|
ACT! 6.0 is the latest version of the venerable contact and sales manager. Imagine Outlook on steroids and you're halfway to understanding what you can do with ACT! Installation can take a little planning as you can't start using ACT! until you have registered it via the Internet or by printing out your details. If your PC has neither a printer nor an Internet connection, beware. It is also essential to check through the "read me" file before you start using ACT! to ensure you understand how it integrates with other applications. On the plus side, it does include a printed manual so you can find out what it does without having to wade through the online help. Once installed, you can either start entering your data manually or use the Import Wizard to import data from an existing source. ACT! allows you to store a vast array of information about your contacts. You can store the usual name and address information but the real power comes from the additional information ACT! can hold for each contact. You can even attach letters and documents that relate to a given contact. Key to ACT! are the Sales/Opportunities features that allow
|
you to keep track of where you are with each contact. You can also add tasks that may or may not relate directly to contacts. ACT! can either be used as a standalone tool or you can have a team of staff share a single database, each with their own username and password. Where ACT! really excels is its ability to integrate with existing applications. From within ACT! you can send e-mails using its own e-mail functionality or by calling up Outlook/Outlook Express. You can also send faxes with particular support for WinFax Pro. Documents can be created using ACT! or your usual word processor. With suitable hardware you can even have your phone dial your contacts with a single mouse click. Finally, ACT! includes a tool to allow you to synchronise data between different databases. This allows laptop users to update their local records then have the changes copied to the office master file. ACT! is just the thing for any individual or business that has sophisticated contact and task tracking needs. The integration with your existing applications plus the sales orientated features make for a powerful combination. --Iain Laskey
|
