Price
$199.95 (retail); $99 (upgrade)
Category
Sales and Contact Management software
Act! 2000 includes the following components:
- Sales Productivity Tools
- Account Management
- Detailed Activity Information
- Integration with Outlook
- Contact Information via the Internet
- Synchronizing of sales representatives' data via centralized computer system, modem or through the Internet
- Sales Activity Tools
- Tips and Techniques from Dale Carnegie
- Graphic Representation of Sales Stages
- Sales Forecasting
Technical Requirements
- Pentium CPU (Note: There is an older version of ACT! for Macintosh computers but there are currently no plans to update it.)
- 133 MHz required
- 50 MB hard disk space for installation; hard disk space must be twice the size of the database for synchronizing data
- 32 MB RAM minimum
- VGA or higher resolution monitor
- Microsoft Windows 95, 98, 2000 or Windows NT version 4.0
- CD-ROM drive required
Additional Requirements To Operate Certain Features
- Windows-compatible modem (for automatic dialing or modem-based synchronization)
- Printer supported by Windows
Supported Software
- Lotus cc:Mail, Lotus cc:Mail Mobile
- Lotus Notes Mail 4.6 or later
- Microsoft Outlook 98, 2000, Outlook Express 5
- Eudora Pro
- Internet e-mail (SMTP/POP3)
- Microsoft Word 95, 97, 2000
- WinFax PRO 8.03 or later
- Microsoft Fax
Supported Networks
- Novell NetWare version 3.12 and later
- Microsoft Networks
Product Background
- Why was this product developed?
This product was originally developed as a relatively inexpensive contact management software program. Its features have allowed it to be used across many different business industries. Act!'s learning curve for beginners is fairly short and this feature has also enabled it to be used by almost anyone.
- When was it developed?
ACT! was originally developed in 1993.
- Who are its most common users?
Act! is appropriate for insurance agents, sales representatives, sales and marketing managers, executives or consultants — almost anyone whose business relies on developing ongoing relationships with vendors, customers and others.
- What similar products are offered in the same market?
The closest competitors to the Act! product are Maximizer, Goldmine and Microsoft Outlook. ACT! 2000 stands out from the competition because of its ease of use, extensive features and price. With the exception of Outlook (since it's bundled with Microsoft Office), ACT! 2000 features the most economical price.
- How often does it upgrade?
This program is updated every 2 to 3 years.
- What improvements were made during the most recent upgrade?
ACT! is now compatible with Outlook, making it possible to share information between the two programs. It works with the PalmPilot as well.
ACT! 2000 expanded its sales productivity features with the "Dale Carnegie Tips & Techniques" sales forecasting tool as well as tools for graphing, tracking of sales stages and more. This moved ACT! into the same playing field as significantly more expensive programs used for sales management and productivity.
ACT! 2000 allows a user to determine a series of activities, prioritize them and put them into a time schedule. These series of tasks can be saved and re-used in the future, which is especially helpful if they are regular, ongoing activities.
ACT! 2000 has also expanded the keyword look-up feature, letting the user search for a record or group of records through use of a word or phrase in almost any field.
Contacts may also be organized by individuals, by group accounts or by company.
Contact records now include fields for very detailed accounts of meeting details. It's also possible with this latest version to extract notes from SIDE ACT, a to-do list function that can be used with or separately from ACT!, and the user can attach these notes to any contact record(s) he or she chooses.
ACT! 2000 also provides the ability to click on buttons in the toolbar menu which link the user to specific Web sites. Click "Yahoo Directions" and you'll be directed to this Web site where driving directions can be found or click on "Internet Directories," to find a person or business, and the accompanying address and telephone number to add to your contact database.
In addition, ACT! 2000 is compatible for use with Interact.com, a business services Web site that allows you to access over 42 sales and information services through ACT!
There are a variety of free and fee-based services available.
- Does the program have any bugs?
None were observed during testing of the software although during the installation process, a window came up, prompting the user to okay ACT! making a change in the Windows 98 program. When declined, ACT! 2000 still installed correctly.
On a scale of 1-6 this product…
Editorial Review
ACT! 2000 is a program that is easy to learn and includes its own tutorial. A user can have the program up and running soon after the installation process is completed. ACT! offers the necessary functionality for those who require sales tracking through the entire sales cycle, account management, a centralized, synchronized customer database, and reporting mechanism for all representatives and the ability to design customized interfaces.
Some of the more sophisticated features may require some review of the manual and tutorial. However, the beauty of this program is that it's appropriate for companies with only one employee or many. It can be used at the level it's needed.
Within one program, contacts can be maintained which include notes, history and to-do lists. In addition, letters, memos and faxes can be written to the contact, and envelopes or labels can be printed. When planning a meeting with a contact or several contacts, the user is able to set up the meeting with appropriate participants. Then it's a breeze to automatically connect to the Internet through the ACT! toolbar and access the driving directions through Yahoo! without having to retype contact address information. The directions can be printed and sent out with a memo or letter to meeting participants.
This version of ACT! offers the more sophisticated tools that other more complex contact management/sales and marketing information systems offer with a beginner to intermediate user level tutorial, and manual and online help capability.
ACT! 2000 is ideal for a small to mid-size insurance company requiring a fairly simple to sophisticated contact management/customer relationship management (CRM) system at an economical price.
ACT! 4 was a solid program that filled many of the needs of insurance agents, sales representatives and any other businessperson who required a CRM system. But ACT! 2000 has added most of the missing pieces, making the program even more user-friendly and logical to use. Without intensive training, ACT! 2000 can make anyone's business more productive.
Purchase Information
- Retail price?
$199.95 (Free trial of full version for 30 days if product is downloaded from the company Web site.)
$99.95 for upgrade
- Online purchase available?
Yes
- Internet download available?
Yes
- Additional add-on products available?
Contact Information
ACT! 2000 by Interact Commerce Corporation
8800 N Gainey Center Dr, Suite 200
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
877.386.8083 (US and Canada) - Customer Service
480.444.1399 - Warranty Technical Support (no charge 90 days)
800.927.3989 "How Do I" Technical Support (charge per incident or subscription)
www.interactcommerce.com
www.act.com/
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