The Twelve Days of CRM

Let’s face it. Who knows the values of partridges in pear trees or even five golden rings? Certainly they have been substantially diminished in recent times.

Hence my rewrite of the lyrics here: but please substitute your own preferences in the comments…

Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Good Kwanza. A successful 2015

On the first day of Christmas my CRM gave to me a database full of customers and leads

On the second day of Christmas my CRM gave to me Two-way sync to mobile on the road and a database full of customers and leads

On the third day of Christmas my CRM gave to me Three web browsers, Two-way sync to mobile on the road and a database full of customers and leads

On the fourth day of Christmas my CRM gave to me Foreknowledge of activities, Three web browsers, Two-way sync to mobile on the road and a database full of customers and leads

On the fifth day of Christmas my CRM gave to me … Five times the sales … Foreknowledge of activities, Three web browsers, Two-way sync to mobile on the road and a database full of customers and leads

On the sixth day of Christmas my CRM gave to me Six times the accounting integration … Five times the sales … Foreknowledge of activities, Three web browsers, Two-way sync to mobile on the road and a database full of customers and leads

On the seventh day of Christmas my CRM gave to me Seven types of communication, Six times the accounting integration … Five times the sales … Foreknowledge of activities, Three web browsers, Two-way sync to mobile on the road and a database full of customers and leads

On the eighth day of Christmas my CRM gave to me Eight hard-working staff, Seven types of communication, Six times the accounting integration … Five times the sales … Foreknowledge of activities, Three web browsers, Two-way sync to mobile on the road and a database full of customers and leads

On the ninth day of Christmas my CRM gave to me Nine management reports, Eight hard-working staff, Seven types of communication, Six times the accounting integration … Five times the sales … Foreknowledge of activities, Three web browsers, Two-way sync to mobile on the road and a database full of customers and leads

On the tenth day of Christmas my CRM gave to me Ten Pipeline processors, Nine management reports, Eight hard-working staff, Seven types of communication, Six times the accounting integration … Five times the sales … Foreknowledge of activities, Three web browsers, Two-way sync to mobile on the road and a database full of customers and leads

On the eleventh day of Christmas my CRM gave to me Eleven Marketing templates, Ten Pipeline processors, Nine management reports, Eight hard-working staff, Seven types of communication, Six times the accounting integration … Five times the sales … Foreknowledge of activities, Three web browsers, Two-way sync to mobile on the road and a database full of customers and leads

On the twelfth day of Christmas my CRM gave to me Twelve monthly bonus cheques, Eleven Marketing templates, Ten Pipeline processors, Nine management reports, Eight hard-working staff, Seven types of communication, Six times the accounting integration … Five times the sales … Foreknowledge of activities, Three web browsers, Two-way sync to mobile on the road and a database full of customers and leads

 

Technorati Tags: CRM,Act!,Act! CRM,Christmas,Twelve Days

Backup Act! CRM Data to the Cloud with @Dropbox as a Service

A couple of years ago, in an article called Taking your ACT! on Holiday, I discussed the use of Dropbox to help with off-site backups. One of the issues with this is that Dropbox only uploads the files when you’re logged into the system and that means it’s not a great option for backing up the database on your server.

A little research and some testing later, and I have the solution for you –

Run Dropbox as a Windows service

What this means is that, when Windows is running, Dropbox will also be running without you needing to be logged in to the server. The benefit of this is that Dropbox will be able to keep uploading backups created by the Act! Scheduler to the cloud.

So, how do we go about this? Well, we need to install Dropbox and set it up as a service.

Setting up

1. Log into your Windows Server as a local administrator
2. Download the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit, which you can download from:
   https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/download/details.aspx?id=17657 
   Note: There isn’t a later version of the Resource Kit. Don’t worry about that if on 2008
   You just need the files INSTSRV.EXE and SRVANY.EXE from this kit
3. Install the Server Resource Kit or just copy the two files (INSTSRV and SRVANY) to:
   C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Resource Kits\Tools
   Note: You only need the two files mentioned. They can be in any folder – I’ve used the location from the default install. If you change the location, you’ll need to adjust those paths in a few spots.
4. Download Dropbox from: https://db.tt/82ZOShy 

Install and setup Dropbox

1. Install Dropbox as per normal
2. Select a folder for Dropbox to use – I prefer not to use the user folder for this, so create C:\Dropbox or add a Dropbox folder to your Data folder on the local system.
   You’ll set the Act! Scheduler to save the backups into this folder (or a sub-folder)
   
   
   
3. Open the Dropbox Preferences, by clicking on the icon in the SysTray, and turn off
   • Show desktop notifications
   • Start Dropbox on system startup
   
   
   
4. Exit Dropbox from the SysTray
   
   
   

Setting up the Service

1. There are two options here, depending on which Operating System you’re using:
   • If Windows 2003 or 2008,
     Open a command prompt, change directory to
     C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit\
     and type:
     instsrv Dropbox "c:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Resource Kits\Tools\srvany.exe"
     If it worked, you should get: The service was successfully added! .
   • If Windows 2008 R2, open an elevated command prompt (Run As Administrator) and type:
sc create Dropbox binPath= "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit\srvany.exe" DisplayName= "Dropbox Service"
If all ok, you’ll get: [SC] CreateService SUCCESS.
2. Next open the Services applet – Start > Run > services.msc
3. Scroll to the Dropbox item in the list. Right-click and select Properties
4. Switch to the “Log On” tab
5. Click “This account”, and enter an Admin account with Full Access to the Dropbox folder. Set the appropriate password for that account.
6. Click Apply
7. Switch back to the “General” tab
8. Change “Startup type” to Automatic
9. Click Apply and OK
10. If this is the first time you have done this procedure for the administrator user, you may get an notification saying that the “Administrator user has been granted log on as service rights”.
    DO NOT START THE SERVICE AT THIS TIME.
    
    
11. Next is to set up some registry settings for the service. Open the registry editor
    Start > Run > regedit
12. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dropbox
13. Create a new key “Parameters”
14. Add a new string value “Application”, (type REG_SZ). Set the value to the path to the dropbox.exe binary.
    Find the location by right clicking the Dropbox icon on the desktop. Select Properties and copy the Target.
    .
    
15. Close the Registry Editor
16. Start the service either from Services.msc or by:
    Run > Net start Dropbox
17. If you check your Task Manager, you will find both Dropbox and srvany running
    Files saved by you or the Act! Scheduler to this folder should be automatically uploaded.

Important Notes and References

• If you want to make changes to the Dropbox preferences:
  You MUST stop the service first, make the changes, exit Dropbox and then restart the service
• These methods should also work with the desktop operating systems if you want to do this on XP, Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8.
• Reference from Microsoft on INSTSRV and SRVANY: How to Create a User-Defined Service
• Reference from Microsoft on: How to Create a Windows Service by Using SC.exe
• There are also some third-party tools that can be more stable in a production system. I haven’t tested them, but here are three I’ve found:
  • NSSM - http://nssm.cc/
  • SRVStart - http://rozanski.org.uk/software
  • AlwaysUp - http://www.coretechnologies.com/products/AlwaysUp/srvany.html
• You should regularly check the backups as I mentioned in my original article:
  Taking your Act! on Holiday

Please post in the comments if you have any questions.

 

Technorati Tags: Act!,Act! CRM,Backup,Dropbox,SaaS,Cloud,Service,Server

New Security options for Handheld Contact

As mobile demands grow, so do security concerns, and organizations using Handheld Contact have been asking for more control over their ACT! CRM data.

Limiting features and data access is an excellent, proactive approach for organizations to protect their data. And today — thanks to popular feedback from clients — we are excited to introduce two new security features that enable Handheld Contact administrators to do just that: One-Way Sync and Export Contacts Control.

 

One-Way Sync

With One-Way Sync, a Handheld Contact administrator can disable data modifying and adding on a per-user basis. The end-user still gets to take advantage of Handheld Contact's powerful interface to access the data they need, and the organization can improve the security and integrity of their ACT! database by limiting functionality.

 

Export Contacts Control

Export Contacts Control allows a Handheld Contact administrator to disable the Export Contact feature on a per-user basis. Once disabled, ACT! data on the end-user's mobile device cannot be exported from the Handheld Contact mobile app to the device's built-in contacts app. The device's built-in contacts app is accessible by other services and third-party apps, so by disabling the Export Contacts feature, you eliminate the risk of ACT! contacts falling into the wrong hands.

 

Using One-Way Sync and Export Contacts Control

These new security features are available for you to use today and are conveniently accessible from the Handheld Contact computer application. Simply upgrade the ACT! server with the latest Handheld Contact computer application and all the associated Handheld Contact mobile devices with the latest mobile app and you're ready to go.

 

Technorati Tags: ACT!,ACT! CRM,Handheld Contact,Smartphones,Tablets,iPhone,iPad,Android,Blackberry

The History of ACT! – updated July 2013

A couple of users asked me about the history of ACT!, so I thought I'd post what I could remember:

• 1986 Conductor Software (Mike Muhney and Pat Sullivan) developed QuotePro in Lotus Symphony. When this failed to be successful, they came up with another idea...
• 1987 ACT! for DOS 1.0 (April 1st) - 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 on the advice of marketing gurus and authors, Jack Trout and Al Ries. They were also helped, in the early days by PR “Top Guns”, Regis McKenna - where Steve Jobs turned to for help for his fledgling company called Apple
• 1990 ACT! for DOS 2.0 (August) - first version with network support
• 1991 ACT! for Windows 1.0 - CodeBase IV engine compatible with dBase
• 1992 ACT! for Windows 2.0 - Added network support for the Windows product
• 1992 ACT! for HP95LX - the first mobile version for PDAs
• 1992 ACT!PAK! - first add-on for ACT! developed by Oakhurst Systems
• 1992 1st ACT! - cut down version for OEMs and single users.
• 1993 Symantec purchased Contact Software International
• 1993 First On-line support forums on CompuServe
• 1993 ACT! for MAC - compatible database with 2.0 for Windows
• 1995 ACT! for Newton
• 1995 ACT! Mobile Link - two way sync for remote users
• 1996 ACT! for Lotus Notes - later sold to original developers, ErgoTech
• 1996 ACT! 3.0 (November) - Win95 product with added back-wards compatibility to run on Win 3.1
• 1997 Symantec adds support for ACT! in WinFax Pro
• 1997 ACT! PalmPilot Link (later ACT! Palm Link)
• 1997 ACT! for Windows CE (July)
• 1998 ACT! 4.0 - Added support for Windows 98 and Office 98
• 1998 ACT! for Psion by Advansys 
• 1998 WiredContact makes ACT! available via web browser and hosting
• 1999 Symantec sold ACT! to SalesLogix (later Interact Commerce Corporation) - 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
• 2002 Interact Commerce Purchased by Sage Group Plc (Best Software in North America)
• 2002 ACT! 6.0 (later ACT! 2004) – Office 2003 support added
• 2002 ACT! for Palm OS
• 2003 Handheld Contact adds support for ACT! on Blackberry
• 2003 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
• 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) - MS 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
• 2008 ACT! by Sage 2009 (11.0) – 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
• 2009 ACT! by Sage 2009 (11.1) – Added Relationship Tab. Expected in March?
• 2009 Handheld Contact adds support for iOS – iPhone (iPad later)
• 2009 ACT! by Sage 2010 (12.0) – eMarketing plus ability to set database currency
• 2010 Sage ACT! 2011 (13.0) – Rename of product, Smart Tasks, sync of contacts and activities with Outlook
• 2011 Sage ACT! 2012 (14.0) – Google contacts, activity sync and History, Scratchpad, Universal Search
• 2012 Handheld Contact adds support for Android phones and tablets
• 2012 Sage ACT! 2013 (15.0) – Social Updates and Smart Tasks improvements
• 2013 Sage ACT! 2013 (15.1) – Adds support for later operating systems, Office and browser versions
• 2013 Handheld Contact adds support for Blackberry V10 phones
• 2013 Sage sells ACT! and SalesLogix to Swiftpage
• 2013 Act! 2014 (post soon to this blog) – Re-branding, many productivity and administration enhancements to desktop, user/layout administration via Premium Web, Mobile web improvements

I don't know how useful this is to anyone, but was kind of nostalgic digging up my memories.

Technorati Tags: Sage,ACT!,ACT,Symantec,CRM,Contact Manager,History,Social Media