Sync up to 45K contacts from #ActCRM to your mobile device with @HandheldContact

Introducing HHC+

Sync up to 45 000 contacts from your Act! database to Handheld Contact on your mobile device!

For those Handheld Contact customers that need more than 15,000 contacts on their mobile devices, we finally have a solution for you. Over the last two years HHC listened and increased the normal sync limit from 7000 contacts to the 15,000 limit where it is today, and that has proven sufficient for most of our subscribers.

However, we know some customers still require more, and for those people we're offering "HHC+" starting later in January for both IOS and Android device users. HHC+ will include an upgrade to an additional 15,000 contacts for only US$20 more per year, or an increase of 30,0000 contacts (for a total of 45,000) for only US$35 more. Australian and New Zealand pricing to be available soon.

One of the key changes we had to make to the mobile client was the ability to filter the export of the HHC contacts to the native address book, which you will soon be able to do through our new "Searches" feature. In other words, create a saved Search, do the lookup, and export those contacts (or updates) to your device's address book.

We caution some users with older devices (eg. iPhone 3 and 4) that increasing their sync contacts from 15,0000 to a total of 45,000 can cause some performance issues. Newer devices that we've tested have not demonstrated any degradation in performance.

We’ve recently upgraded Handheld Contact with some new features, if you haven’t checked out the: New versions of Handheld Contact for Act! CRM

Please contact your Act! consultant or GL Computing if you have any questions on obtaining the new versions or on anything else regarding Act! or Handheld Contact 

 

Technorati Tags: Act!,Act! CRM,ActCRM,Act! v19,Handheld Contact,Android,iOS,iPhone,iPad,mobile CRM,tablet

What’s coming in Act! v19 – Good, bad or very ugly? #ActCRM

 

As Swiftpage is expected to release Version 19 of Act! this week, I thought I’d post a summary of what to expect with this release.

Update 13th January 2016 with first look opinion on the Act! Companion.

64-bit MS-Office Compatibility

Act! will now work with 64-bit versions of some Microsoft Office applications: 
Outlook, Word and Excel. While their marketing is making claims about Act! being “64-bit compatible”, it’s just the MS-Office integration that has changed.

It has taken a long time for Swiftpage to do this. However, I have found several disappointing bugs with the new version, with both 64-bit and 32-bit versions of Office 2016.

These include incorrect handling of international data and some functions just crash and kick you out of Act!

Swiftpage have decided they don’t want to hear about bugs I uncover, so I’m not aware if they even know about these, yet. I will provide more details in a future post.

At this time, I would avoid upgrading to version 19 if Office integration is important to you.

Act! Companion mobile app*

I haven’t had access to this product to test, so I don’t know how reliable it is.
Certainly the functionality of it doesn’t come close to Handheld Contact.

Here’s a screen shot and summary from their marketing guff:

Stay connected to key Act! Premium details when on the move with Act! Companion — a native mobile app designed for your iPhone® or Android™

• Contact, activities and history are available. Users get alerted when new contacts, activities or history items are created.
• Capture notes during meetings
• Email or call your Act! Premium contacts from the app
• Do work in a social way with @mentions and simple text updates
• Intelligent notifications sent directly to the home screen of your phone keep you on task and on time

They say it will support iOS versions 9.x and up, and Android Lollipop, KitKat, and Marshmallow

Their marketing acknowledges that this doesn’t have the functionality to replace their Act! Premium Mobile product.

Update after some testing:

• When the Login fails, it gives no indication of why
• The fields are not named the same as they are in Act!, causing confusion.
• The buttons are very small and not easy to select
• Search doesn’t seem to work
• Most of my activities aren’t showing
• Notifications don’t show enough detail to let you know what the activity actually is
• The adding of History, add a To-Do with a Blank Regarding

I honestly can’t believe that anyone who uses Act! actually tested this in beta. It’s not release quality.

Additionally, It requires the v19 WebAPI, which has some serious security implications that I’ll be blogging on in the future. I don’t recommend installing or using the WebAPI at this time.

Note: This feature will only be available to Premium subscribers. Users of Pro won’t have it.

Act! Premium Contact Link*

I’m not sure why Swiftpage list this as a new feature.
This is NOT something new for v19 as it has already been available in v18 Premium

The functions included are:

• Create new Act! Premium contacts or edit existing ones. But it doesn’t correctly handle international data and only lets you add/edit a very small range of fields
• You can schedule new activities with the contacts – But only if you are scheduling To-dos.
• You can view some of the history of the contacts
• Attach the text of an Outlook email to contacts – With less functionality than the normal Outlook integration.

While it does look pretty, it is at best a proof concept idea and not ready for prime time
It’s slow, clumsy and lacks functionality available in the standard Outlook integration for Act!.
I’d guess that no-one that really uses Act! had a hand in it’s design.
Which sadly seems common for functions that Swiftpage have been adding.

It requires the v18 or v19 WebAPI, which has some serious security implications that I’ll be blogging on in the future. I don’t recommend installing or using the WebAPI at this time.

Note: This feature is only be available to Premium subscribers. Users of Pro won’t have it.

Act! emarketing improvements

Swiftpage have made the following improvements to their Act! emarketing

• Send Act! emarketing campaigns up to 5 times faster
• Campaign management improvements:
  • Get instant feedback on your current Act! emarketing service level before sending email campaigns
  • Quickly and easily see email campaign history for a given contact
  • Don’t worry about accidental sends! A send confirmation dialog will now check to make sure you’re ready to send an email campaign
• Enhanced send email campaign dialog - See live details about your contact limit, usage this month, and new recipients
• Campaign history overwrite creates and updates one history entry

The Act! emarketing product still has a very long way to go in order to match competitive products like MailChimp (which can be integrated with Act!), or even their own (seemingly forgotten) Swiftpage emarketing for Act!.

The only reason to not consider a better emarketing system is if you’re only using Act! Premium Web.
The Act! emarketing product is the only one that currently works with the web version.

Customer-­driven feature enhancements

Swiftpage’s marketing lists a section called “Customer-­driven feature enhancements”. It’s a shame that they don’t listen to customers with their other features.

• Refreshed standard reports with some minor improvements. There is hope that they’ll be adding integration with Microsoft’s Power BI sometime in the future to add the type of reporting functionality that users really need.
• Added more functions to the Web and Cloud versions, that were previously only in the Windows desktop product:
  • Scan for duplicates
  • Formatting toolbar in the Layout Designer
• Defects fixed. You can see an extensive list of fixes listed in this Act! Knowledgebase Article: What's new in Act! v19

Final Comment

All in all, it’s a pretty poor effort of an upgrade. More like an 18.5 than a v19. While there is an extensive list of bug-fixes, it seems the new functions have added plenty of bugs of their own.

I’d strongly advise holding off any upgrades unless you require integration with 64-bit Office. Sadly, those using Swiftpage’s Cloud product won’t have an option as their Cloud is likely to be updated on the first weekend after release.

Also, as I stated above, I’d avoid installing WebAPI, at least until Swiftpage chooses to address the security issues in it. They also really need to improve it’s functionality to be close to what’s been available for a long time with the Act! SDK such as UI modifications and the creation/using of custom tables.

I find it very saddening to see, after 30 years I have supported the product, that what is essentially a set of bug fixes is masquerading as a “new” version.

 

Technorati Tags: Act,!ct!,Act! CRM,ACTCRM,CRM,Office,Swiftpage,iOS,iPad,iPhone,Android,v19

New versions of Handheld Contact for #ActCRM and a special

Handheld Contact is very pleased to announce new releases for Android and iOS (iPhones and iPads).

* See the bottom of this article for a special December-only offer

This is a list of functions that have been added, or are planned to be added very soon to both OS versions:

User Interface enhancements to further replicate the Act! experience on the mobile

NEW Home screen for easy access to popular Handheld Contact features.

NEW “Searches” feature that allows mobile users to create look-ups with up to ten fields, and save them for later use.

Send e-mail blasts from Handheld Contact to your Searches and let Handheld Contact effortlessly create History records for you.

NEW “Favourites” button that allows users to quickly access the contacts they call most, while preserving the Act! History tracking they’ve come to rely on

Download free app for Business Card Scanning (Camcard.com) to creates contacts in native address from a photo of the business card, and then use the new HHC Contact Importer to import that new contact into Handheld Contact, and then sync to Act!.

You can also use the new HHC Contact Importer to capture any contacts that are only in your native contact list on your iPhone/iPad, and import them into Handheld Contact, which will then create a new record for them in ACT once the syncing process has taken place.

History items now give you a warning to check the details before saving.

NEW Reschedule button has been added to Activities.

When dialling extensions, you can choose if you want a 3-second pause before automatically dialling extensions, or if you’d like to tap to dial the extension. This can be changed under Settings > Contacts > Extension

Monthly calendar fills screen width-wise on portrait mode.

Task List date filter has been moved from settings to the Task List, accessed via a funnel icon.

When scheduling an Activity, the Timeless button is easier to press on some devices.

Have a look at these videos, to see these in operation:

Handheld contact v3.0 for Android

Handheld Contact v7.0 for iOS (iPhone and iPad)

Special Offer for December Only

‘Tis the season for giving!

 

With the new releases of Handheld Contact, the biggest upgrade in years for HHC users, what better way to say thank you to new Handheld Contact customers than to bundle their subscription with the new “Act4outlook” – a terrific enhancement to your desktop integration of Act! & Outlook.

Act4outlook is an Actcessory designed to enhance your Act!-Outlook integration needs, while breaking the shackles of the performance sucking Act!/Outlook Address Book. Finally you can disable the Address book integration between Act! & Outlook, without compromising the email History attaching your business relies on. Act4outlook passively attaches all outbound Outlook email to the appropriate contact History quickly, and provides enhanced options for creating contacts & activities from your Outlook inbox.

Act4Outlook includes the following features:

• Send Outlook contacts to Act! by simply right clicking one or more contacts from your address book.
• Send an email from Outlook (even with Act! closed), and it will be attached to the matching record in Act! within a second.
• Disable the Act-Outlook address book integration that so often slows down computers, and get all the functionality back with Act4outlook. Select an email and automatically convert it to a Contact or Activity, but in a way that is faster than ever before.
• Link Contacts to Companies, Groups, or Opportunities after sending to Act.
• Send one or more Activities to Act! from your Outlook calendar.
• Select an email in your inbox, and click on "Go to Contact", and Act4Outlook will find the matching contact in your Act! database.
• Act4outlook reduces duplication by keeping track of previously imported activities. If an activity is updated in Outlook with new data, simply re-send the activity to Act which will update the previously imported Act activity.
• Attach one or more email messages directly to Contacts, Groups, Companies, or Opportunities. Linking the email to more than one type of record at a time does not create a duplicate entry in the Act attachments folder.

More information on the Act4outlook page

That is why we're offering all Handheld Contact customers this new Actcessory for FREE with each new subscription from now until the end of this year.

For clarity, any Handheld Contact customer that either signed up new or added a new subscription (excluding renewals) in December 2016 will be eligible for this promotion, and receive Act4outlook for free (a $25USD value).

Happy Holidays from your friends at Handheld Contact and GL Computing

 

Technorati Tags: Act!,ActCRM,Handheld Contact,Mobile CRM,iPhone,iPad,iOS,Android

Some Handheld Contact for Act! tips #ActCRM

 

Recently, I’ve been asked a few common questions about Handheld Contact, so I thought I would put them all in this single article.

First, a couple of worthwhile articles to read:

• How it works and ensuring your data is up-to-date
  http://support.handheldcontact.com/knowledgebase/article/View/133/6/syncing-how-it-works-and-ensuring-your-data-is-up-to-date
• Technical and Security Overview:
  http://support.handheldcontact.com/Knowledgebase/Article/View/118/0/technical-and-security-overview

 

How to upgrade to the current version of Handheld Contact?

 

Updating the HHC console on the PC/Server

If there is a later version, here are the steps needed to update the PC/Server HHC console:

If you are unable to access Handheld Contact on the PC or server, go directly to http://www.handheldcontact.com/downloads.php to obtain the latest installer for your version of Act!

1. Open Handheld Contact on your computer or server.
2. Once you are in Handheld Contact click on Help-->Check for Updates
   A pop-up should be displayed on the bottom right of the screen.
   If it says:  "Download available click here to download" click on it.
   If the pop-up does not appear, see above to obtain upgrade install file.
3. You will be taken to the Handheld Contact Downloads page (mentioned above).
4. On the downloads page click on the Act! version that matches your installed database.  If you do not know this, open Act! first and click on 'Help' and choose 'About Act!'.
5. Download file "HHC-3_x_x_x.exe" (for Act! 12.0/2010 to Act! 14.0/2012) or "HHC-4_x_x_x.exe" (for Act! 15.0/2013 and higher) and save it to the desktop.
6. Once the file has been downloaded close the Handheld Contact application on the Desktop/Server (if it is still open).  It cannot be running while the upgrade is started.
7. Find the HHC-3_x_x_x.exe (or HHC-4_x_x_x.exe) file and run it.  When prompted, choose yes to update 3.x.x.x (or 4.x.x.x) to this version.
8. Once the install has completed, click Finish and Handheld Contact should open automatically.
9. Then click Maintenance-->Synchronize Users, select the checkbox beside all users accounts and then hit Sync Now. This will take some time to send the current Act! data to each of the devices.

Updating HHC on the mobile device

Apple iOS - Includes iPhone and iPad

In order to upgrade the software on this device, you must do it through the 'App Store'.

1. Open Safari.
2. Go to: www.handheldcontact.com/ota 
   This will redirect you to the Handheld Contact app on the Apple App Store.
3. You can also go directly to App Store and click on 'Updates'.
   Click on Handheld Contact Professional, then click on 'Update'.
4. Enter the Apple ID and then the download/upgrade will begin.
5. No reboot is required.

Android

Upgrading Handheld Contact will be performed through Google Play.

1. Go to www.handheldcontact.com/ota on your device's default Internet browser
   This will re-direct you to Handheld Contact on Google Play.
2. If not, go directly to the Google Play Store and search for 'Handheld Contact'. 
   From there you can press 'Upgrade'.
3. You may be required to enter your username/password for Google Play.
4. No reboot is required.

Note: For Android users there is an option for 'Allow automatic updating'.  This is found within the Google Play Store when viewing Handheld Contact (after installation).  If this option is selected, then the upgrade will take place automatically.

BlackBerry 10

1. On the BlackBerry 10 device, open the Browser icon.
2. Go to: www.handheldcontact.com/ota 
   This will re-direct you to the Handheld Contact app on BlackBerry World.
3. Select Download/Upgrade button in the top right to begin the process of upgrading.
   This will overwrite the previous version installed.No reboot is required.

What are the default fields that sync with Handheld Contact?

Below is a listing of all the default fields that sync with Handheld Contact Professional.  You have the ability to add up to 42 more custom fields.  The total number of fields that will sync are 73.

Company First Name Last Name Title Department E-Mail Personal Email Phone Extension Fax Phone Home Phone Mobile Phone Pager Alternate Phone Alternate Extension

Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 City State ZIP Code Country Spouse Home Address 1 Home City Home State Home Zip Code Home Country

Web Site ID/Status Last Results

How many characters can sync in a field between  Act! and a handheld device?

When making changes in Act! and syncing to the device (or back to Act!), Handheld Contact has some character limitations (including spaces) that must be met.  Please see below.

Syncing from ACT! to device:

• Activity Regarding Field - 256 characters.
• Activity Details Field - 985 characters before truncation - HHC will show "(Truncated)(RO)" - 'RO' meaning Read Only.
• Notes - 1500 characters.
• History Regarding - 256 characters.
• History Details - 985 Plus HHC will show "(Truncated)(RO)" - 'RO' meaning Read Only.
• Contact Character Field - 450 character MAX due to Act! limit.  Go to Tools - Define Fields to determine field max limit.
• Contact Memo Field - 236 characters before truncation - HHC will show "(Truncated)(RO)" - 'RO' meaning Read Only.
• Contact Location Field - 128 characters.

Syncing from device to Act!:

• Activity Regarding Field - 256 characters.
• Activity Details Field - 1000 characters.
• Notes - 1000 characters for iOS devices, 1500 for Android/BlackBerry devices.
• History Regarding - 256 characters.
• History Details - 1000 characters for iOS devices, 1500 for Android/BlackBerry devices.
• Contact Character Field - 450 character MAX due to ACT! limit.  Go to Tools - Define Fields to determine field max limit.
• Contact Memo Field - 236 characters.  Handheld Contact on device does not limit what can be entered into the field but if you exceed the max, the contact changes do not sync into Act! and no errors are produced.

Most Common Issues with Handheld Contact

 

Desktop/Server (console) application:

1. Error message when syncing: "Communication with sync engine failed! The syncing process has been aborted! HHC Service is not running or doesn’t have the required permissions". Click here for solution.
2. Message Queuing Service is not installed.  The error message is "Unhandled Exception occurred: Message Queuing is not installed or running on this PC".  Click here for solution.
3. Logon Error when attempting to sync.  Error is "The user: {ACT NAME} failed to log on to the ACT! database: {DATABASE NAME}".  Click here for solution. 
4. Cannot get beyond "Act! Administrator" screen on set up. Click here for solution. 
5. Upgrading the desktop software.  Click here for solution.

iPhone/iPad:

1. Getting caller ID on device by exporting Contacts. Click here for solution.
2. Handheld Contact on the iPhone/iPad unexpectedly closes.  Click here for solution. 
3. Close Handheld Contact and restart it properly.  Click here for solution.
4. The Contacts, Task List and Calendar icons are not available on the device.  Click here for solution.
5. Syncing with both iPhone and iPad.  Click here for solution.
6. Upgrading the device software.  Click here for solution.

Technorati Tags: Act!,CRM,iOS,iPad,iPhone,Android,Blackberry,Handheld Contact,HHC

What’s New in Act! v18.2

 

Web API and Integrations

Act! Connect Link

A new service that unlocks the power of the Web API for Act! Premium desktop/on-premise users. Provides meaningful integrations with no complicated setup, just install and go!

• Doesn’t require Act! Premium for Web, a dedicated web server, or special configuration, removing any setup barriers to using the Web API
• A link to install the Act! Connect Link is included on the Act! Premium CD Browser
• A prompt to install the Act! Connect Link will also appear on completion of the Act! Premium installation process
• The in-product Act! connect page shows the service URL which can be used to set up new integrations

Subscription Entitlement for the Web API

New entitlement check ensures that the Web API is a benefit exclusively available to Act! subscribers

• Access to the Web API is disabled if an active subscription or Business Care contract is not found

Subscription Entitlement for the Act! Connect View

New entitlement check ensures that connections using the Web API are a benefit exclusively to Act! subscribers

• A different Act! Connect page view is provided if an active subscription or Business Care contract is not found

New User Permission for Web API

New user permission provides Act! administrators with control over how the Web API and integrations are used in their business

• A new database permission is available for Act! Web API
• Can be added/removed on Standard and Manager level users
• Users without this permission will be unable to connect to the API, great news for businesses wishing to manage their integrations centrally

Windows/Web Parity Improvements

Manage Opportunity Process list

Greatly improves the usability of opportunities for users of the web client, by allowing them to manage opportunity processes.

• A new option for Manage Processes is available within Tools > Define Fields for web users.

Manage Opportunity Product list

Extends the usability of opportunities for users of the web client, by allowing them to manage opportunity products

• A new option for Manage Products is available within Tools > Define fields for web users

Copy/Move Contact Data

Provides web users with the tools they need to manage the integrity of their data, and more effectively deal with duplicate records.

• A new option for Copy/Move Contact Data is available from the Tools menu

Act! emarketing Enhancements

New user permission for Emarketing send
Provides Act! administrators with control over who can send an Act! emarketing campaign

• A new database permission is available for Emarketing Send
• Can be added/removed on Standard and Manager level users
• Removing the permission makes all Send Campaign options unavailable

Configure who can use Sender Profiles
Provides Act! administrators with control over who can use each sender profile they create.

• A new area appears under Tools > Manage Sender Profiles to specify which users are allowed to send using the selected profile.

 

Localized Releases

French, German, and French-Canadian
We are pleased to announce that these localized releases of Act! will also be available at the same time as our International English release!

Defects closed in Act! v18.2

• D-04544 ActDiag - Clear Out Licenses not working
• D-04592 APC - Trial mode web.config entries contain unsecure references to buy now
• D-04518 APFW/APC - Returned to login screen when switching between companies.
• D-04533 APFW/Chrome - Custom date range option is missing from web task list/history list when using Chrome.
• D-04532 APFW - Export to Excel in Opportunities not exporting correct list.
• D-04562 APFW - Cannot multi select on history list.
• D-04413 Groups - Lead capture Tab - Rename "Lead Capture" Tab to " Web forms" in Windows and web for Int Eng, FRE, CFR, DE
• D-04297 Opportunities slow to save after upgrade to v18.
• D-04515 APFW - Opportunity Lookup icon is disabled
• D-04530 APFW/Chrome - Selecting custom date range just shows today.
• D-04531 APFW - Attempting to set a custom date range causes APFW to hang in IE.
• D-04542 APFW/Chrome - Second opportunity being created when adding product to an opportunity in Chrome if done from the drop down menu.
• D-04541 LC - Applying changes made in Preferences gives Object Reference error
• D-04513 APFW - After selecting a Favorite Report, the lower grid blanks out.
• D-04523 APC - Non-Secure content prompt for IE11 when navigating to APC Logon page
• D-04524 APC - Non-Secure content prompt for IE11 when navigating to Opportunity List View
• D-04525 APC - Non-Secure content prompt for IE11 when navigating to Group List View
• D-04527 APFW - Default Web Info links need to be secure.

Note: For additional defects that have been closed in additional updates, refer to the following knowledgebase article:
What issues have been fixed in Act! updates?
Answer ID 36573

Act! 18.0 Hotfix 5 available

Hotfix 5 for Act v18 is available. This update makes improvements to the customer experience while not changing the database schema version. Coordination of client updates is not required. Act! Administrators are advised to read the section below named “Update will open KB article” as this information applies to private and shared database owners.

Update 5 contains the following bug fixes:

• Fixes an issue where using the Global Toolbar Email command did not populate the TO: field with the target Contact email addresses.
• Fixes an issue where Contact > Edit > Replace would fail on secured servers.
• Yes/No fields will no longer be removed from a Layout after editing. (See DBFixer notes below)
• Fixes an issue where Yes/No field types could not be renamed. (See DBFixer notes below)
• Fixes an issue where focus on a new Contact was lost when saving, or when triggering an automatic save through another action. E.g., adding an Activity.
• Re-enabled email commands for Chrome users. These users can set their email client preferences to “Use default email”.

Update will open a KB article:

Lastly, this update involves a DBFixer to implement the SQL stored procedure changes needed to fix the Yes/No field issues mentioned above. Using this approach allows Act! to fix the defect without changing the Schema Version – eliminating any need to coordinate the change by the Act! administrator or IT department. You may read the KB here: http://kb.swiftpage.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/38246

The 18.0.501.5 update download is located here: http://CDN.updates.swiftpage.act.com/updates/act18hf5b.exe
We recommend using Chrome to download due to the nature of our current signing certificate. SHA1 certs are no longer supported by Firefox and IE.

Technorati Tags: Act!,Act,Act! CRM,Act! v18,Hotfix

Who Is Mike Lazarus, the Act! Evangelist – A Bio

Mike Lazarus, the Act! Evangelist, was born and raised down-under in Sydney, Australia. He lives and breathes Act! CRM and has been involved with the software for nearly 30 years.

After going to NSW University to study Computer Science, he went into hardware engineering. First at IBM on 80xx series mainframes. Then at Digital Equipment Corporation, where he won an Engineer of the Year award. This was also when he moved over to the faster pace of the software side of the computing industry.

With personal computing taking off, he joined Sourceware as a Product Manager. Tasked with looking after the Australian and New Zealand marketing and support for a range of software products including the Australian-made, Tracker – one of the first Contact Managers.

In 1987, PC Extras, which had just picked up distribution of a new Contact Manager called ACT!, asked Mike to take over the Product Management role for it and other products. In the first year, sales went from four seats of Act! in the first month to a thousand in the twelfth. Thus began three decades of Mike’s association with Act!. It was also at this time that Mike Muhney (one of the co-founders of Act!) called him, what soon became his internationally recognised title, “Act! Evangelist”

In 1991, Mike got the urge to put into practise many of the ideas he’d been teaching Act! users to do. He started his own business, GL Computing, which specialised in small to medium business computing. Through his business, his love and passion for Act! continued to grow.

As part of his dedication to helping small to medium businesses reach their potential, Mike developed and added a range of skills to his own portfolio. He has helped a huge number of Act! users make the most of their customer data through training and support services. In addition, he’s supported many the Act! Certified Consultants to improve their skills. Mike also assisted a number of the Act! add-on developers with design input, quality assurance and beta testing for their products that provide a range of solutions for act! users. A special focus of his has been with products that enable Act! users to be mobile with smart phones, tablets and web browser access to their data.

On a personal note, he is very passionate about his family, friends, Rugby Union (a Life Member of the NSW Waratahs) and Blues music … Not necessarily in that order!

You can find links to other various on-line profiles here: About Mike Lazarus of GL Computing

Additional Achievements:

• One of the first ACCs to have a web site – 1995
• Selected to train Symantec’s technical staff when they purchased Contact Software International
• Served two terms on the Act! Advisory Board (the first member not from North America)
• Awarded the Community Contribution Award in 2002 – voted by all global ACCs
• Wrote the History of Act! and most of the content on Act! CRM Wikipedia page
• Is the most prolific Act! poster on on-line forums, since Symantec started them on CompuServe. This includes fourteen thousand posts on the Act! Community Site, alone
• Founded and administers the Act! Fanatics Group on LinkedIn, which has more members than the vendor's own group

 

Qualifications and Awards

• Swiftpage Act! Certified Consultant – 2014
• Certificate III in Micro Business Operations – 2014
• Experts-Exchange Certified ACT! Genius – 2012

• Sage – First ACT! Community Development Partner – 2011
• Experts-Exchange Titan Award – 2010
• Willy Award - Unsung CRM Hero – 2010
• Sage ACT! Community - Platinum Elite Contributor – 2010
• Experts-Exchange Titan Award – 2009
• itToolbox ACT! Top Contributor Gold Achievement – 2009
• itToolbox ACT! Enthusiast Gold Achievement – 2009
• Experts-Exchange Certified ACT! Sage – 2009
• Experts-Exchange Titan Award – 2008

• Sage ACT! Community Leader – 2008
• Experts-Exchange Certified ACT! Guru – 2008
• ACT! Certified Consultants - Community Contribution Award – 2002
• Symantec ACT! Certified Consultant – 1994
• Novell Certified Netware Engineer – 1994
• Contact Software International ACT! Authorised Trainer – 1992
• Digital Equipment Corp - Engineer of the Year 1986

 

Act! CRM Fanatic Links

If you’re interested, here are a few other Act! related feeds, forums and tools that I monitor:

• LinkedIn ACT! Fanatics - http://www.linkedin.com/groups/ACT-Fanatics-49896
• Twitter List - https://twitter.com/GLComputing/act-crm
• ACT! CRM Daily Paper - http://paper.li/GLComputing/actbysage
• Facebook Interest List - https://www.facebook.com/lists/10150654560093127
• Google+ ACT! Fanatics - https://plus.google.com/communities/109892208109008763279

 

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

What’s new in Act! v17 – with KB links and videos #ActCRM

Say hello to Act! v17, the newest and most intelligent version of the #1 best-selling contact and customer manager. With enhancements to integration and automation, it's easier than ever to turn your marketing efforts into successful sales.

Act! v17 is not just fixes – there are significant enhancements that make it easier than ever to turn your marketing efforts into successful sales.  With the new enhancements to integration and automation, it’s easier than ever to turn your marketing efforts into successful sales. Finally – sales process meets nurture marketing.

Grow and connect with your audience – the newly enhanced, intelligent, integrated Act! emarketing experience helps you attract new customers and get more from existing relationships. Optimize your workforce and drive productivity with enhancements that help you save time and stay organized, including a dynamic view of all your contact interactions with Contact Timeline, new Smart Task automation, and numerous usability, installation, and configuration improvements.

 

Discover the new, modern look of Act!

• Easily access resources, tools, and a variety of apps that help you get more out of your solution.
• Explore the new look of Act! – updated icons, colours, and layouts help you navigate more easily, save time, and focus on what’s important.
• Explore the new look of Act! – updated icons, colours, and layouts help you navigate more easily, save time, and focus on what’s important.
  Easily access a variety of apps, right from within the integrated Act! marketplace, that help extend the power and possibilities of your Act! solution – including dozens of premium apps for integrated accounting, data management and reporting, plus, exclusive discounts for Business Care Members!
• Get the most out of Act! with helpful tips, access to webinars and tutorials, and updates on the latest news from Act! from the new Act! Welcome Page.
  

Modern Look Knowledgebase Articles

• The new icons and layouts introduced in Act! v17

Modern Look Videos

To be added

 

Enhanced Act! emarketing

• Enhanced Act! emarketing fuses your marketing and sales efforts together for individuals and now teams, by automating key follow-up activities driven by intelligence from campaigns and web forms.
• Easily create simple web forms to capture leads from webpages, newsletters, emails, and more with Act! Lead Capture, now included with Act! emarketing!
• Create, send, and track professional, eye-catching email campaigns that reach customers and prospects with the right message at the right time.
• Know who to follow up with first with intelligent, prioritized Call Lists that close the gap between Marketing and Sales.
• Find your best emarketing fit, with a new tier designed for teams, including additional contacts, Call List, and multiple profiles for sending email campaigns on behalf of your company, department, or individual team members.
• Save time by automating key follow-up activities based on dynamic criteria you define, with new Smart Task options for Act! emarketing – such as automatically sending an email to welcome a new customer, scheduling activities to follow up with hot leads, and assigning contacts to a new owner.
• NOTE: Act! emarketing Features are subscription-based services, Additional Fees apply

Act! emarketing Knowledgebase Articles

• How to use the Lead Capture feature in Act! v17
• Act! emarketing Sender Profile feature introduced in v17
• How do I use Smart Tasks with Act! emarketing in Act! v17?

Act! emarketing Videos

Getting Started With Act! emarketing

Get to Know Act! emarketing

Sending Emails

Editing Templates

Getting Leads Using Lead Capture

 

Optimize your workforce and drive productivity with enhancements to save time and stay organized

• Now you can view all your interactions with a particular contact at a glance, with a new interactive visual timeline that helps you prepare for and personalize your customer interactions.
• New Outlook sync options allow you the choice of 1-way sync of your Act! Contacts and Calendar to Outlook, 2-way sync information back to Act!, or to keep both separate.
• Update contact records on-the-go, with new Act! Premium Mobile photo and document attachments.
• Easily link documents from popular business tools such as Dropbox, SharePoint, iCloud, Google Docs and more, to contact records in Act!
• Take advantage of new Smart Task options for sending Act! emarketing messages, assigning activities, and contact owner reassignment that give you powerful automation, so you don’t miss a beat.
  

Productivity Knowledgebase Articles

• How to access the Contact Timeline feature in Act! v17
• How to use the 1-Way Outlook Sync option in Act! v17

Productivity Videos

To be added

Get more done with streamlined configuration and access options

• Make sure more of your team is in-the-know – create read-only licenses for additional members of your business or team – at no extra charge!
• Easily create and distribute Act! Premium for Web remote databases and offline clients, directly via your web browser.
• Improved global preference management allows you to automatically deploy, activate, and customize default user preferences for multiple users in a snap. Thus allowing you to set up instances quickly and easily.
• Hide inactive users from drop-downs to help speed up data entry.
• Seamlessly import contacts from CSV files to Act! Premium for Web.
• Behind-the-scenes performance and usability enhancements for peace of mind.
• Automated silent install for larger deployments and enhancements to Global Preferences – all designed to help your efficiency.

Configuration and Access Knowledgebase Articles

• How to use Dynamic Contact Routing feature in Act! v17
• Hide Inactive users from Schedule With and Record Manager drop-down lists in Act! v17
• How to create a free Browse User in Act! v17
• How to import contacts via comma delimited (CSV) file into Act! Premium (Web) v17
• How to create a remote database through Act! Premium (Web) v17
• How do I silently install Act! v17 on Client computers?
• How to set Global Preferences in Act! v17

Configuration and Access Videos

To be added

 

Other Information

• What Act! Premium v17 features are not available in Act! Premium (Web)?
• Product Issues Currently Under Investigation for Act! v17
• What issues have been fixed in Act! updates?
• Act! v17 System Requirements

 

Technorati Tags: Act!,ActCRM,eMarketing,Act! v17,Swiftpage