- ACT!
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Sage ACT! Screenshot
A screenshot of the Customer database of ACT!Developer(s) Sage Initial release 1987 Stable release Sage ACT! 2012 Preview release Version 14.x Operating system Microsoft Windows Platform Microsoft Windows Available in English Type Contact management software License Proprietary Website www.act.com Sage ACT! (earlier known as ACT! by Sage) is a customer relationship management (CRM) software application which is used to keep track of client and prospect details in a single database that can be shared by multiple users. It integrates with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and other popular applications in order to generate and track communications with the contacts maintained in Sage ACT!. It is distributed by Sage and has a user base of over 2.8 million registered users.[1]
Contents
History
The company Conductor Software was founded 1986 in Dallas, Texas by Pat Sullivan[2] and Mike Muhney.[3] Its product, ACT!, was released in 1987 and became one of the pioneers in the contact management software category. The original name for the software was "Activity Control Technology" then "Automated Contact Tracking".
The name of the company was changed to Contact Software International, and the company moved out of its original office in the "mustang building" in Las Colinas to a building off Freeport Parkway near DFW Airport. Beginning with the 2006 version, the name was revised to ACT! by Sage and later changed to Sage ACT!. The current release is Sage ACT! 2011 (version 13). Development now happens in Scottsdale, Arizona, with regional offices in several countries.
Sage ACT! is currently available in English (US, UK and Australia), French, and German, and is sold through international resellers and Sage ACT! Certified Consultants.
Timeline
- 1986
- Mike Muhney and Pat Sullivan founded Conductor Software in Carrollton, Texas and developed QuotePro in Lotus Symphony.
- Randy Haben and John Maurer were brought onboard mid-year to begin development of a project codenamed YES!. Prototypes were developed using an early release of Paradox along with dBASE and Clipper.
- 1987
- ACT! for DOS 1.0 (April 1) - previously codenamed “YES!” – a recursive acronym for "Yes, Everybody Sells!". ACT! was also originally an acronym - first for "Activity Control Technology" and later "Automated Contact Tracking", before becoming just "ACT!"
- 1988
- Conductor Software renamed to Contact Software International
- 1989
- ACT! was rewritten from the ground up (for release in 1990). It was among the first wave of PC-based applications to be developed in C++.
- 1990
- ACT! for DOS 2.0 (August) - first version with network support
- 1991
- ACT! 9000
- 1992
- ACT! for Windows 2.0 - Added network support for the Windows product
- ACT! for HP95LX - the first mobile version for PDAs
- ACT!PAK! - first add-on for ACT! developed by Oakhurst Systems
- 1st ACT! - cut down version for OEMs and single users.
- 1993
- Symantec purchased Contact Software International
- First on-line support forums for Consultants and users on CompuServe
- ACT! for Mac - compatible database with 2.0 for Windows
- 1995
- ACT! for Newton[4]
- ACT! Mobile Link - two way sync for remote users
- 1996
- ACT! for Lotus Notes[5] - later sold to original developers, ErgoTech
- (November) - ACT! 3.0 for Windows 95 and NT[6] - First Windows 95 product with added back-wards compatibility to run on Windows 3.1
- 1997
- Symantec adds support for ACT! in WinFax Pro[7]
- ACT! PalmPilot Link[8] (later ACT!Link for PalmOS)
- ACT! for Windows CE[9] (later ACT! Link for PocketPC)
- 1998
- ACT! 4.0 - Added support for Windows 98 and Office 97
- ACT! for Psion by Advansys
- 1999
- Symantec sold ACT! to SalesLogix (later Interact Commerce Corporation)[10] - headed by Pat Sullivan, original co-founder of ACT!
- 2000
- ACT! 2000 (5.0) - Windows XP support added
- 2002
- QuickBooks Link for ACT! - the first accounting link FOR ACT!. Developed by Terry McKiernan of PinPointTools
- Interact Commerce Purchased by Sage Group Plc (Best Software in North America)[11]
- ACT! 6.0 (later ACT! 2004) – Office 2003 support added after 6.0.3
- ACT! for Palm OS[12]
- 2003
- Handheld Contact adds support for ACT! on Blackberry - first wireless PDA sync (later adds Windows Mobile)
- ACT! for Web 1.0 for ACT! 6.0 - originally by dbDynamics
- 2004
- ACT! by Sage 2005 (7.0) - Complete re-write with .Net 1.x and MS SQL 2000. Product split into standard, Premium Ex and Premium ST
- 2005
- ACT! by Sage 2006 (8.0)
- 2006
- ACT! by Sage 2007 (9.0) - Changed to .Net 2.0 and MS SQL 2005
- 2007
- ACT! by Sage 2008 (10.0) - Vista and Office 2007 support. 10.02 added ability to add custom sub-tables via the SDK.
- 2008
- Launch of Community.act.com site (January) – Much improved communication between senior management and users[13]
New Dashboard. Significantly improved Outlook integration and major improvements in stability, reliability, ease of install and speed. Added Vista x64 support and Safari for Mac users. Also free plug-in to provide links to Social Media such as LinkedIN[14]
- Sage repositions ACT! - moves from CRM group to Value group[15]
- 2009
- ACT! by Sage 2009 (11.1) – Added Relationship Tab.[16]
- ACT! by Sage 2010 (12.0) - Expected to add more links to social media sites and accounting products as well as ability to share with other Sage solutions.[17][18]
- 2010
- Sage ACT! 2011 (13.0) - Changed to .Net 3.5.x SP 1 and MS SQL 2008 R2. Product split into Pro & Premium.
- 2011
- Sage ACT! 2012 (14.0) - Integrated with Google, plus included faster, more expansive search and a virtual notepad called Sage ACT! Scratchpad.
Product details
Versions
There are two versions of Sage ACT!, each designed for a different market. Sage ACT! Pro is limited to 10 active users and utilizes Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Express. Sage ACT! Premium (access via Windows) is designed for small to medium-sized businesses with less than 30 users. It utilizes either Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Express or 2008 R2 Standard. The SQL 2008 R2 Standard edition can support 30 or more users because it uses multi-processors and as much RAM as the server can provide it. Sage ACT! Premium (access via web) is designed for businesses who want to access the data on their own servers over the Internet. This version supports Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Express and 2008 R2 Standard.
Features
Sage ACT! features include contact management, a calendar, communication tools, the ability to track prospective customers, "dashboards", reports, and the ability to synchronize data from other applications or over the web. The software allows multiple users to access the same data simultaneously and can interface with popular word processing, spreadsheet, and email software. It features a variety of "dashboards" which are graphical representations of key activity that allows users to spot new business opportunities, and can generate a wide variety of statistical reports.
Partners
Sage ACT! has hundreds active certified consultants.[19] A number of third party companies develop add-on products that expand the functionality of the software.
See also
- Sales force management system
- Category:Customer relationship management software
Notes
- ^ Press Release 2007-05-04.
- ^ Early historical Comments
- ^ [1]
- ^ Symantec Expands Family of ACT! Platforms with Availability of ACT! for Newton
- ^ Symantec Brings the Power of ACT! to the Notes Collaborative Environment
- ^ Symantec Continues Tradition of Excellence in Contact Management with ACT! 3.0 for Windows 95 and NT
- ^ Symantec WinFax PRO 8.0 Update Available To Customers
- ^ Symantec Establishes Link with PalmPilot for Mobile ACT! Users
- ^ Symantec Introduces ACT! For The Windows CE Platform
- ^ Symantec Announces Completion Of SalesLogix Acquisition Of ACT!
- ^ Industry-Leading ACT! and SalesLogix Solutions Join Best Software, Forming New CRM Division
- ^ Best Software Introduces ACT! for Palm OS Handhelds
- ^ Identifying specific areas where improvement is necessary.
- ^ Display LinkedIN, Google Maps and others in Tabs or Outlook in Dashboard
- ^ http://blog.glcomputing.com.au/2008/12/sage-repositions-act-moves-from-crm.html
- ^ What Changes Were Made in ACT! by Sage 2009 (11.1)
- ^ Sage CRM Solutions 2010 Strategy
- ^ ACT! 2010 new Features and Comparison to older versions
- ^ [2]
References
- Fredricks, Karen S. (2007-10-08). / ACT! by Sage For Dummies (9th edition ed.). New York, NY: J Wiley. http://astore.amazon.com/techbendersco-20/detail/0470192259.
- June 1988 article in Software Magazine
- Act for Dummies Books
- Fredricks, Karen S. (2011-02-15). / ACT! Dashboards and Reports Cookbook. London, England: PackT.
External links
Categories:- Customer relationship management software
- Windows-only software
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