gaining full access to all available system memory for superior speed, performance, and scalability.

Why 64-bit? – It’s all about POWER!

Memory Access: Access 17,000,000,000+ GB of RAM with a 64-bit native application vs. 4GB with a 32-bit application.
Multi-Tasking: Run multiple applications concurrently without system lag or out-of-memory issues.
Speed & Performance: Enjoy superior speed during high-load functions and support for large files and data sets.
Scalability: Run multiple concurrent 3rd party add-ons optimally and support large or growing implementations.
Security: Leverage the inherent security benefits of 64-bit hardware and operating systems.

Multi-task, perform high-load functions, and support large files and data sets without memory issues via access to virtually unlimited RAM with a 64-bit native application vs. 4GB with a 32-bit application.

Important Notes (v24):

Windows, Web, API, and Office integration drivers are now 64-bit native
Requires 64-bit hardware and OS
Web runs under 64-bit IIS mode
Must reinstall 3rd party add-ons (64-bit compatible only)

Office Integration & Marketing Automation Enhancements
Enhance the effectiveness of your marketing efforts with new collaboration and design tools, intelligent A/B testing, and automatic follow-up actions based on the marketing engagement score. Streamline common relationship management tasks between Act!, Outlook, and Word for maximum efficiency.

Act! v24 uses 64-bit integration for Outlook and Word add-ins, allowing for optimal performance and scalability.

v24 Focus Area – Outlook Add-In

UI/UX Enhancements
Select from multiple databases quickly and conveniently in the Outlook Add-In and apply toolbar actions (e.g. Quick Attach, Attach to Contact, etc.).
New Features & Improvements
Attach emails to history for contacts that do not have an email address in Act!, based on matching of data in other fields.
Set up API connection to Outlook easily for locally shared hosted databases via the new Preference option.

v24 Focus Area – Word Add-in

UI/UX Enhancements
Pull in current contact list used during Mail Merge for attaching or recording to history.
New Features & Improvements
Embed images in MS-word-based Mail Merge templates from image fields on contact records.
Resume sending Act! Mail Merge through Outlook due to fix of issue caused by latest MS security update whereas items were going to draft folder.

v24 Focus Area – Compatibility Updates

Run Act! v24 on Windows® 11 for the latest usability and security enhancements from Microsoft® – set to release in Q4 2021. Additional compatibility updates include support for Office 2019 and SQL Server 2019. Your Act! subscription ensures ongoing compatibility with current hardware, software, and operating systems for maximum productivity and peace of mind.

Windows 11
- Deploy Act! v24 on Windows 11, releasing October 2021.
- Reap the benefits of a modern 64-bit platform with the latest security and performance enhancements from Microsoft.
- Leverage Act! subscription to stay current and compatible with the latest hardware and operating systems.
Office 2019
- Act! v24 uses 64-bit integration for Outlook and Word add-ins, allowing for optimal performance and scalability.
- Act! Office Add-Ins support 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Office 2019.
SQL 2019
- Deploy pre-packaged SQL 2019 automatically for new installs for maximum performance and convenience.
- Upgrade to SQL 2019 upon install of Act! v24 if the supported version of SQL is not detected (<SQL 2014 R2)
- Benefit from the most recent SQL security, performance, and scalability enhancements.

v24 Focus Area – Act! Marketing Automation

New Features & Enhancements:
- Capture notes and reminders and collaborate with others on template design with the new Comments feature.
- Hide individual rows or blocks of content from rendering in mobile emails to optimize optics and readability.
- Send an A/B email test to subsets of your recipient list, then automatically send the best performing version to the remainder based on the decision criteria you define.
- Trigger follow-up actions such as calls, meetings, or additional emails based on a score derived from email, landing page, and website engagement by each recipient.
- Enjoy greater design flexibility with multiple sections and a two-column display on landing page templates.

v24 Focus Area – Usability & Performance

- 150+ Defect Fixes
- UI Enhancements
- Updated graphs & charts with modern, 64-bit compatible components in Act! Dashboards.

v24 Focus Area – Feature Deprecations & Changes

Legacy Features Removed:
- Act! Dialer (removed due to lack of modem use amongst current users)
- Act! Email (antiquated 32-bit email client that was seldom used and uncompetitive with other email clients like Outlook)
- Smart Tasks (developed in 2011, this feature has fallen into disuse)
Features Changed:
- Ecommerce connections are now supported by Zapier.

Downloads

Here are the installer links for the v24 installers, including Update 1.

Update 1: http://CDN.updates.swiftpage.act.com/updates/24.0/act2400update1.exe

Summary
This is the architectural and feature upgrade that Act! users have been waiting for. Most all new computers purchased in recent years come fitted with 64-bit hardware and software, and we finally have an Act! that is optimized to support them. Some small user groups may not see the improvements until mail-merging, report running, or other such features that can leverage the improved memory management of 64-bit, but larger workgroups and web deployments will see the performance difference instantly as these users typically were the ones most limited by the previous 32-bit memory limits.

We do caution all users considering this upgrade to do a full inventory of their add-ons, and to check with the publisher of each before upgrading. While we expect most will be compatible with Act! v24 within the next 2-4 weeks, some perpetual license products may require you to purchase them again if a new version release is required. Subscription add-ons should be less of an issue as they’re obliged to provide these upgrades as part of the subscription fee, but you should still confirm with them before upgrading to Act! v24.

The other point to take note of is Act! v24 is NOT schema-breaking, meaning the database version will remain v22.0, as it has the last couple of years. The advantage of this is you can upgrade with confidence knowing that if you face any unexpected hardware or software impediments to completing the migration to Act! v24, you can safely downgrade back to at least v22.0 without issue. Simply put, the program is updated, but not the database schema. This should come as a relief to most users as the upgrade process tends to be quicker and less trouble-free without schema updates – especially amongst remote users.

Subscription Options
Act! v24 is available as part of the Act! Premium Subscription product line, including Act! Premium, Act! Premium Cloud, Act! Premium Plus, and Act! Premium Cloud Plus. Please click the following links to subscribe to your choice of these Act! Premium products. If you’re a current subscriber, Act! v24 is available at no extra charge.

Act CRM Software and Microsoft Office Compatibility

by Tony Holowitz | Sep 16, 2021 | Act CRM & Microsoft Outlook, ACT CRM Sales Software Tips, Act CRM Software Fundamentals, Act CRM Software Knowledgebase (KB) Articles | 0 comments

When you consider upgrading your current version of act, one of your considerations should be how it impacts other software that you use daily. For example, Microsoft Office.

Typically every fall, Act CRM Software introduces a new version. In the next few days, there will be two new versions of Act introduced: Act version 24 and Act CRM. It is very important to understand the relationship between Act & Microsoft Office. Especially Outlook. So much correspondence flows via e-mail. Much more than printed documents in many businesses.

This information is from Act CRM’s Knowledge Base and some of it applies to older versions of Act:

Supported Versions of Microsoft® Office by Version of Act!

6 months ago
Updated

Question:
You would like to know which versions of Microsoft Office are supported by which versions of Act!.

Answer:
Please refer to the table below for the versions of Office supported by each version of Act! (ACT! 2005 and higher). Support includes integration with Word, Outlook®, and Excel®.

Version of Act!	Supported Versions of Microsoft Office
Act! v23	2013 (32-bit & 64-bit), 2016 (32-bit & 64-bit), 2019 (32-bit & 64-bit) Microsoft® Exchange and Office 365 for contact and calendar synchronization for Windows (Further information around Exchange support is available here)
Act! v22	2013 (32-bit & 64-bit), 2016 (32-bit & 64-bit), 2019 (32-bit & 64-bit)
Act! v21	2013 (32-bit & 64-bit), 2016 (32-bit & 64-bit), 2019 (32-bit & 64-bit)* Please note that whilst Office 2019 is supported with Act! v21, due to the timing of the release final certification has not** been completed against it. Certification is targeted for v21.1*
Act! v20	2010 (32-bit & 64-bit) (v20.1 not compatible), 2013 (32-bit & 64-bit), 2016 (32-bit & 64-bit)
Act! v19	2010 (32-bit & 64-bit), 2013 (32-bit & 64-bit), 2016 (32-bit & 64-bit) Currently, there is a known issue with using certain builds of Office 2016 with Act!. For information, please see: Known issues and workarounds for using Microsoft Outlook 2016 with Act! v18 and v19
Act! v18	2007, 2010 (32-bit only), 2013 (32-bit only), 2016 (32-bit only) Currently, there is a known issue with using certain builds of Office 2016 with Act!. For information, please see: Known issues and workarounds for using Microsoft Outlook 2016 with Act! v18 and v19
Act! v17	2007, 2010 (32-bit only), 2013 (32-bit only) For information about Microsoft Office 2016, please see: Is Act! compatible with Microsoft Office 2016?
Act! v16	2003, 2007, 2010 (32-bit only), 2013 (32-bit only)
Sage ACT! 2013	2003, 2007, 2010 (32-bit only)
Sage ACT! 2012	2003, 2007, 2010 (32-bit only)
Sage ACT! 2011	2003, 2007, 2010 (32-bit only)
ACT! by Sage 2010	2002 (XP), 2003, 2007
ACT! by Sage 2009	2002 (XP), 2003, 2007
ACT! by Sage 2008	2002 (XP), 2003, 2007
ACT! by Sage 2007	2000, 2002 (XP), 2003
ACT! by Sage 2006	2000, 2002 (XP), 2003
ACT! 2005	2000, 2002 (XP), 2003

Office 365
Office 365, as a web based service, is only supported on Act! v20.1 and later using the Act! Outlook Integration feature. If you are using v20.0 or earlier, the locally installed version of Outlook that comes with your Office 365 subscription is supported as long as you are using a local Outlook profile. Please note that if you are using an Act! version prior to v19, Click-to-Run installations of Outlook are not supported.

As of v18.0 Act! Premium (access via web) users who have configured the Act! Premium Web API can use the Act! Premium Contact Link to connect their Office 365 accounts to their Act! database. For more information, refer to the following knowledgebase article:

What is the Act! Premium Contact Link?
Answer ID What is the Act! Premium Contact Link?

Office Starter versions
Starter versions of Office are not supported by Act!. You must have a full, supported version of Office installed.

‘Click-to-Run’ Versions of Office
Click-to-Run versions of Office are not supported by Act! versions prior to v19. If you are using a version of Act! prior to v19, you must have a full, supported version of Office installed. To verify whether your version of office is Click-to-Run, refer to this Microsoft article titled “How to: Determine Whether Outlook Is a Click-to-Run Application on a Computer”: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/ff522355(v=office.15).aspx

64-bit Versions of Office
64-bit versions of Office are not supported by any version of Act! prior to Act! v19. If you are using a version of Act! prior to Act! v19, you must be using the 32-bit version of Office, which can be installed even if you are using a 64-bit operating system.

64-bit Office has compatibility limitations with other applications and components as well. Microsoft only recommends using a 64-bit version of Office under very specific circumstances, such as if you work with extremely large data sets. Most users do not meet these circumstances, and Microsoft recommends that the 32-bit version of Office is used for those who do not meet those circumstances. For more information, refer to the the following Microsoft article:
Choose the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Office

Source: https://help.act.com/hc/en-us/articles/360024251514-Supported-Versions-of-Microsoft-Office-by-Version-of-Act-

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