It’s true, another version of the ACT! database software is upon us. It seems like just a few months ago the ACT! 2009 Contact Management software released. The truth is, Sage is backing up their talk of continually improving the product with action, by coming out with another release. ACT! 2010 features and product input have come from their online community of users, some of whom have participated in the beta program. I’m currently reviewing the product in detail, and wanted to give you the skinny on the latest release from Sage, and how you can get it for free when it ships in September.
ACT! 2010 Available for Purchase – What’s New & How to Get it Free
So you might be asking, what is new with this latest release of the ACT! database software? I’ll provide more details in future posts, along with a full-fledged review with video on a special ACT! Software Review site, but here is the big picture of what is in this new version.
Updated Look and Feel
The new user interface has been given a face lift to reflect a more modern web 2.0 look and feel. While some may argue this much needed update as long overdue, it was needed, and as they say, better late than never. I think you’ll find the wait worth it. Sage has tried to strike the balance between what is needed to make it a more positive user experience, while not jarring loyal customers with too many changes.
Social Media Integration
ACT! 2010 gives users the ability to configure social media profiles for a given contact record. So you can have a “web view” tab with an IE browser session to reveal updates a contact may have made to their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or any profile you configure. This is a great first step in social media integration for this 20+ year leader for software contact management products.
E-Marketing Tie in with Drip Marketing Capabilities
In recent years Swiftpage Email has made it exceptionally easy for ACT! users to market to their database while remaining CAN-SPAM compliant. Now with their new drip-marketing features, they have partnered with Sage to enhance the capabilities of ACT! out of the box. More than that, if you purchase a service plan with Swiftpage, you’ll also be able to control entire drip marketing campaigns from yoru ACT! database.
Opportunity Customization
If you have ever wanted more flexibility with sales opportunities in ACT!, you’ll want to pay attention to this enhancement. Now opportunities can stand alone, no longer do that have to be tied to a contact or a company. This flexibility is important to many who are using opportunities in more creative ways. Beyond that the interface and options have been updated and made more flexible for those selling services.
New Reports & Dashboard
They have added new reports, as well as created a whole new view just for reports. You can also tag reports as favorites, speeding up navigation even further. As I mentioned earlier, I will cover this in more detail in my complete review.
How You Can Reserve Your Copy for a Great Price or Free
In recent years Sage has offered great values for people who want to purchase the software before it comes out. This year is no exception. If you purchase the software now, you can save 30%. If you are one who needs to get started right away with contact management, you can purchase ACT! 2009 today and add Platinum Care to your order, and you’ll get ACT! 2010 when it releases (set for mid-September).
Since launching our store roughly 2 years ago, we have always tried to offer great bonuses as a thank you to our customers. We intend to continue that tradition this year for those who claim access to the ACT! 2010 Early Bird in our ACT! software store will get access to a special set of bonuses just for becoming our customers, which are currently being finalized. The bonuses will be reserved for you, and be available when the software is released. Go here and reserve your copy.
Chime In: Got something to say, cuirous about this new version? What are you looking for in Contact Management for your business? Talk back in the comment boxes below.
Hi, my name is Travis Campbell, I operate this site. A key to success in any business is to effectively manage your relationships. ACT! is a software product helping millions when it comes to doing just that. This Website is designed to assist both those considering ACT! software for their business, as well as to provide insight to ACT! users who want to effectively use it in their day to day operations. So login, post, browse and enjoy.
We’ve used ACT in -house for years and are currently on the ACT!2000 version. We have 5 salesmen with laptops that we have to synchronize on a regular basis. We have 8 customer service reps. We need to upgrade our ACT version. Several years ago we tried the Internet version and weren’t successful. I feel sure they’ve worked the bugs out by now. Which version of ACT do you recommend?
Travis, I am on your order site, there is not a 2010 premium edition. I currently use Act 2008 standard, can I buy the upgrade for 2010 Corp Edition and upgrade from standard? Would that be the thing I should do since they don’t have a 2010 premium? Looking for the good sync features.
What’s new with it? What advantage is it for me to by through you vs direct? Does it work with Windows 7? Or 64 bit?
@Shirley Thanks for stopping by. Based on what you’ve told me, it makes sense to look at the ACT! Corporate Edition.
If want to get started right away, you could purchase the ACT! 2009 Corporate Edition EX Upgrade licenses with Platinum Care (it is a 1 to 1 ratio). This would allow you to get started right away with a known stable version (2009), and you’ll get ACT! 2010 when it ships (mid-September).
If you go this route, just make sure you have purchase the number of upgrades you need based on the number of ACT! 200) licenses you have, and that there is one Platinum Care for each upgrade license in your shopping cart. For your conveninece
http://www.actasap.net/09exapc <<— these are the products I’m referring to
Otherwise you can purchase ACT! 2010 with or without the Platinum Care, and it will come in September. Either way, you will get my customer only bonuses when either product is shipped (ACT! 2009 now, ACT! 2010 September).
Let me know if you have other questions. You can also call me at 800-871-6976 x104
@Bill thanks for your permission to post your question here on the blog. Per your message, yes Premium has gone away as a ‘name’ best option is to go with the ACT! 2010 Corporate Edition upgrade. It has the good sync features.
I see your order has come through, congratulations, and thank you.
@Curtis What’s new? It has a fresh new user interface, social media integration, e-marketing service available, opportunity updates, new reports and reports dashboard.
It is supported with 64-bit (though it is not programmed to take advantage of 64-bit power – it works fine), and while Windows 7 hasn’t officially released yet, I understand it works on it (I don’t have a Win 7 system up yet, waiting for release), and I have a feeling it will be supported on Windows 7 shortly after it releases.
I’ll be sharing more details on the new version soon, stay tuned.
This question came in via email:
Travis:
I have an old version of ACT. Can I upgrade from **any** old version of ACT to 2010?
Also, I would like to have ACT on two systems. Is there anything between single user and 5-user? If so, what would it cost me?
Thank you
We are considering a first-time purchase of ACT! for our marketing/PR firm. I’ve had the free “trial” but it didn’t really answer my questions because all I could do was look at data that was already set up, I couldn’t do anything myself. We’re mostly going to be using it to manage our media databases. I’d like to be sure that I will be able to code each contact myself with multiple client-specific codes so I can sort the contacts by client. Most of the contacts will be on lists for multiple clients.
Also, assuming we decide to go ahead with the purchase, we’ll have 3 people using it. Would it be most cost-effective to by the Corp. Edition?
Thanks!
Travis,
I have a small medical sales business (just myself). I make sales calls out in the field every day. I come home at the end of each day with 10-30 business cards. I’ve got notes written all over them and then I try to create a spreadsheet to keep all the information together. Not working well after 4 months…chaos! I need to get my act together, so which product would you recommend? Thanks! Jeff
[...] the program faster, while helping new users shorten their learning curve a bit. Learn more about ACT! 2010 here. Claim your copy of ACT! 2010 with Earlybird pricing here. Your Turn: Thoughts or feedback on [...]
Hi Travis.
We have Act 2006 running on a Windows 2003 server and 6 users. We use ACT! a lot. What version of ACT 2010 do we need to purchase? It would seem that a Premium EX version is in order (web site I found said you had to have EX for up to 10 users), however our existing setup appears to be just files shared on the server and the program installed on the server and 6 computers. There is no databases (the MSSQL I was told to look for)that I can see on the server. An ACT! consultant did the install and we have no documentation. The owner wants good performance and just upgrades all of the computers to handle the new version.
Thanks!
Travis-
Your “special pricing” is exactly the same as the pricing on ACT’s own Web site. So where is the bonus discount?
I received an offer directly from Sage for 25%, yet you indicate that they offer 30% + an additional $447 in bonuses. Insight?
Travis, I upgraded to the new Corp edition of act to get the syn features. Just wanted to let you know it sync’s perfectly and easily with my netbook. Well worth the money.
Bill
I see ACT 2010 out of the box prices cheaper than upgrade versions. If I already have ACT v6, is it easy to migrate to a complete new version or should I go the upgrade route?
Tim- Not sure I completely understand you. If you are a ACT v6 customer, you qualify for the upgrade, so no need to pay for the full version. I hope that helps. -Travis
Travis,
Been a user of ACT since '92 and it's been a love/hate relationship. ACT would add cool features to an upgrade while complicating functionality. Love simple – should be able to look at a screen and quickly figure out how to do what I want or need to do.
Disappointed when I upgraded to ACT 2006 Premium for Workgroups a few years ago – took forever for screens to refresh despite upgrades to hardware. Standard templates were a pain. Purchased a BlackBerry and couldn't synchronize the two. Gave up on ACT and tried Outlook and it has limitations as well.
Currently back to a one-man operation and am running Windows XP. ACT 2006 Premium for Workgroups is still on my laptop even though I haven’t used it for 18 months. Considering upgrading to the single user version of ACT and would like to know the following:
1. Can I easily transfer all data in ACT 2006 Workgroups to ACT’s current single user version?
2. Does the current version have a dialer and will it synchronize with BlackBerry?
3. Are screens intuitive/user friendly?
4. What questions should I be asking that I’m not?
Appreciate your help, thoughts, and/or suggestions.
Jim
Jim-
All good questions.
1.) Yes, however, without knowing your database I cannot say for sure. What I can tell you for sure is, it is much easier than going from ACT! v6/2004.
2.) Dialer, yes. Many VOIP systems offer software to hook into ACT! as well. Sync with BB no. Need a third party product. However Sage will be releasing an "over the air" sync with BB product soon.
3.) Subjective. I say yes for sure. Have you been tohttp://www.actasap.net/whats-new yet?
4.) Hard to say.
Hang in there Jim!
You can upgrade all the way back to having version 3.x of ACT!. So if you have ACT! 2 or older (I think that takes us back to 1994 or so?
you’d have to purchase the full version. Hopefully you are in the clear.
You should be fine with the straight ACT! 2010 upgrade, and yes you can purchase the number of licenses you need, instead of buying a 5 user pack only (not currently on our store anyway).
I’m glad Sage is taking measures to maximize the value of an ACT! customers purchase, and I’m intending to build on that by adding additional value through product bonuses. (you can see the bonuses for ACT! 2009 customers here to see what is currently offered. ACT! 2010 bonus will have even more value to you I hope.
Let me know if you have further questions, and I’ll do my best to answer them here.
Jeff-
I admire your enthusiasm! Sometimes we have to have enough pain to make a change to something better. If it is just you, get started with the standard version of ACT!. If you can swing it, add the ACT! Platinum Care to your order (or get the bundle that comes with it), so that you always have the latest version. Then hire an assistant to do the data input!
Keep it up.
Dede- It sounds like you are fairly clear what you need the system to do, you just need the knowledge to get you there. Training or a consultation with someone who can account for what you need to do is a great option if you don’t have the time to learn it yourself. Depending on your needs the corporate edition may be the best option. Feel free to contact me if I can help you further.
Matthew-
Thanks for stopping by. It sounds like you have some good questions. I normally prefer not to answer sales oriented questions here. Not that I don’t want to, it’s just that isn’t really the intent of the site.
The short answer is, upgrading is a good idea as ACT! 2006 is no longer supported, and while I’m happy to help you pick the version for your needs, I’m more concerned that your existing database be properly handled prior to the upgrade.
Feel free to call me (reference this comment), that I can properly assist you or point you in the right direction.
800-871-6976 x104
Mark-
Good question, my apologies for the confusion. Sage is offering promotional pricing on the software. Customers can get it on their site or any of their resellers. For my customers I have chosen to add $447 in bonuses (training, and software), as my thank you for becoming a customer.
Hope that clears it up.
Hey Julie-
Thanks for asking. The 30% promo ended 8/31/2009. There is a 25% promo in effect through 9/30. $447 in bonuses are still available for our customers. Hope that makes sense.
William-
Glad to hear it. Thanks for taking the time to let us know how it went.
Anyone else using a netbook? Are they any good?
-Travis