I hear this question a lot. So I’m taking this opportunity to share my experience and current recommendation here. Let me put it out there, so there are no questions… I am a performance nut. If there is a way to get more speed out of a PC, I want to learn about it. That’s why choosing the proper an anti-virus program is so important.  As security software it has the ability to bring the fastest PCs to it’s knees (with or without the ACT! Software installed) in the name of safety. In this review you’ll learn what I consider important and why I’m currently using the anti-virus software I am.

What is the Best Anti-Virus Software for Your PC?

A few years ago, I was at a crossroads. The anti-virus software on my HP laptop was up for renewal. Since I review of anti-virus and security software every couple of years, this was my chance to try something new. What I was using was working fine for me and my clients who took my recommendation, just wondering if it still was the best option.

I tried a few of the more well known products on the market, and my findings weren’t very positive. Of course they likely do a good job of catching viruses, malware, and the like, at the expense of performance. One product rendered my PC unusable. I had to select the “Disable All” option in the software, to take my laptop’s responsiveness to a respectable level.

Then I stumbled upon a product that caught my attention. The user interface at the time wasn’t so appealing, but they got rave reviews when it comes to the performance impact.

Introducing avast! Pro Antivirus

Funny. They have an exclamation point in their name as ACT! does.

The user interface gives users the ability to easily disable the real-time protection (which can be important when installing software like ACT!)

Since that time, I have the following comments on this software:

• No software or virus signature update created any issue with my system.
• It has caught a few viruses (I had none to start with).
• Warned me on websites I was visiting that had been hacked/compromised.
• They released an affordable way to cover 3-PCs (important for clients).
• ACT! Performance: I found no degradation in performance, and the software makes it easy to specify file/folder exclusions for scanning which is important for ACT! database speed. Some other antivirus packages I tested either buried the ability to set file/folder exclusions in their interface, or didn’t have the feature at all!

Learn more about avast! here.

How to Purchase avast! Antivirus

I’m not a fan of “free” software when it comes to protecting data, etc. The idea is, if you are on the hook to protect my PC, I want to be able to call someone for help if there is an issue. That said, they do have a free version of the software for download. In fact they have 3 products to choose from, the last of the Internet Security version protecting 3 PCs (for $20 per) with flexible options to add more PCs or more years of protection.

Free is better than nothing. I recommend one of the paid versions if you can afford it, I’m using the Internet Security version, and as stated above, which has alerted me to dangerous websites.

Checkout avast! for yourself here. Let me know your thoughts/feedback in the comments below.

Photo credit: Carbonnyc

Technorati Tags: antivirus software review, best antivirus software, review of avast

Earlier this month, Sage Software released service pack 1 for the ACT! 2010 product.  I have worked with the product first in my own environment and with several customers now and wanted to share with you what you can expect with this latest update of the program.  There are four main improvements that were most requested by users, and a few others that were worth mentioning from the customers I have the privilege to coach.  Hint: it is all good.

My Impressions of ACT! 2010 Service Pack 1

With any software there will be bugs to iron out after initial release, and with ACT by Sage, it’s not different.  Truthfully, there were several “hotfixes” released shortly after the program released last fall to address immediate customer needs, with a service pack they often introduce something more than just bug fixes, let me explain.

I put a video together highlighting some things in this ACT! by Sage software patch.  If you can’t see it here it’s available directly on YouTube here.

Here are 4 items called out by Sage in their user community as a part of communicating what customers can expect from this update.

One – Group and Company Counts

Quickly understand how many contacts are in a selected group or company.

Two – Search Button Change

Search button on the “big easy” bar no longer restricts access to keyword search.

Three – More Descriptive Info on Mail Merge

This is true for many of the improvements, just making it easier for users to know what to do, or what will be done when an option is selected.

Four – “Location” Field Avail in Task List View

This makes it easier to see “at a glance” where various activities are taking place form the task list view.

Performance

It is worth noting that there are significant performance gains as well.

• Time to Launch ACT! improved by 2 seconds.
• Time to open the Opportunity View improved by 6 seconds.
• Time to perform a lookup by last name improved by 2 seconds.
• Time to run a contact report improved by 40 seconds.
• Time to perform a mail merge to email improved by 10 seconds.
• Time to open ACT! with the Dashboard as the default initial view improved by 27 seconds.

Things to Be Aware Of

• Make a Way Out!: Always backup before applying any software update.
• Use Experts: If working with an expert like an ACT! Certified Consultant, be sure to use so that you understand the full impact this patch has in your environment.
• Outlook: While I haven’t experienced this, in some cases Outlook integration may have to be reestablished (and other preferences), so keep that in mind.
• Training: Improve your ACT! skills by getting instant access to my friend Mark’s training here.  It is top shelf professionally done, and reasonably priced.

Access to Download and Details

Here are the details on the ACT! 2010 SP1 Update.

If you want to download any apply the patch, you can learn more here.

Your Turn

Have experience with this support pack?  Likes? Dislikes?  Chime in the comment boxes below.

by YtseJam Photography

Technorati Tags: act 2010 fix, act 2010 patch, act 2010 software

UPDATE: Webinar is a success…Be among the first to get access to the LIVE-REPLAY page for this recorded webinar.  Simply fill out the form below and I’ll make sure you are kept in the loop. -Travis

It’s true, the ACT! 2009 software is officially available to the public.  It provides a host of new functions focused on making it easier for users to navigate through the application.

I will be hosting a live-webinar Thursday August 14th, 2008 at 3pm EST* and will be reviewing the features and functions of the program, and will have Dave van Toor as my guest.  Dave is the VP and GM of Sage CRM North America.  If you’ve been on this blog before you might remember the interview I held with Dave back in May. I will also be making a special offer to those who want to lock in the upgrade for the ACT! 2009 software.

If you want in on this webinar, with a chance to ask your questions, simply fill out the form below, and I’ll send you all the details.

Technorati Tags: act 2009, act by sage, act database software, act software, contact management

Attention Sales and Marketing Professionals (ACT! and non ACT! software users alike)
Date: Thursday June 26, 2008
Time: 3pm EST, 12pm PST
What: Internet Search Acceleration Webinar
Register Here

Are you someone who knows the value search engines can provide your business, but find using them laborious and time consuming? What if you could automate most of your Internet research so you could sell more?

Recently, I visited with a friend who shared with me some amazing Internet research software. I don’t get super-impressed with software (afterall it is just a tool), but for folks spending time doing market research online, this high-end software is worth a look. (register for webinar here)

I was hoping to put a video up here to show you the software in action, but I’d rather have Mike show you personally, so I’ve made special arrangement with Mike’s office to host a webinar with you in mind.

This world-class suite of products allows companies to reduce Internet research from hours to minutes, putting them in touch with qualified prospects in a fraction of the time. In this 1 hour webinar you’ll learn how you can arm yourself with tools your competitors haven’t seen.
-Stop cutting/pasting contact information into your database
-Find your niche, no matter how specific
-Work with existing lists and directories
-Build a contact list in moments
…and that is just the beginning.

Mike showed me how he extracted hundreds of contacts from a
series of websites for export to a contact database of choice
in less than 2 minutes. (register for webinar here)

The software automates the “grind” functions of Internet research, such as:
-Trolling through company/directory/portal websites to find names, phone numbers, email addresses and such.
-Using search engines to find disparate information on contacts and companies
-Clicking/copying/pasting or retyping pertinent information from the web, into a usable format. (excel, outlook, ACT!, crm, ats.)

If what I’ve described resonates with you, please carve out an hour to learn
more on this webinar…Thursday June 26, 2008 at 3pm EST, 12pm PST

-Travis
PS: I’ve arranged for a free gift
from Mike for those attending
this webinar. Register here.

Technorati Tags: act database software, excel, google, internet research, msn live, outlook, search engine, yahoo

Recently Microsoft released .Net Framework 2.1.  It appears that the ACT! Database Software has issues with this latest update.  And ACT! is not alone, I’ve heard unconfirmed reports that QuickBooks software (and others) that use Microsoft’s .Net, are having issues with the latest release from the Redmond, WA giant.

I encourage anyone running ACT! 2007 or ACT! 2008 hold off on updating to this latest version of .net.  And please, is you have experienced issues with this, feel free share them in the comment box below.

-Travis

Technorati Tags: Quickbooks, reports