ACT! by Sage: To Upgrade or Not To Upgrade, share your Stories
Over the last few years, at this time of year, Sage software has come up with a new version of the popular contact management software, ACT!. This year appears to be no different, as marketing materials of the worlds most popular contact manager land in email and snail mail inboxes.
There was a key difference between ACT! version 6 and ACT! 2005 which released in August of 2004. It was rebuilt from the ground up a new architecture, Microsoft dot net and SQL. I likened this upgrade experience to going from a Jeep to a Hummer. A Hummer is roomier and even luxurious but is slow off the starting line compared to the Jeep. The Hummer can haul more, and once it gets going one could argue it is superior. For customers upgrading from ACT! 6, gone were the days of putting in the software CD, and hitting next a few times (installation wizard), and completing the upgrade in a few minutes. What was once and upgrade had become a “migration”.
So, what I’d like to know is your own experience when it comes to upgrading/migrating your ACT! software, the good, the bad, the ugly. Now I realize I’m opening a can of worms here, but I want your honest feedback. Allow me to encourage you to be polite, yet descriptive…professional. Keep in mind your post might be read by anyone, perhaps even the makers of the software.
There are many choices when it comes to contact management software for small businesses, realtors, and entrepreneurs of various disciplines, although fewer than just 3-4 years ago. Goldmine, Maximizer, MSCRM, and other contact manager users have their own tales to tell when it comes to upgrading. Another challenge is going to a different product entirely.
So go ahead and share what your experiences have been, and I just may respond with a few of my own.
