Act! By Sage 2007

Manufacturer: Sage Software Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours List Price:$229.99 Our Price:$199.99 Features: CD The #1 selling contact and customer manager worldwide; keeps track of all your contact and customer information in a single location Integration with Lotus Notes, Outlook Express and Outlook lets you efficiently track all your correspondence Ideal for traveling; links to a Palm OS or Pocket PC device to synchronize your ACT! Calendar, Contacts, To-Do information, Notes, and History items Synchronizes with Microsoft Outlook calendars to schedule appointments with colleagues not using ACT Improved search functionality and greater integration with Outlook over previous versions Description: Act! By Sage 2007 enables individuals and small business customers to instantly access key contact and customer information, manage and prioritize activities, and track all contact-related communications so you can grow productive business relationships. Renowned for its ease of use, ACT! can be tailored by each user and offers robust integration with the tools you use everyday, such as Microsoft Office, Lotus Notes, accounting products, and handheld devices. With more than 2.5 million individual users and 30,000 corporate customers, ACT! is the #1 selling contact and customer manager worldwide. Enter virtually unlimited date- and time-stamped Notes and History to track every relationship detail. View larger. Organize all of your contact data in one place for quick and easy access. View larger. Stay on top of your schedule and prioritize tasks so you are productive. View larger. Forecast and track sales opportunities for an improved bottom line. View larger. Access and report on information quickly and easily. View larger. Organize Your Contacts ACT! is a single, central repository for critical contact and customer information captured across your business. It enables you to access detailed contact and customer information, manage calendars and activities, capture all customer communications, track opportunities through the sales process, and report on overall effectiveness. With ACT! you can track complete customer data, including all contact details, your personal notes and customer history, appointments and vital to-do items, documents, and more. Offering over 60 pre-defined fields for each contact, you can easily sort and track your customers by any number of characteristics. The software even lets you attach documents directly into your customer's account information. If you are in Microsoft Word and Excel, you can easily attach documents and spreadsheets to ACT! contacts so it's easy to quickly locate vital information such as presentations, proposals, and quotes. Advanced customization features let you design your own layouts, and you can move relevant field displays to suit the unique needs of your business. Stay in Touch and Connected ACT!'s Contact Record lets you track all of your critical contact and customer communications for quick and easy referencing. With the software's e-mail client integrated with Lotus Notes or Microsoft Outlook Express, or integrated directly with Outlook, you can send outbound e-mails to contacts and create contact history on the Contact Record. ACT!'s Mail Merge feature even allows you to correspond with multiple contacts, either via e-mail or paper correspondence, and automatically tracks a history on each Contact record. A built-in word processor that supports tables, graphics, HTML and spell checking makes it easy to write letters directly from ACT! You can select a group of contacts and perform a mail merge to a letter or e-mail. Best of all, a history is automatically generated on each contact record every time you send correspondence. With ACT! you'll never lose track of your past correspondence again. Prioritize Your Work ACT! can help you stay on top of your deliverables by offering multiple calendar views, including daily and customizable work week views. Calls, meetings, and to-do items can be filtered by priority, date range, or user, and you can display totals for each type of activity. Built-in activity alarms will help you stay on top of all your time-sensitive deliverables, so you'll always be ahead of the game with your contacts. If you rely on communicating with colleagues who are not using ACT!, you can also synchronize your ACT! calendar with their Microsoft Outlook calendar to facilitate appointment scheduling and tasks. Track Sales Opportunities ACT! enables you to track sales opportunities from the initial inquiry through the closing to utilize the standard sales process, or you can create a customized process to suit your business. When working an opportunity, simply click follow-up and a new activity will be created automatically with details, thereby ensuring the prospect is managed as it moves through the process. The product list lets you easily enter repeated products or services, and can automatically fill in information such as name, item number, cost, and price. ACT! also gives you the options of choosing from over 20 pre-formatted Sales Reports, or exporting to Microsoft Excel with a single click for further analysis using built-in, customizable pivot tables. Information on the Go If you are on the road with your business, you can take your critical contact and customer information with you no matter where you go. With ACT!, you can link to a Palm OS or Pocket PC device to synchronize your ACT! Calendar, Contacts, To-Do information, Notes, and History items. Are you still using a paper organizer when you're out of the office? Don't fret! ACT! features over 20 printable templates designed for popular paper organizers so you always have your schedule with you.

Reviews:

Avoid a heart attack, just don't buy it.
Buying Sage Act! 2007 is one of the most stupid things I did on my career.
It simply doesn't work.
And if you want to contact the company for help, you have to pay $200+ for a customer service plan.
The email function it has collapsed 2 times in about 6 months, making me lose tons of valuable information and time.
Sage simply steal my money.
Avoid frustrations like mine and other thousand of users, just get another solution from another company.





This product is very good (2008 is much better)
Our company used ACT for years -- ACT2005 was... Super+slow, but ACT2007 main header really the achievement up. I found the prospect integration, in order to be excellent. The company level recording, the Muehelosigkeit of the templates and the report, the telephone Dialerintegration form for a versatile large product and a large value. However we love better ACT2008 even..., therefore I to guess/advise, in order to receive, if you have the choice.


Lots of money for what?
I was an ACT! User for years. Really begun with ACT! before 5 unite years. I decided to buy this program so that it became synchronization with my Treo 700wx. The only reason really bought I it. Forwards did that only one year and a half. It functioned large to... I go buying a new system with Windows Vista. Come to find out this program does not permit synchronization with a PDA in Vista. Like that the largest reason, which I bought it, was now contentious. Now I with enamels me to ask to improve for another $199 for TO FUNCTIONING bombarded! 10 thereby I functionality I to have can do paid for in the first place. Most companies form for marks or something for Vista and do not offer it for free... to not LEGEND. Instead of to improve ACT!, I held this version and bought prospect 2007 for smooth synchronization with my PDA. Salbei probably always lost me as a customer. Large product IMO, straight bad korporative policy.


Beware of poor product support by Sage
I used ACT since the old days, when the product was possessed of Symantec. In those days Symantec had excellent on-line support and it also continued supporting their products forming over it compatibly with changes in Windows and in Microsoft Office. Salbei is another history. You on-LINE-KNOWLEDGEBASE are weak and the only way, company moderated forum support to receive are a rather strong fee to pay generally to check out (, which I may not pay to money, around something elses software). Salbei released ACT 2007 in the case of 2006, but they never really updated ACT 2007, in order to be compatible. Instead they publication hotfix, which I had not still tried. Also although it was released 2006. ACT 2007 is not compatible yet with Microsoft Office 2007. Salbei presses its customers, in order to buy their new version each year, in order to become compatible with other programs. However the ascending price is only a slight discount out the new price like that you the end, which buys again the program above each year, in order to be compatible with other programs. For which this program costs, you do not seem you to receive much support in the return.


ACT 2007 - keeps me on pins and needles
I work for a Hauptkorporation, which had used the ACT family of the products for the last 10 years. We have approximately 21,000 contacts in our ACT railways. In order before we, our 2005 ACT software, decided to improve one year over for net 2007 TO FUNCTIONING. This ascending was the curse of my existence at my company. When, I can explain programmers themselves, when a piece of software took a sloping revolution... and I think that ACT for net is a main example of careless programming and which do not look like one quality release examined. Every time someone gets the word "ACT" above, a shower mine descends thorn. Our ACT 2005, which were worked on well, but, an animal was appropriate. Around our 20 sales to fight you all, which are simultaneous to our ACT railways synching that everything slowly to a stop formed, bevoelkeren we decided that a centralized ACT for net operator 2007 our answer would be. Our problems include: * Report do not run..., no error messages to smooth..., they do not let which run straight within the program. * Bugs and error messages - mysterioese error messages like "DISTURBANCE: Article reference not adjusted in a case of an article." and "somewhat wrongly abundance went having in ValidateCustomFields.aspx.cs". How can material like this run any kind of quality control? * The validation process on text inputs by the data base search routine break easily. So you have someone to insert whole times into coming in contact contacts this, then something a Javascript disturbance solves out and now tilts it submits its contact info. (after with support it was associated which they permitted that this heard, to a bug and I to be never back) * technical support - while, every time I designated, I received someone in the USA, and they * attempt * helped, them straight werent very good at the technical questions. * management - blown away by the management a step completely strongly as customer service. The manager was constantly with a meeting or on the run and never more ever would call me back, no matter how I tried many marks. * marks - the only one marks, which we spoiled completely our present ACT installation attached and we had to again try. The only one agreement, which is I with this program headache finds and I tilt error messages, which are so ridiculous, assistance however laughter, if I see her now. I white, if ACT regulates 2008 a quantity of problems, but do not step here not with 2007.


You can't learn software by osmosis
ACT! by Sage For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
You might call me a "Dummy" (after all, I've written 9 "For Dummies" books) but, in my opinion, ACT knocks the socks off of its competition. It has more security features and functionality than BCM, and is much easier to use than salesforce.com (not to mention less pricey).

So why all the negative reviews? First of all, mastering any software application requires much more than using the software; buying a scalpel doesn't make you a brain surgeon. I don't "assume" to know everything about a piece of software just because I've "used" it for years. Most of the problems mentioned throughout these reviews are based on "user error;" in fact, most users never both to perform routine maintenance on their ACT database and then wonder why it's become corrupted.

As for tech support - that's the way of the world. We want rock-bottom hardware and software pricing, but then we expect to have top-of-the-line support?

I can't imagine a better way yourself and your business organized than ACT.

Karen Fredricks
Author, ACT for Dummies series


ACT! 2008 Best Product on the market for the money!!!!
I could not run my business without ACT!, I have been a user since version 4.0 and now run v2008 and love it. My entire staff loves it. Upgrading was a bit of a challenge at first because I had older computers, but once I upgraded some of the older PC RAM, all was running better than ever. I love the scalability (we have a large database) and even better is the integration with Office, mainly Outlook. So much better than it ever has been. Keep up the good work ACT!



Happy with ACT!
I used ACT! since version 5.0/2000. I improved each year. I am very lucky with ACT! 2008 and the new instrument panel characteristic. My personnel work with it each day and we does not have problems to synchronize Laptope. There are two things, which I invested inside with ACT! (also in my other programs such as ms office etc..) first you use an advisor however in second place and most important training. Most software is over "does it" gone.


Act 2007 sucks
I began to use act! 2.0 before DOS 15 years. I improved each pair of years since. There were functions that it in the situation it ge$$$WESEN to be should accomplish but it was for one specify-mixes calls largely, meetings and organized activities and stops the notes and client history. Around I began to use 2004, a PDA, therefore I received the act for palm sofware with my acquisition of the act! 2004(?)... it functioned to o.k.. Then they released to act! 2005 in the September of 2004 - in such a way I received it, because it should be better at the PDA functionality. I loaded it above and found out immediately that it was incompatible with my version of the act! Palm. I specified monthly magazine of calls, in order to pursue; they held to explain to me a new version of the act! for palm soon, precipitates it released not a compatible act released! for palm for approximately a year. Act! 2005 knew only synch 1-way to the palm, but them could not accept info. von Palme to desk. After a quantity of calls with act! I up receiving the new palm software finished and let it on okaytat run! 2005. Act had decreased in functionality for years, but notes in my palm became synch with act last year at least received I v. 9.0 (2007) because it should be better and functionally..., is it synchs with my palm both ways, but the calendar functions illegibly and uselessly. Support took approximately 2 minutes before; now it takes 45 minutes and receives an error message approximately to 1/3 of the time. There is no choice, which is made available, in order to do a fast support of the documents; It support all contacts and attached documents (1000's of the enamels, etc)each pdf time act! supported. It no more Willesynch with prospect, since I received an act! produced pop UP, which informed me over a "update" - estimated, what happened, as I update Act!s - yep... no entrance to the act to run left! at all. Over next days the Techunterstuetzung lasted hours, around me too receives act back using! - deletion of registers etc.. It took 4-5 technicians, being a matter of it to finally receive - still without prospect synch and palm synch was never the same. Some Techs explains to me to never update for of of act! of their connections - it always causes problems. I hold to receive post office over v. 2008 however I pissed, who they never regulated 2007, and per numerous act! The Techs should it with all its problems have never released. Now they would like to sell me the new act! with any new instrument panel trick - you did not see anywhere to I that they regulated everything, which disturbed indeed! - I am done with act! - I get into someone, in order to function my data bases too received converted into prospect or everything however.


Buy, but with extreme caution.
I purchased act 2007 after thorough review on amazon.
Overall the product works pretty well, but it can be a time consuming and expensive experience. I installed in on a 3 yr old computer for my wife to use as a recruiter. It does the tasks she needed it for and it seems pretty stable.

She has 10,000 contact records and uses email continuously. It links to her pda and the contacts synch to the pda. It also synchs to a laptop, so she can travel with her whole database. I also have it synch to a second computer as a backup.

If there was a better or easier to use product for the same functionality I would like to know about it, but I haven't found it.

Act 2007 is pretty sophisticated and can support many users and be integrated for workgroup collaboration either on site, or over the internet. I think 2008 is pretty much the same think, but works with Vista.

The problems are two fold. 1) Sage is not very good at supporting the product. Be warned, you will most likely need a few calls to sage to get it working properly. One problem is that it will take you 30- 90 min to get to tech support, mostly in India. They are only open from around 8:30 - 8 pm, est.

2)The other problem is that the free support is only good for the 1st 30 days. After that you pay. cost is $65 per incident, or $200 for a year (up to 5 incidents) or $300 unlimited. I wound up paying to get support to install it on the laptop, and then again to install it on a newer faster computer. The old one was too slow (compaq xp-3000, 1.5 gb.).
the new puter is Dell X2-4200 with 2 gb memory. I installed a WD raptor 10,000 rpm drive which also made a difference and the app works pretty quickly. So if you are serious about act, get the fastest computer you can afford, and consider a WD Raptor drive to install it on.


The software has some bugs to start with. I installed in on 3 computers and only by the 3rd try could I get it on my own. Don't even try to use the one on the cd you get. Download the (updated) trial version from the web site and use your license #.

It is a pretty useful business tool, but the purchase price is just your first cost. If you are willing to spend the $$ and the time, it can be worthwhile, but buying and using it is not the typical user experience that one would expect (ie easy, free , or minimal cost product support and a product that works out of the box).

One of the other benefits is that there are many (extra cost) products and consultants who have built a business around add ins and customization, so the product can do a lot. If you use it as a business tool, it may be worth while. It is not for casual use.

When you get to support, they give you a case number. The case numbers are sequential. they are up to 9.4 million! they increase by around 10,000 per week i think. they are making money on the support, not on the software.

good luck.




getting better every year
I gave 5 stars to ACT, mainly because established in the characteristics of the scheduling, history and clusters of buildings seeking out even to a not technical person like me quite intuitive are. Taking an one-day category with ACT an advisor gave me, the one large step-began and took the liberty to discover some cool additives which I would not have found without its assistance. I did not like the version ACT 2005, but since at that time I was impressed very much. I actually discovered recently, how one integrates and FUNCTIONS easily prospect. Those was the one incompleteness, which in the past it tilts me and now can I honestly say that I am quite pleased.


ACT: WORKS FOR ME!
I am a full time project manager for a business consulting firm.

I manage and service upwards of 30 active simultaneously clients/projects at anyone time, (worth over 500k in business) in addition to another 20-30 that are sporadically active, while working and coordinating with a team of 22 people (consultants, vendors, support staff )on these projects and a minimum of 3 point people per project on the client side; there is no way I would be able to perform my work WITHOUT ACT! I have been using it for the last 2 years.

I can attach histories, documents, conversations. I can attach all my correspondance to my point person's record, taking much of the guess work out for my team as to the status of any given project and or client. When I schedule activites, keep notes and details in those activities as it morphs and changes. I have gotten fairly strong in using this application and as a result am able to truly focus on the more important aspects of my role: communication, clarification and focusing on helping my team and client achieve the projects' true objectives, within time and budget parameters.

Excel spreadsheets and outlook are a thing of the past. I live and breathe in ACT! It allows me to really be a great contributor to my company, team and clients.




My daily functions depend on ACT
I used ACT since 2000 and became her a part of my daily life. The transition to a SQL, which is behind, was a painful point, but in the end I think that it was it. Looking up are MANY faster and Synchrounisierung functioned now good. I have a remote data base and I love to have entrance without connection to the InterNet or to the operator evenly TO FUNCTIONING. I use nearly all functions of the ACT; Groups, task of list, email, post office mixing... Loves it!


Great CRM
First time ACT user, but I used it for approximately 11 months straight. I use ACT with a crew of approximately 8 people and her am large. I use the calendar, I note stories of the clients of calls, email, meetings and our complete business really rotated around it. We goods in the situation rather fast particularly to make it to our necessities. There are some Verschrobenheiten, for TO FUNCTIONING, but on the whole one, things are adequate. I use additives of the pairs a third party, in order to integrate with prospect 2003 and my Treo 650 quite easily.


Death of a CRM
A star or smaller. Before the high classification, I wish that I had read the customer reports. I used ACT for approximately 13 years, therefore each pair of years without a towing bracket attached their new versions. This is worst ascending, which I experienced at all. It is totally renewed, written again, etc.. I lost the ability to print directories in the Daytimer format I spent over 10 hours on different calls for Tech support, uninstalled and again installed five times really five times. The prospect integration is Buggy as tail. A straight terrible experience. I use ACT 2003 and investigate other customer customer responsible person.


Call the BBB
I'm sorry, but when I buy a product, I expect it to work. ACT does not. The email button, when pressed, reads something to the effect of: "cannot open b/c database is in use of locked by user." After wasting hours of business time on their online "knowledge base," and re-installing the BRAND NEW software, I finally called tech support where Mr. Aldridge told me that I need to pay for tech support. I asked him why SAGE doesn't stand by the product they sell and deliver a working product, and he said that they do-I just need to pay them more money so the product works.
I'll never buy another product from them ever again and my advice to you would be to look for some other software if you're thinking of buying ACT.
I should bill them for my time.


Great Software with a little help!
I've been an act user for 12 years since version 2. While the new versions are a bit resource intensive (RAM), they really fly on large look ups or advanced queries....I love these new versions, especially dynamic groups. I'll admit that I hated the first release of the new SQL version in 2005, but 2006-2008 have been solid minus a few minor issues.... 2008 is office 2007 compatible but I'm still on office 2003.

The product seems to have evolved into a much more robust product instead of the old "personal contact manager" that was at time hard to network. They say it can handle much more data and still run fast. The new version seems much more "network friendly" as well, but it is also not so easy to install / upgrade or customize.

My friend hightly recommeded hiring a local ACT consultant because he first had a lot of trouble installing himself and was ready to throw it out the window! As a last ditch effort, he hired a qualified ACT consultant (nerapiddata.com) and wished he had done this 3 years ago. In one day, he installed ACT on a server and 2 workstations, plus 4 remote laptops and customizations for sales stuff, plus a clean conversion of the old database!

I hired them for my small office and he was in and out in 4 hours. They were pricy but for me, well worth the help and 10 times better than the Sage support. We now use them for questions and folow up problems and they take care of us right away, and only charge now for 15 minute blocks.

So if you want to enjoy what I still consider the best contact manager on the planet, make sure you have plenty of RAM and don't use a PC that's already slow/old or you will hate ACT as many have mentioned. And if you can afford a consultant, you will have a lot less head aches and maybe save some hair as well!


Act 2007 Was the WORST Software Product I Ever Bought
One which for error I!! made! Differently than last versions ACT is 2007 unmitigated accident: Too if much memory takes up, collides frequently, the trouble, those is extremely slow-acting with hand devices heissist and cannot not its passwords (meaning that you must pay technical support of the legend software for even more your money to regulate around their own problems) recognize. After this fiasko I cannot into the good legend products of the conscientiousness purchase. Attempt, Amicus instead of using.


Carefully Read Product Specs
It is disappointing that Act! By Sage 2007 will not work will MS Office 2007. It does not work and does not have a patch to make it partially work. It apparently works with VISTA using a patch, however since it won't work with Word 2007, I didn't bother trying the Vista patch.

I had been a loyal Act user for a very long time. This incompatability forced me to learn another program. If Act wants to remain in this segment of the market they need to react faster to the changing software needs of their customers.

Don't buy this software if you plan to use Office 2007.


Act Has Gone From Bad to Worse
Act! 2007 are so bad a program, as I found. It is balky, annoyingly, slow shop (I have a fast machine), Buggy, and under+supported. It received 1 star from me, because stars 0 a choice is not. If you buy this program, I that once in the following year the program will definition and they are not in that promise, to make your data base accessible.


Long time ACT! users still loves the product
I started using ACT! 2.0 in 1994 and have used all of the versions since then other than ACT! 2005. I had read the reviews on the product before I purchased it and fortunately had a fast computer to use. It installed fine and I was able to convert my database, screen and all of my templates with little trouble. I have come to expect that we each ne wversion there will be little quirks, but I run in to that with all the software I have. I love that I can now use Outlook with ACT! and can track contacts and company/accounts because I deal with a lot of businesses. Syncrhonization finally works so my remote people alwaty have access to the system too. I rely on my ACT! database to track all of my relationships and do e-mail marketing. Check out SwiftPage E-mail for the e-mail broadcasting. If you need help withthe software, call a ACT! consultant. The good ones are are worth their weight in Gold.

The bottom line is it helps me make a very nice living and I recommend this software for anyone who has decent computers to run it.


A good version. Improved syncing too.
As long time ACT user this version seems to be very steady. Syncing improved. And they also accelerated it above. Let us bring concerned smoothly and integration with prospect was also better than in the past.


UTTER DISASTER - DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!!!
I'm just joining the chorus. I used ACT! for years, when I bought it I trusted Symantec and it was a wonderful product. Sage Software has completely destroyed ACT! I HATE THIS SOFTWARE. Unfortunately moving to another software with many years of history in ACT! takes time, but I am slowly migrating away from this worthless software and will never in my lifetime buy ANY product made by Sage. (I have wasted money going through every version released by Sage, but it doesn't get better, it just keeps getting worse.) This company deserves a class action lawsuit over this!


Please erase both reviews
I made a previous review that I would like to have erased. It is not yet published, so perhaps you can prevent it from being displayed. Thank you.



Returned to Amazon
I used ACT! for 17 years and you need the product for my work. I improved this year of Act!2004, because Salbei stopped support. Act!2007 is a very large disappointment for this user and my two assistants. Fortunately my company has a person, who troubleshooot Act!2004 can, thus us, back to it and RETURNING ACT to have gone! 2007, for a full rueckerstattung.


Can't wait to get rid of it!!!! ZERO STARS
I have struggled with this software for six months, and like many other reviewers, I would like to give this ZERO stars. I have used ACT for over 10 years, and have always been very pleased. This version is a disaster--EXTREMELY slow memory hog, backup and restore is virtually impossible. I am completely frustrated and sorry I "upgraded" to this version. We will be converting (at significant expense) to other software as soon as possible. Why couldn't Sage just leave it alone?


What a disaster. DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT
Can I give it zero stars? Do not buy this product. Do not buy this product. Do not buy this product. We're a global audit company that was using ACT 6.0 and getting along just fine, thank you, until our CEO decided to upgrade to 2007 Workgroups. NIGHTMARE. The conversion process took us 2 days and multiple calls to tech support. We're pretty computer savvy since we've set up our own servers and developed software for our market, but we couldn't maneuver easily through converting our databases from 6.0 to 2007. We lost all our tasks, 1/2 our phone numbers and countless hairs off my head. The new version doesn't support our printing labels and when I tried to convert the old ones over it wasn't correct. All my letters didn't convert, so I had to start from scratch there. Each of these things took hours. In 6.0, when you created a task list, it was in the order of the date you set the task for. AS IT SHOULD BE. In 2007, when you create a task list and then go to the contacts to go through them, it's in alphabetical order and YOU CAN'T CHANGE IT!! Thanks Sage, for putting out a truly crummy product.


Zero stars - what a piece of garbage
Really a miserable experience. Credit ACT uses! by different ascending since the early DOS days. It used to be terrific a program. The version 2005 was a slow accident -, aborts, memory pig, do not have you a doubt heard it before all. I tried straight to go 2005 uninstalling and back to my version 2000. According to the reports 2007 are not better. Except your money and reason. Versuchnoch something. -- a sobered up former ACT! eager trailer.


Act! is a loser upgrade
How many other rezensenten I used act! since it was the international contact often commodity. I used act 6,0, since she came out, and its error (Buggy, integration with the prospect-bad, slowly) bears and tried each new version, when they came out and attached and improves. Recently I bought new Dell measure very large RAM to top side of the line blah blah blah, and this program also straight of my personal data base, which was attached at the place, was painfully slow. I must say that they are good over return, but the continuous lousey reports to frighten. Owing to Amazon for to to order place a forum, in order to see the accident, the act became.


It's terrible
Like most other letters here, I used ACT for years. I improved 2000 to act from act 2006. It was terrible. They explained to me that I should improve to 2007. I. I am now hunt for different something. This product is terrible: slowly, unreliably, customer service loses appointments frightened. Sadly that they killed their own product. More badly, which they load me for somewhat so badly sketched.


Wipes Out All Your Appointments on Palm Pilot
Hello! I used ACT! since ACT! for DOS and I never, thought at all that I would stop, for using this product. I always LOVED it! But I give above. This is not act of your father! The program now is horrend. The way, which are too slow, is stupidly sketched and rather unreliable the way, which is too time-consuming, a time rescuer to be. USE everything differently than this program. Stick to a Rolodex. Bind for character strings on your fingers. If you set for sticky notes completely over your house -- however, particularly do these very important thing: SELECT with your money -- and you not even consider supporting this product or company. Setting from this bad software is equivalent with establishment act of violence against all millions the user, who builds on her and formed the publisher very wealthy. This product is now really Troedel. This program is really THIS bad one. STAY FAR AWAY..Buyer fitting up! Marking


Disappointing Outlook contact 'synchronization'
My company uses Outlook, so with Act! promising Outlook synchronization, I figured it would be a good buy.

I installed the program. Followed the instructions to sync Outlook contacts and notes. Midway through, it revealed it would be sync'ing 1500 records. Pressed the "Finish" button and 5 minutes later, the Act! database was the proud owner ~ 1300 contacts.

That didn't seem right. Could it be my Outlook db has 200 duplicates and Act! merely cleaned them up? Well, my Outlook did indeed hav a few duplicates (maybe 10 or so), but even they were sync'ed to Act! while 200 or so unique contacts were not.

I even added brand new test records into Outlook. Repeated the sync and the new contacts did not come over to Act!

I created another Act! database, tried to sync, and still got only the same original contacts to populate.

Called support. Got a friendly helper. He told me that since there are too many unpopulated fields in Outlook contacts, Act! won't synchronize all the records!

His solution: exports from Outlook to a comma separated values file. Edit that file in Excel. Delete all columns with empty, null or unwanted data (leaving fields like name, address, phone).

Now back to Act! and do an "import CSV". Spend a couple of minutes mapping fields. And voila! All contacts added. Great.


Now what about NEW contacts from this point on? I guess if the "export to CSV- import from CSV" is the officially recommended method of "Outlook synchronization" then there is even more time consuming and tedious editing to "synchronize" as they advertise.

This is a bad bug/flaw. Therefore I do not recommend it. I hope they can fix the automatic sync. I feel I wasted my money.


Heed the warnings of current ACT users
Attempt contact plus specialist instead of. It functions -- differently than ACT -- and it is very simple to learn to use. They have even an ACT transformation for people, which are drawn in above with ACT.


Act is a dead - killed by Sage
I used ACT for 10 years and loved this program. I spoke it always above and explaining away of that whole cool habit catch and querys, which I could accomplish. I bought recenly a new palm and her required the new ACT for palm OS for all my contacts. The new software required me improves to a minimum of ACT version 2006 8. It had been a pair of years and I was such ACT a fan I thought that no problem, which can keep the new version only better. I bought the program and after she converted, my data base, which was I in that, catches most of to receive, converted, but I lost a pair. I tried then to use ACT and can be the program open and go receive you a bowl coffee and it am calm opening my data base. In the old ACT I could provide a fast copy of my databse on a memory cling and it in my note book cling, went those days! I box hardly fiqure from as for support the program much less portion on another system. By the way I am a net and a graphic designer, therefore computers used to be my friends. Also my computers are with fast processors and one minute of RAM 2gb state OF the kind. Anyway I wish that I could give less than 1 star to this program. I now with trying to animate my old copy of the ACT again clung, which support or looking in gold mine or in another CRM does not have. I cannot believe, which Salbei did to a large program to such, but I "always" estimated nothing good the latter. As strong will it money with that to earn best CRM on the market straight hold to be supposed. Salbei killed ACT for me -- good-bye old friend...


Terrible support - DO NOT buy
It sounds as a great product. I'd love to have it if it really worked, but unfortunately it does NOT. Do not spend your time and money as I did.

Sage Software is in the business of making money and not to give a basic service. Whenever you call, the call is first routed to the sales department, and all they care is to sale you technical support package (that is extremely more expansive than the product itself). The basic installation support is free for 60 days, but it never worked for me. All they care is to find a way to sell you upgrade, support, or ad-on product.

The sales guy answer in seconds. BUT, if you do not want to buy more they will put you in a queue for technical support. I spend a LOT of time on the phone, total of over 10 calls and with long waiting line of 30-60 minutes.

I know a bit about computers (Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley) and was not able to install it properly. Based on the instruction of the ACT technical support, reinstall Windows to a new clean OS, Reinstall Office to a clean version, Got all the updates for Windows, Office and ACT. This did not help. I spent total over 30 hours of work, absolutely wasted my time.

DO NOTTTTT BUY.



For the love of God, RUN!
I run support for a company with 5 Act users. Since the upgrade to 2006, and subsequently 2007, I've come to the following conclusion. Act 2000 was decent enough -- it was at least kind enough not to trash your system just to run it. These latest versions are an assault on all that makes sense in software design. The formats are bloated, the program consumes resources like a fleet of Hummers, leaving the polluted, twitching remains of your hardware behind. If you value your sanity, or the speed at which you can accomplish anything on your computer, take it from a humble IT guy -- Do yourself a favor and find something else.

We're not running this on slouch hardware either -- Core 2 Duo 1.8 Ghz, 2 GB Ram on Vista is reduced to a quivering mass of silicon. 3 GHZ desktop P4's with 1-2 GB RAM are reduced to doddering idiots.

Please -- find something else, for your own sake. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.


Ruined A Good Product
Stay away of this software. I was loyaler and lucky ACT a customer for 8 years, until I improved to this version, therefore am really sad I to say that this version is a total nightmare. I experienced enormous problems, inclusively its locked from my data base together. Glitched computers also mean and got this software up generally the entire thing down at one point. If it were not for the fact the fact that I had a super techie married man, will I never able ge$$$WESEN to be to fetch my data back or to receive (limps) the again running things. Techunterstuetzung is!! completely WORTHLESS! Sadly, but you find another product. I believe, how I do not have to begin to look for choice however different contact, manager now. Disappointment!!!!


Wow-I never thought it would be this bad!
I read all reports and saw, how bad was taxable this product. However I found also (after 3 Techunterstuetzungsanrufe) that, if you liked to use act! for palm you must improve to the new version, if you work them with your other software wish. I improved against-striving, while I these systems work wished. After two days at the telephone with Techunterstuetzung it was stated the fact that my machine would not attach the program (although the system was smaller than an a yearly and all system corresponded to requirements). It was suggested that I go a new machine to buy. Unfortunately now I must repair the older version! I am surprised, to receive how long she takes, in order, which works again! Act! is the only program, which I had problems with. I wish that Salbei a program could write, which really did, what was announced!


Better have a fast machine...
The reviews of this software are a bit harsh, but pretty much true. It slow, is a resource hog, doesn't really like to share the machine with other applications. Support is bad, email transfer to move it to another system just plain doesn't work and it is really hard to make a complete backup with all of your attachments. And - Windows Vista support is really limited.

That said, if you have a really fast machine it does work well and has features I use every day that I can't get anywhere else. You can save any email as a history record attached to the sender OR any other person in your contact database. These attachments are copies so they stay with the database even if you purge your email (which is nice).

Email client is simple, but because it ISN'T OUTLOOK - I have personally been almost completely unaffected by worms, virus and other email hazards that have over the years affected most MS Outlook users. This is a feature that has saved me more time than the hassles in the first paragraph.

The program runs smoothly for me but, I have a Core 2 Duo 7200 with 2 gigabytes of RAM. Just about the fastest processor you can get. I think without the maximum processor and memory you WILL have delays and slooow loading times.

One more issue you might have is making backups. Since it uses a SQL database that is open whenever SQL Server is running, a normal backup program might not be able to backup the database file. You need to stop the service first. This is a hassle that if you don't know about you might be setting yourself up for disaster.



Happy Customer
In my opionion, Act! is clearly still the best contact manager on the market. I am not talking about a complex CRM solution, but it is a fine contact manager. I am not using the Outlook and Palm interfaces and I don't have any complains other than it is slow if you are running many programs at the same time.

The built in email features are okay, seach features are excellent. Just give it a 30 day trial and compare to Goldmine, Maximizer and others.


DONT BUY THIS PRODUCT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let us with prospect interface begin. These are the exact words of their user manual: "ACT! Email 2007 works by Microsoft Outlook versions 2000, 2002 (XP) or 2003." So of us with newer versions of the prospect synch can't the prospect email or the calendar with act do which is the point? Then which it been supposed to synch with your brombeere - prospect thus are, you can its calendar and email information or act receive, therefore you can receive its client data base. Act the email is, thus fundamental and original looking, can you not attractive self signing on it set. Then they explain to you that that you can have one month telephone support, but it, are during the work days, not on the weekends only available. Since I bought the product on weekend, I am not in a the position to speak with someone in order to ask for a full rueckerstattung until Monday. I used this product 24 hours long and I give above. One which for waste of time and money. How does this company with such survive a bad product? If everyone of a good CRM program for a small firm knows, divide please.


the most unreputable comppany!!!!
iF i COULD, i WOULD GIVE THIS NEGATIVE STARS.Caveat emptor! Let the buyer beware. I made the horrible and expensive mistake of buying this the beginning of Feb. 2007. I had to open the box to realize I needed to load it as administrator. That was beyond my limited knowledge. Since it was opened I stupidly believed in their money back guarantee and got a return authorization. It took forever and many calls. They kept on lying on when the refund was mailed. Yes, this went into April 2007!!!!! They insisted the mailing date was April 9th. On the 18th I thought I'd never get it. They stopped payment and maybe issued another. Well, I received the $199 (I am shafted on my state sales tax.) But because those idiots didn't put the name of my street, it apprently was returned and what I got was postmarked April 16th!!!!! And they refuse to rescind the stoppayment. Sooooo...I now need to pray I will ever receive the replacement. HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. I can't beleive these people sell accounting and contact software.


This program is a train-wreck
Good grief. Where do I begin? We upgraded two computers from 6.0 to ACT 2007. Prior to the install, we totally reformatted our hardrives and did a clean install of Windows XP. We performed an XP update, installed MS Office and basically had two smokin' clean machines - more or less brand new. Then we we installed ACT! 2007 expecting perfection. Our problems with the software have been:

1) Miserable, buggy installation - barely worked.

2) Inability to convert our old ACT 6.0 e-mail database into the new version of ACT 2007.

3) Slow, slow, sloooowwww performance.

4) e-mails will delete themselves for no apparant reason. This is the worst of all.

5) Terrible syncing with the Palm. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't, overwrites data when it is not supposed to and vice-versa.

5) Useless Sage tech support.

Don't buy this product. In fact, I would never buy another product from Sage ever again. My colleague has already ditched ACT! and switched to using the Palm Desktop and Outlook Express. This was after losing all his e-mails. If I lose all my e-mails again - I will uninstall and ditch my copy altogether.

I would love to reclaim the hours of my life lost to this poorly written loser of a program.



SAGE has ruined a great program...
1 Star is being generous. I've been an ACT user for almost 20 years. I think it's time to say good-bye.

Reasons:

1. 2007 version is agonizingly slow. Effects my whole system. I added 1 gb of RAM bringing my total to 2gb with no improvement. Seems like 5 secs to execute ANY command in the program. Doesn't seem like much bu count it...one one thousand, two one thousand... It adds up when you use the program all day, every day.

2. Support is atrocious. You get 60 days after purchase and then can't even access their tech moderated forum unless you pay $300 a year.

3. It ought to be broken down. I use it to manage client information and communication, I don't need all the Opportunity garbage and one can spend more time managing a process than actually doing the darn thing.

4. Support sticks. In the last couple of years, I've never had a phone call answered in less than 30 minutes...and that includes when I was dumb enough to pay the then $200 a year.

5. Support stinks even when you pay 300 a year.

6. Support is a ripoff. One support plan. No by incident option. 300 bucks or nothing.

7. Did I mention that support is the worst? They seem to do things on the website and then think about what they just did. Navigating their forums is a nightmare. I had to click around for 10 minutes this morning to figure out how to post in an unmoderated forum. (BTW, 4 messages total in the 2007 section in 6 months. I guess most pay their 300 bucks for the moderated forum.)

8. An example of how time consuming it can be: It took me a week of phone calls with several reps to get the UPGRADE installation to function. And I mean it didn't function at all. It made such a mess that I had to reformat my hard drive to get it to install. A first in 20+ years of computer use.

Sage seems to think this program is the only one a user installs on their computer. Bad attitude.

SAGE and ACT! are poster children of everything bad about the software industry today.

Do yourself a favor, if older versions are working for you...stay there. The enhancements in 2007 are not worth the trouble.

If you're looking for a contact manager, look elsewhere.




Outlook integration is a total JOKE!
I think that the other rezensenten covered most errors; however was the only reason, which I improved, for the "improved prospect integration". One which for waist of the money! 1) let close it you word as the email a publisher...! Is the point prospect had by what if you diagonal use word? I could use note pads in addition. 2) you must manually reconsile historical announcements. 3) are those email, which show indeed history above, formated badly and hard too read/navigate. 4) is the time/DATES stamp for email indeed of, when the announcement act was added, not when it was written. 5) is slow the calendar synchronization and defaluts, prospect 6) act TO OVERWRITING


Terrible
It is difficult to use words harsh enough to describe this product and this company.
I have owned this software for about 80 days.
1. In 80 days of use this product has completely locked up or not opened twice.
2. I have called the 'support' line 4 times. The minimum time I was on hold was 40 minutes.
3. My initial 'support' period is about to expire and I now will have to pay $200 to get more 'support'
4. You have to buy additional software to get your data onto a palm device.

In summary: The product has locked up about every 40 days and the average hold time is 40 minutes when you call them.

Save yourself the grief - buy nothing or buy something else.


Not a Good Program
I was a long-term ACT! User. My largest objection is resumption. If you must jump the email and the data base on another computer shift because of a loss, must you by volumes; that is fair, which one believes like a doing, if the pressure is switched on. I cannot still get my ACT! email surplus 2007 although ACT! it says that she was successfully repaired (booklets emptied!). They have a ridiculous technical support crew, averse are to be helped, it are you be paid, pay and to have been paid and their wissensbasis like my email have been repaired must: missing. The earlier versions were large. IchBIN in agreement with a preceding rezensenten that, when they switched it to SQL all went downward. I think that I cling with still something. It is really ashame. ACT! used, to be fast to clean firmly and; now them are clunky lethargic, and hang for 20 seconds on that whole time (for somewhat stupid reason) on 2,4 a double core AMD run leaving with memory 4GB. Even if Symantec had it, they screwed her not above, but now, can you good away clinging with the palm pilot contact management often commodity be -- well, possibly not.


ACT on a fast system
* I purchased the top end Dell Dimension XPS (with the fast harddrive) but I still have to allow about 10 seconds for the initial program startup, then it seems to hang for 15 or 20 seconds after that.

* I reboot my system each time I close ACT. The system just seems to run better without any "lingering" remnants of the program in memory.

* Everytime I delete a contact the program locks up. It has done this through several versions. I simply reboot my computer, restart ACT and it works fine.

* At some point ACT changed the date on many (hundreds) of my activities to 11/18/2004. Now I manually type the date into the call, to do, meeting and note fields to avoid this problem in the future.

Supplemental 5/23/07: Act! now locks up when I try to add a meeting and edit the start time. Solution: I simply close the program down and avoid adding meetings.

Supplemental 6/3/07: My task list will no longer display on the screen. Solution: I just print it on paper, manually cross off what I've done and then lookup each affected contact (one by one) and edit the specific task.

Supplemental 9/25/07: Searching the Internet for "Act-To-Outlook" conversion programs turned up several options. Apparently there is quite a demand for software to get people out of ACT! I wonder why!


Act 2007 has lots of features, but is buggy, SLOW and has terrible support (beyond description)
I am long time act user. Things were to version 2005 as if moved a behind SQL okay. Tons substantial characteristics were missing. It was generally version 1.0 of a new product. Many things should be regulated version 2006, therefore we gave it an attempt. It should have been free ascending, with the version 05 validly "as beta" and us arms, which are beta inspection fixtures unsuspecting. The company ignores customer feedback. They added back in some characteristics. We clung with him by version 2007, but finally them had and other packages to regard. The reason gave I this, which is two stars that the program does much and it a quantity gives to industrial support in auxiliary products expressed. That is a reason, which we hold, with it to cling... it is difficult to find all same additives we with other products needs. Achievement with this product is terrible. It is the worst, which I saw from each possible product. We are a Techgeschaeft, therefore we did not have a problem to improve our systems in order to be far beyond their minimum and recommended attitude. We have Gigabit switched Ethernet and all computers are at least 2,4 gigahertz with 1 GB of RAM or more enterprise XP. Our data base has approximately 8,000 contacts. They know literally watch out to catch RH-DRAW and fill out information when looking up recordings. There are processes, how closing a line, in which you know the number of the keys, which, you click, in order to accomplish the task, but to you offering is left to disappear on dialog fields to or updates, before you can continue. Is here my favourite: the calendar does not update, when you change an appointment of some places. They must move on the following month, then back to the present frequently to see to the change! Support explains to me that this is not one bug, but the straight nature of a SQL Hinterdatenbank, because the calendar does not read phases of the operator! Galore hears: many were prepared by the last versions. Others remain. Regularly go to preference documents spoiled and are lost. Attitudes like the calendar, which filters regularly fair resetting. Reporting of problems of Salbei does not seem to help to receive it regulated in the new releases. Prospect integration is nice, if it functions, and was the only material reason to move from the version 2006 to 2007. But, unfortunately, it stopped a working on my PC and I is with support for 3 weeks trying to receive a dissolution back and forth been. And on two of our computers, the email trace, received is copied into the contact recording into the act revolutions to Chinese characters approximately 10% of the time, apparently coincidentally. Support said that they have recording of that, but no dissolution already. I did not spend little than 9 hours of the time on influence with support to find out. I cannot recommend this product or this company to nobody.


Be prepared to spend long hours on the NO help desk
This is the worst product I have ever purchased. I should have listened to the other reveiws on here. Would have saved me hours of toture. I waited for hours to try to get this software to work. Upon picking up the phone they cut me off instead. This happened twice.
They have no escalation process and had to call back and wait again and again. At the end of all of this they finally admitted there were serious issues with the sofware and the database loading. I'm Sending it back for a refund.
I'm now looking for another contact managment tool but will never purchase anything from Sage. It is a lost, horribly run organization.

Please don't put yourself through the frustration by buying this software and trying to get it to work.

DH


I would give Act! 2007 a zero star rating if possible
Hi,

I have been using ACT! since it was a DOS program. I won't retierate what others have said here except to say in most aspects the program operates poorly and is unstable.

Database - The program actually operated half way decently prior to going to the Microsoft SQL platform. Today I experience constant lockups, poor interaction with the email program. Feature wise, on paper the database is quite powerful with great flexibility and the ability to customize lookups and reports, however what good is it if you're constantly booting it down and up?

EMAIl - The email program is abhorrent. I would say that I have to reboot approximately 5 - 10 times a day. And when I do all custom settings that I set into the program such as "signatures" are dropped and I have to redo. Usually I have to go through setting up the email system again through the wizard. Please note that if you are using Outlook 2007, Act! isn't able to interface with that yet, just Outlook Express and Internet email.

Tech Support - If you are really going to get this program, and after you've had your head examined, sign up for the tech support option after you're free period is over. You're going to need it for approx $300. Expect to experience 30 - 40 min hold times before to talk to live body. Also expect to be speaking with someone in India and have an interpreter with you because invariably they speak very bad english. Also expect to be put on hold frequently because most of the technicians only have a rudimentary understanding of the program and potential fixes so if it isn't in the online fix notes they frequently put you on hold for several minutes while they consult some mystery person for their opinion on how to fix the problem. My average call is 1 - 2 hours.

Conclusion - Do yourself a favor and do not buy this program under any circumstances. I've heard that Goldmine is better but their tech support is lousy also. Unfortunately I've got too much time invested with ACT to pull away yet but if a better program came along I'd jump on it in a heartbeat.

I rate ACT!2007 a minus 0


Some Tips (Just to be Positive!)
I attached ACT! the instructions DETAILS obey made available. Problems drove off to the right from the beginning with my email. I had Microsoft Office 2003 and prospect with appropriate business relation the manager and me used Microsoft Word as my email publisher. After 45 minutes, which install to have at the telephone, around someone in the India answer wait, telephone and to explain me that, had which I to do, should un-to attach and prospect again and FUNCTIONING!, I stated that I on my was to solve to the problems which I had. I would like to communicate some to "slope" to those, which would like to attach this software, those to help can that its installation experience to be not as frustrating as my. 1) examine whether you do not have the business relation manager, who is attached with your prospect. If you must un-attach, then you prospect and install them again again (this times without BCM). Guarantee that you support all your enamels first! 2) accepting you, you have prospect attached without BCM, then you make sure to the Tools/Options/Mail format projection/lead and to place you that you unselect (not examination), "the customs Microsoft Office word 2003, to of of email announcements" 3) to draw up ALL your applications, including your anti-virus of programs turn off, which follow 4) of the ACT! Assembly instructions. NOTE: Prospect MUST be first attached!! Otherwise ACT! it does not recognize. Other expenditures: 1) should the software you permit to import or draw up a quotation form, which is more acceptable, as those, which offers it. This is possible, but not not simple, in order to do. 2) imported I (on product list the level) over 100 product references. Unfortunately you must settle a quantity of work to convert the document into the format which is accepted by the program (csv document). Despite this many products keep rejected as "Invalides". Hope that this helps


ACT! 2007 is the worst!!!
I, like many others who posted here, wish I had read the reviews BEFORE buying and upgrading the software. After a long and hard time with NO HELP from Sage (approximately 12 hours total) I got our company's two users up and kind of working. I can't even get to the Knowledge Base that was so helpful with earlier versions. At least when you had problems with the earlier versions you could find a well written document with a useful work-around or solution. We had used ACT! since the two floppy disk version (our first laptop had no hard drive) and loved it through the upgrade to version 6. Were it not for the loss of data since the conversion I would go back right now to the older version, and we may have to do that anyway. ACT! 7 is SLOW, causes problems interacting with other programs, including our XP operating system, and is a major frustration we don't need. Don't buy this product!!!!!


Very bad version of ACT!
ACT! is one of thos applications, which "away of" over the years one exceeds. It used to be by Symantec, then best software, now Salbei! Salbei bends to form for user unfriendly software much and is unintuitive. They are forced nearly to buy a service schedule with them because of their difficult software


I Know Act Well
ACT is the contact management software that I've used for the past 12 years. Many years ago it was originally excellent, but it is now living off its formerly good name.

Twelve years ago Act was a truly outstanding program, but no more. Since that time I have purchased 5 generations of upgrades, but never will again.

The original publisher has sold out to Sage Software, which now makes ACT difficult and complicated so you will be forced to purchase their expensive, high-priced (and high-profit) telephone support.

Each new iteration of ACT seems deliberately made to be 10 times more complicated than the version before.

What is hard to see, at first, is that from the get-go, it is Act's intention to make its software excessively complicated and difficult.

They even offer for sale extremely high priced booklets promising to help you with the software, but they LEAVE STEPS OUT so you will nevertheless be forced to purchase their high-priced telephone support. I poured considerable time into the manuals, but received absolutely nothing usable. Their support manuals are especially Machiavellian because, in every case, crucial steps are missing.

Twelve years of experience has taught me that there are not enough bad words in the English language for the greedy and thieving Machiavellian Sage/ACT software company. Worldwide, all things considered, it must be among the very worst.

CAUTION, when you are reviewing the mostly awful user reviews, it isn't hard to see which review was done by Act's advertising agency.



Caveat emptor
I wish that I had read the reports, before I bought two ACT 2007 ascending copies for our small firm. Other rezensenten described their experiences with legend Techunterstuetzung, therefore I save you a repetition. In my case (after firm two a daily effort, which working things receive to) Salbei should close embarrassment the Windows party wall. Our exterior called IT advisor this solution "spirit-ill" and turns out against it. In the end we had an ascending to remove and to the preceding ACT version switch (to add them another fun experience with Tech support of the Salbeis... in addition). To give change SalbeiWAR in agreement to take the software back (shipping cost - ours) and a full rueckerstattung in "approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the receipt", which is considerably longer than the one day, which, it took it, in order to load my credit card. My advice - do not buy it. If you guarantee, to eat at least an one-day supplying material food and water in your office before legend Techunterstuetzung is designated.


I wish I had read reviews before I purchased the aweful product
I have all 34 reports hoping, to glimer hope with all my probablems to find read. Everything, which I read, is exact, what I experienced. I was ACT a user since 1998. I look for still something, or possibly my bosses let me degradieren to 2005! I was thus excited and not even read or investigated the negatives. Everything was said, therefore I cannot add it!!! Possibly shareholders read these information, which is the only reason, which, I added the place of assembly. I did not buy from Amazon. Lynette


ACT! 2007 Not Worth Your Money
Save yourself time, money and a lot of frustration...don't buy or upgrade to ACT! 2007 Version 9.

I've been using ACT! software for years and have enjoyed many of the older versions. I just upgraded from ACT! 2006 Version 8 to the newer version because I was told it would integrate with Microsoft Outlook 2002. I was also told the newer version was 60% faster than the older one. WRONG! and WRONG! Sage..they all must be on glue.

First, we spent hours trying to get ACT! to work with Microsoft 2002...we kept getting one error message after another and our computers kept locking up! Finally, we loaded Microsoft Outlook 2003 and it seems to be working better. But, still, a hassle. Just make sure your version of Microsoft Outlook is at least 2003.

And, second, it's slow! The newer version of ACT! is slower than the older version! And we're all on brand new Dells! It's driving us all nuts.

After hours of ACT! technical support calls (we have a 1 year contract that cost $199.00) and costly visits from our computer support person here locally, we've finally got it functioning. But, ACT! 2007 cost us over $400.00 for 3 users here at our company...that's not cheap. And when I think about all the additional time we've spent getting it to operate, it just isn't worth it.




If you expect customer support, then buy something else
First you let me say that this no reflection on Amazon.com is. They were large to also work. My statement refers legend software also and their "customer service" bought I ACT software the middle more decemeber 2007 with the idea of using it and recommending it for use by our company. I needed somewhat technical aid when trying to receive by a range of the attitude of the software. I called Customer Techunterstuetzung total quantity a mark different of 5, keep you switched on being an average of 35 minutes per piece of time and never spoke with a phase body. When I finally spoke with someone in the Techunterstuetzung, it was of the country removed Techunterstuetzung. When I explained the problem, they began, to settle a "work over" and followed not, as the instructions with the software said, as to the process do you. As I the "work over" it set me unexpectedly on influence, as her for cam back asked and I placed the questions again regarding, why they work around, it would not answer. It was, as if it followed an index. I did not fill time for this kind even out "services", whom I even my questions wrote and to the legend software expressed my interests, their customer service overview, up to now I have recieved never an answer. I worked with Amazon, explain to the problem with the lack of customer service of the legend software and Amazon was very friendly, if he permitted me to return the software. I look for now for another CRM software differently than ACT. I do not recommend it to nobody because of their lack of support.


DO NOT BUY IS PROGRAM!!!
I bought the ACT 2007 based on recommendations from a friend who uses and earlier version. I wish I had read more reviews before purchasing.

There is no support for this software. You can not speak to a technical support person without first keying in a credit card number. If you talk to a customer service representative all they want to do is sell you a service plan for either $299 or $199.

They claim the email will work with Outlook. Everytime I use their email my computer gives an error message and then crashes.

I read in an earlier review that someone was thinking about a class action lawsuit. I would love to testify in that trial.

The bottom line is if I could get my money back I would.




Act 2007-Run For your life
O.k., since I am forced to give him 1 star I assume that I must. But, if you are version 6 act user, and a small firm, except possess time, money, headache and aggravation. In this case abstincence is definite the best policy. DO NOT DO IT. I bought an ascending, because I received serious announcements and the email, which explain to me that my version of the act is never supported. Thus I bought the new. I placed also, if it were much better, it were not that largely an agreement. But, you let explain me this product are act a Imitator. It is very slow-acting and does not do not, what it stated (i.e., no integration with prospect, the calendar, the not working post office mixing, the list continues). It is a very large down step and it is you a complete Masochist is, I guesses/advises strongly, in order to do the following: Act 6 is ehrfuerchtig for small firm. It is a thing, so that a company does not support an old version of its product. But is here the large secret: ACT 6 is completely different software, which is established on completely different platform than act 9. ACT 9 is established with SqO, and act 6 was established with a "flat document" data base. Sqo the data base is meant for large multi user with more security functions and forms the program clunky, chunky and naturally established, in order to only work with other software companies, the bags of the Salbeis to draw. I use ACT 6 with Endicia, an amazing InterNet postage company, and the newer versions of the ACT decoded the data bases, over with a third party to only work add ons that ACT for you selects. Is here, which does not receive legend: All objections, which are communicated here, are from the small firm owners, who are weighed only down by all their added functions, which are completely not necessary for small firm. I, as well as other one, would have to be paid more than lucky, for a service schedule, which supports the platform, which is established on ACT 6. Salbei more money could earn, if they supported any act 6 for small firm owners, again sketched a new version of the act, which is established like 6, the 6 loving its lucky would pay for FUNCTIONING or it to another company would sell you in sequence. Again like every other company, legend Foki on fast profits and large Korporationen in the comparison with small firms, which supported ACT. I suggest that to the Salbei write and it to each user from 6 received to follow one of the suggested suggestions. In the end I sent back 9, again installed act 6 and, all my expenditures with ACT 9 was repaired. Also their customer service sucks. Let me its take. If you liked with someone in US to speak, you must pay for their service of the expanded warranty. This was explained to me by the customer service, after one had required to speak with someone in US because I understand simply couldnt, what reps customer service of India said. If you do not pay for the expanded warranty, you are in India, which speaks someone with with a bad VOIP connection its English to discertain is hard. They spend more time, which tries, which they say, to productively then decode its. In the end Salbei must really consider, which they do, or we must go straight unfortunately other where. Still I use 6 to the bitter end. HP agrees everyone in the fact that version is 2004 of 6 the only way to go.


A Support Nightmare!
Our organization bought recently ACT premium to 2007 for Workgroups STR expenditure (those the upper model is). ACT 2007 is Buggy, has terrible achievement, practically not existing Tech support and zero technical information. The achievement is so bad that, if you ask someone on the telephone covering line for it its answer is "it more slowly than a FUNCTIONING 6", which is not educated peoples, which happened me is! If you are on IT personnel and do not expect with the forming of this software work not to find any good documents over ACT tasked, particularly if you look for technical details, because you do not find any. Not on Google and certainly not on web site of the legend software. Reliably there is a wissensbasis, but large Obacht is used, in order to examine whether all possible behind dszenen details are omitted. And certainly not impresses it by any discussion of the ACT 2007, which on a SQL data base runs, because it is its own case mentioned of SQL and you cannot handle it, it is you $1000 to pay would like (, which is additional to the costs of the purchase of of ACT and of of all possible licenses, you can need), so that you can have the SA password. And please, REQUEST for the love of everything, to divide your ACT data base over a WAN holy are or from you have nightmares do not try over the experience. If you are a straight person, who regards ACT, as a personal contact management solution could be... it an acceptable solution. If you regard this for several users then, regard still somewhat, because ACT does not work for you, it are you are ready, from the additional too schaelen$$ to set up in order to cause advisors, it.


Works Great .... Far Better than Goldmine
This program is a dream, which is compared with gold mine. Achievement is really good, attached I it on a new machine and I act not in the past used.


Don't buy this product
I spent 4 hours of act inclusively manually 2007 uninstalling act 6,0 loading. Was adequate for a pair of days and then lost I mean calendars. There the individual parts are in one popup, but there are no announcements in each possible opinion of the actual daily, the week or the monthly. I fatigued to the university stable and install with the same result again. Now thus uninstalled I act and everything MSMATERIAL, which they also load, and installs it not again. This is a nice product, if it functions, but the new version is terrible. I would give it stars 0, if I could.


Customer service from reseller and developer is abysmal
It actually deserves no stars. Our company, an American multinational corporation, bought the workgroup version of this product for one of our departments in Brazil and never received valid installation codes in order to make it work. After a 30 day trial and training of all our users, we had to stop all work because the reseller for Latin America didn't offer any help and the developer showed no interest in hearing our complaints. This treatment for a product paid in full 15 days before the expiration of the trial period. Be prepared to face tremendous problems if you need support. Our last opinion is: good product for your home, if you can actually receive it. Not adequate for corporations, judging by their horrendous customer service, the worst I saw in my entire professional life.


Extremely Disappointed in ACT! 2007
I used ACT! 6.0 for years with very few expenditures. I gave finally inside for threat the software neglect of the obligation to pay alimony and thought that after this whole times, surely Salbei would have somewhat nice improvements in its program. I was most interested in the integration with my pocket PC. Now I have to try fear to load this software. Here my advice doing is not you it. Cling with 6.0. Since others say, 9,0 is extremely slow, rolls it not over activities automatically without a program restart, does not register it not your opportunities in the correct order and technical support is missing. One month ago, I began to receive to "updates existing" announcements in the program therefore I would click Download, waiting period for the error message, and then application would close. After 47 minutes at the telephone, I was explained that the Download had a bug in him and the behobene would be present one on the web site in 3 days. Today I tried to attach to a new computer. Again error messages, which are not meaningful. I designated customer no service and was explained that I could pay $299 for one year of the unlimited support or $199 for 5 cases. He really said that they had done me a preference, by giving me a free support learning section in December, when I was outside of 30 the dailyfree support window. I believed bad one over mine rudeness to the building condition overview report today, until I read the reports here. I did not go for the technical support and I think that I had regulated the problem. I cannot sell, a company a bad product and then try can to earn more moneys away from the problems to it caused. If you must, purchase of Amazon and except your money for the necessary technical support and the income to replace, which you will not acquire, while you are at the telephone with Salbei.


Slow but feature packed
I used act! since act! 2000. Improved until 2005, which was a very large adjustment for me. Straight improved until 2007 thereby I box synchronization with fast books. 2007 are pretty many the same, the 2005, in which they explained to me, it faster 35% were. Not surely in which regarded, but... liebte..I the speed of the preceding versions (2000) loves, but I the new characteristics of the act even more somehow. Import and export you to exceed around and the opportunities characteristics are a definite improvement. I designated integration of the QBs over the program to a companion in India, which disturbed me, since I was, it to examine even during at the telephone. It was fair measured value of the manual. My preceding brings from 2005 was terribly on. 2 weeks to keep enterprising to it. This bring from 2007 was a piece of the cake on. I find that, if I do not have an expenditure such as update attachment and so that I can go to its web site, the disturbance code and him goes I through him to type you. Use Techunterstuetzung as last erholungsort. I have into other CRM's geschauen, but none have the characteristics and the integration of the act!. So for now, I cling with act!. The 4 stars should be 3-1/2 in the reality. No elections for half.


Dont buy the 2007 upgrade
I resound the other negative notes against. We used act for years, and the support was never stellar. Now the support is missing. It causes each system, which we must leave. We did each ascending, which they suggested to equipment, and it seemed only to form affairs more badly. We try to receive our money back and back to the older version will go. This program is terrible.


I wish I had never upgraded.
I also wish I had read the reviews here before I was suckered into buying the upgrade. I'm a long time ACT user, and have been very pleased until now. ACT 7 doesn't work well even though I've added more memory to my laptop. And the worst part is that I can't reinstall ACT 6, even after uninstalling ACT 7.

What a mess. Sage should be sued, then maybe they'd think twice about releasing an update that wasn't ready for prime time.


Compared to Goldmine, it's great
Used gold mine for years. Their integration with prospect was a nightmare. As additional explanation was added. Every time I installed the program over a new computer again, it took hours of the time at the telephone to receive it in order to work. So for me, ACT works well. I would not know my notes of gold mine... ACT loadings 299 for a program import, which does. It was not worth. And the plans are not exactly large. Lots of other small details, which I would like to have changed. But everything in all it up to now is fine.


Nothing but problems from the start
I used act! before and decided to improve, in order to function! 2007. Before the program since the attachment of the program approximately two months did not work correctly. I do not hold to receive a deadly "skillfully a connection to the data base open", which closes the program immediately. The act! on-line supporting consortium uninstalled and installed the program again. After one week the announcement of the blocking error decreased/went back. There my 60 days of the free on-line support is specified, in order to run off at the beginning of of Decembers, decided I, to return and ask for a full rueckerstattung the software to the Salbei instead of in a position from to have purchcase on-line support for $299/year or with a software keep been responsible get caught, which I cannot use. I have a program with problems after output installation to have never as much bought.


A huge rip off
I used ACT since the early nineties. Recently a message received from the ACT! by legend that I had to improve, while they did not do updates on preceding versions. WELL which error. I spent the money on ACT! 2007, then spent another $200 on Techunterstuetzung. After 8 attempts, which with its support people, I do not speak the program still, load can. I do not try to load it on a brand-new machine wrongly anything with the computer. Me one promised back getting calls, but not any answers. $370 later, I have a nice book to read to an old ACT! program that they do not support themselves any longer, and a new, which they cannot load.


ACT 2007 with Act for Palm
Like many other rezensenten I am long time act user. My last version before this was 6,0, which I loved to use for the sales the all activities with my palm Treo 300 cell telephone processes and synching. The latter, which was year-created on the negative superreports of the act 2006-I, bought a copy of gold mine with the intention of repeating my to PC to the palm connection and the increase of of achievement. After nearly one year of the research, the abandoned efforts and the unfortunate experiences, which I am returned as my primary CM for using of act. Golmine is ugly, hard, above, and structurally to adjust non-intuitively. It accomplishes certainly the function of a cm, but many small details form the process annoyingly. It should be extremely efficient, and it is certainly many faster than act, but it seems that a quantity customized programming is requested, in order it too received, in order to up-rise up achievement. I use act so now 2007 on my PC and act for the palm on my Treo 700p. although act am moderately slow to load and change screens, compensate its characteristics, attractive GUI and relative user friendliness more than its speed. I have approximately 1000 contacts in my railways and in 1 concert RAM and function loads in approximately 15 seconds, changes questions in approximately 2 seconds and accomplish a keyword search in approximately 10 seconds. I love the ability, this system me to the load contact contacts and notes over mean PC give and make her accessible on my Treo during my sales daily. Notes and new contacts or information from my PDA telephone are synched flawlessly with my PC each afternoon. Compared with many the highly more developed user on this report side I am a relative beginner, but act gives me all tools, which I mean sales effort steer and me in regular connection with my customers remain must. I do not give 5 to this program because of its speed, but the energy and the user friendliness forms it worth strong 4.


Highly recommend
Improved of version 6. No expenditures, which import 2,000 contacts in version 9. I like really the new view. I like also the email mixing capibilities with prospect. I recommend degrees of act in high as a contact manager.


Very Disappointing - ACT 2007 - It's Beta Quality, Not Ready for Prime Time
I improved the act for years and to the new version, around which prospect integration uses to receive. I like the new email mixing abilities, but I had to improve 1GB of RAM (total quantity 2GB to add now) around the achievement. My main objection is that the calendar is defective, as other users also reported. If I pull up the daily overview opinion, she indicates November from 2021 and there is no way to receive her back to November 2006 for the daily regards. As a Workaround I compensated myself, in order to use prospect for appointments. I miss also the ability for automatic screen bangs for inbound calls of the clients in my data base, which I had in my preceding ACT version. I was very much surprised to lose this ability. I am moved not over the way ACT 2007 marks copies of the Zubehoere and store her in ACT the booklet instead of straight connect to the native Zubehoeren. Seems like a waste of the area, but that is a small grasp, which is compared with the other individual parts, which cause the way, which, I lead my business. The technical support is terrible and their free on-LINE-FAQ for ACT 2007 is completely worthless. Salbei does not form an attempt to seize information about bugs still for each possible advice for shiftingnesses to offer. Salbei should be ashamedly over releasing, which seems, to be a beta product with such bad support. When its on-line support failed, I tried, to designate it and spoke with someone in India. I never had such an unpleasant and unproductive Techunterstuetzungstelefonerfahrung with each possible other company.


Great if you know how to get tech support
I was ACT a user for 11 years, have over 10.000 contacts in my data base, with extensive notes and information. Because of my own frustration, since the high classification, I read most 65 reports for 2006 and like me, most authors, where extremely frustrated with the product, therefore I began, elections to investigate. My largest objection speaking with the ACT, since my ascending 2006 the low Qualitaetstech Supoort was, with someone in India, which I and that could hardly understand the product understood less, as I. It was like their goal should the call as fast as possible terminate, I estimates that they are bonused with calls per hour, not dissolution of problem. HOWEVER act has 4 Techunterstuetzungsanrufmitten in North America, which I learned in my newest call to them. This call repaired also the majority of my expenditures, spoke the girl my language, knew the product, and was, to keep quite for solution which worked. This was ehrfuerchtig, since after my whole research, I stated that my best solution was ACT, if I could receive it, in order to work. My advice to all aggravated users, if you receive that Indian designate, asks center you straight for the North American Tech Unterstuetzungsanruf center. They must hold, possibly for a long time. But it is much better (and faster on a long-term basis) than trying, with these to work off-coast populated, whom do not last the time to understand the problems. Concerning the act, which slows the computer down, I jumped above my RAM of 75 to 1,25 concerts, and it functions pretty good. IchBIN in the term, computer to the Sony Viao with the RAM to improve 7200 something or other one with 2 concerts (I white which it meant, not different than it am really, chamfered really). I experienced that leaving my PDA to harness above, even if it does not slow syncying, the entire computer down SUBSTANTIAL. This has something to do Microsoft Activesync. Thus I load it separately and try to synchronization at night, when I do not use the computer. Seems to work on pretty good up to now. There are not straight another product, which has functionality and the Muehelosigkeit use/learning, ACT has. I examined gold mine and many different and did not like straight any from them. Prophet promises to replace ACT but near gold mine not even comes hard to be learned and hard used at functionality, is, and from which I read, no Techunterstuetzung at all has. Thus you improve your computer, and speak you only with the north Americans for Tech suport, and hopeful you avoid the whole aggravation, which is expressed in the many other reports.


This program with Act for the Palm
I have all reports read and I must to you explain that, the program well for me worked. The program could take to the load somewhat longer, but the new view is as much then the last version 6.0 nicer, which I had. I am use of this with act for the palm and it functioned so well like that, if I am out and approximate with my customer attendance customer attendance, I can to entrance mine customer information on the way receive, while you look and gives the feeling like your using act on your computer. I recommend this everyone, which is in the sales to organized assistance the maintenance.


Don't! buy! ACT! 2007!
I'm getting my money back tomorrow morning!!

Have used version 6.0 for a long time and love it. Got fooled into buying 9.0 by their notice that it would not be supported.

I've spent the last 2 days trying unsuccessfully to get back to where I was. Fortunatly, my old version and data are intact.

Main complaint is that it is SLOW, and search function is unpredictable. (Search funcions are key to the way I use this in my biz). For example, in 6.0 I can keyword-search all contact fields with any number of digits to find a phone # . . . it will search 4000 records in about 1-2 seconds. With 9.0, it requires hyphens between AC, prefix and last 4. If you search on last 4, match is found, but last 5 will not find a match with or without hyphen. Last 6 thru 10 OK, so long as hyphens present. Very arbitrary. Plus search time is close to 10 seconds.

Big step backwards.



Does not integrate with Outlook as Advertised
I upgraded from ACT! 2006 to ACT! 2007 because of an email that I recieved from ACT touting the new benefits of ACT's integration with Microsoft Outlook.

I STILL am NOT ABLE to send an email from ACT! using pop3 without Outlook being open and running in the backround. The send/recieve button in ACT only ques my message to be sent when Outlook is open and then the send/recieve function within Outlook must be triggered manually or by the auto send /recieve function.

This was a problem with ACT! 2005/2006 and they have documented it in their knowledge base and tech support suggest what they call a "work arround" to the problem. This "work around" is actually leaving an outlook window open all the time in the backround and setting Outlooks automatic send/reciev to a short time interval.

Who wants to have to be working in both programs? Where Does ACT! get the nerve to send out an email to existing customers bragging about their great new integration with Outlook. This is an old problem. FIX IT.


DO NOT GET ACT! 2007
I fell also for it scam, who 6,0 as a fool did not support her no more, I improved. First of all I lost years of the Zubehoere and the email notes. I spent endless hours at the telephone with Techunterstuetzung. Even paying I over $ 1,000 to a computer specialist to help to I to receive to things working.They all requirement am I the only person, the trouble has. I cannot also understand the people about India. IchBIN in agreement with the other author, who suggests a group complaint complaint against Salbei. The software and Unterstuetzungsgestank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could screem that I found these reports not in former times.


ACT! 2006 and 2007 are DUFUSWARE!!!
DON'T BUY Act! 2006 OR 2007 IF YOU WANT TO RETAIN YOUR SANITY. I'm a long-term experienced ACT! user with every version since 2. Also a veteran Windows network administrator. Sage should sell the rights to publish ACT! to a company that cares about its reputation instead of believing their own BULL*&% about what they try and sell us. Two miserable versions IN SUCCESSION! It's stunning they can wake up in morning, look in the mirror and apparently feel good about themselves.

If you really want an ACT! version that works, 6 is the latest one which is reliable. But, there are MANY other contact management tools which actually work!


Pure garbage!
Read the many "one-star" reviews on this and Act! 2006 from experienced Act!users. They are all too true. Sage apparently is trying to commit corporate suicide by releasing entirely untested, pre-alpha versions of an incompetently re-designed application. A class-action suit should be in the works for the damages these products are causing.

Act! 2006 and 2007 will not only cause you hours of trouble with installation and data conversion, but will do plenty of damage to your Windows installation (registry entries, processes loaded on startup, etc.).

Sage deserves to go out of business on these.


It's the performance, stupid
Before wows -- I am new ACT a user, after ACT 2007 a straight pair ichgekauft weeks had ichgekauft. I became never used each earlier version of the ACT. I did a quantity of research on the line for a long time, looked for contact/client to management often commodity, which would fit my necessities. I found it never real. Anyway is my largest objection here, since others said that the achievement with ACT is 2007 fair Apalling. They click to "weekly calendar", or "opportunities register", and it can last 30 to 40 seconds before the screen finally renewed. And none of the other programs over mean computers accomplish this badly -- and I use older versions of the SQL of operator on the same computer, which is the same data base ACT use. In characteristics expressed I do not understand straight, how a program, which as much really costs, offers so little, finally. I let real estate recommendation a business run, therefore I must connect contacts to one others. That is, a client to a means. More specifically, several clients to an individual means. I have to find software which lets me do this in each efficient way. Even with ACT, everything, which I can do, is to cause a "company", which generally a representative him/herself is (that really does not work, because they work also for companies) and the clients them then to assign. The interface is busy and difficult, and I spend way too much time, which tries, out, as one uses to explain this software. I not normally may write such negative reports, it is somewhat better I to suggest has, but in this case: UGH. Hold to look, that are all, which I can offer.


ACT 2007 not as good as ACT 2004
I was perfectly happy with mt ACT 6.0 2004. I fell for the pitch announcing the 2007 release saying that version 6.0 would no longer be supported. I upgraded and have regreted it ever since. It is slow as H*ll. Glitchy and just doesn't work as well as 2004.

The ACT tech support people seem to be friendly but do not speak English. I just had to give up on them because I couldn't understand what they were saying and they couldn't understand me either.

My advice- DO NOT UPGRADE!!! 2004 is still the best version.


Easy for a beginner
With suitable respect to all users, who suffered by ascending trauma, I must say that I found 2007 a Brise. Its enterprise well on a system with 1 concert memory. Of course I am new TO FUNCTIONING and had not a pile of the data to convert to into the again sketched product. After I had read the terrible reports of ACT 2006, I looked around after other contact management often commodity and found that the other systems were complicated and possibly nose greed. I think that 2007 the best bet for someone is, which begins a new data base of the contacts. By the way its more inexpensive to buy the product of Amazon than from the Salbei to like I.


ACT 2007 is so bad -- How could it have gotten worse.
I have been an ACT user since 1988 version 1.0 DOS. Yes I said DOS. I upgraded to version 2006 last year and shelved the product due to the speed issues and stability problems.

Recently I had to retrieve one contact from act. I had the back-up database but the program had been removed so I downloaded the new version 2007.

Suprisingly it performs much better but and it is a big But! The calendar will not display anything but 5 little ones and the year is 2017. SO much for planning ahead. There is no reference to this in the knowledge base and tech support will not take my calls.

I got so fed up with Sage that I sent them a demand notice and threat to sue them on 2006. They just sent me a release and are reimbursing me for the original purchase over a year ago....

How could their programmers missed a small feature like calendars?


Beware! This Sage is not very wise
I've used ACT! since it was a DOS product. For some of you youngsters, DOS was Windows' predecessor and didn't have any icons or mice. I know it sounds like a hardship, but we were pretty proficient at typing our commands.

Anyway, I've watched ACT! as it was sold, repurchased, sold again and again and each time the quality decreased and the arrogance increased. This is a typical, yet unfortunate trend for large software developers. Their stockholders become more important than their customers. This is the case with ACT! 2007.

It was promoted and hyped with the best traditional talent left on Madison Ave, yet the software is faulty and produces unintelligible error messages like, "ERROR: Object reference not set to an instance of an object." I'm sure that message was crafted by the department of redundancy department.

I run my small business on ACT!, we'd be lost without it. I spent nearly $1,300 USD for a 10-user ACT! 2007 license and called yesterday to ask for my money back. I try every new version that ACT releases and keep returning to ACT! 6.0 which is the last version that worked as advertised and ironically is no longer supported.

Actually, not being supported is a blessing, since support is out-sourced to India. I've called them 3 times in past 24 hours and waited on hold for more than 45 minutes before each call as connected. The quality of VoIP connections plus thick Indian accents made for frustrating call experiences, but the crowning event came when the support technician, after putting our call on hold 3 times to "further research this matter," finally called me back to explain that I would have to upgrade to the Premium version in order to synchronize my two remote databases with the our network server.

Now, I've been synchronizing remote ACT! databases for years (not perfectly, but I learned to work around the shortcomings) and I consider this to be core functionality. Sage, evidently does not. According to Sage's Indian technician, I can synchronize my remote databases as long as they are attached to our network and behind a firewall, but I cannot synchronize using the Internet outside a firewall.

This is unbelievable, because if I was attached to my local area network (LAN) and safe and secure behind our firewall, I would be in my office and wouldn't need to synchronize. Duh! The synchronization functionality serves remote offices and people like me who travel well beyond the LAN.

To deliver cryptic error messages is common among most software developers, but to remove core functionality from a $1,300 product does not make for a wise Sage.


Problems with ACT 6.0
I have read some of the other Amazon.Com reviews on ACT and see that I'm not alone. I upgraded to ACT 6.0 because of problems I was having with the previous release and my laptop has been locking up ever since. They want me to upgrade to the next release to get it fixed. I don't think so. Maybe I'll just wait for Microsoft to come out with their CRM package and we'll see if ACT decides to get their ACT together and survive. I do like their software...but it has to work consistently.



If you have Act 6.0, don't upgrade!
Like the other reviewers, I used Act! for years with success. I found it good at almost instantaneously giving me the information I needed to know about my clients and prospects, such as all of my previous contacts with them and whether they were by phone, email or letter, along with copies of the content. I could also do all kinds of searches by various filters to identify groups, send individual merge-mail emails to the group members based on a template, and use many other beneficial features. It far outperformed Outlook.

I made the mistake, however, of upgrading to 7.0 (Act! 2005), which is on a new software platform, it turns out. I got the same sluggish response others had reported, plus I couldn't get it to synchronize properly with my Treo 600. I was annoyed that when Sage Software fixed the sluggishness (mostly), I had to buy an upgrade to get the fix. There weren't sufficiently attractive new features to warrant purchasing an upgrade otherwise. So I purchased 2 upgrades in less than a year. At least version 8.0 (Act! 2006)loaded the calendar and contacts faster, but I still couldn't get it to synchronize properly with my Treo. I broke my Treo, so this time I bought a Pocket PC. Despite hours and hours of effort and hiring an authorized consultant to work on the problems, I never got Act! 2006 to synchronize properly with my PDA. I also got error messages and sometimes it would just hang up unexpectedly.

In short, Sage Software promises a lot of solutions on the box, but delivers a lot of headaches. Act! is a better product than Outlook, but don't go there until you here that they have worked out the bugs! As for me, I stopped saying "I wish I could quit you" and just quit Act! At least Outlook will sync with my PDA. I'm not going to get suckered into buying yet another upgrade for what should be a patch or a fix.


Don't do it!
Dear lord! I was an ACT! Users coming for more rueber 11 years, above by Windows 3.X and smooth an exercising of a 7-user (13,000 contact)ACT! Net. Of us, which are old hands at the ACT! know that the program can be a wonderful slave and a terrible master. Like that is the case with lots of crucial technology. My last ascending was until 2005. This went out without a towing bracket. Since I decided to register this times I had received to ' to 2007 ' email ascending from the Salbei for approximately 9 months. I normally ignore this marketing, but the ' integration with prospect ' characteristic got caught my eye. I preceded and downloadete the program (giant 250 MT Monday file)last. After support my ACT! , I drove data to 3 different positions with mine attach away. Virus software ' away closed of ', all insignificant programs, etc.. This thing was a confusion of receiving going. After you do not attach begin skillfully have, process several times, designated I support and after approximately 55 minutes preservation time, hand over to a nice woman away, who was called Muralidharan, that the following THREE HOURS on the line with me individual individual parts from the register deleting spent and downloadete repair of Microsoft, of etc.. At the end of this burst test, we let a successful attach and meant that the program would run. First my data base converted up. That could be done really smoothly and straight along hummed and proclaimimg to success at the end. When I opened mentioned data base, I made me happy to see my intact contacts and even in the template indicated, which I had particularly made. Excited, I went, mean calendars, since which, which are to examine the main screen, which, I use. No calendar individual parts. Examine, in order to see, if the filters are out whack nope out. Individual parts represent on the task list and to future ton DOS, calls and the meetings represent under projection/lead of the activities of each individual contact ', but there was no way in Hades, which I could receive it, to show up on the calendar above. Concerning the prospect functionality it not there, if you use word as her prospect email publisher. If you do not use word, it is still one clunky, lame interface, which requires a special ACT! Directory in the prospect, in etc.. Back to Techunterstuetzung. a 45-Minute-Wartezeit attached me to a very nice person, who heard my miserable one and separated me immediately. The following person, whom I spoke with, after nearly 1 hour an influence (nice new age influence muzak, BTW), was evenly as friendly however apparent suffered fronm the same telephone problems as the previous Tech, since it when setting I separated on influence. Fast forward too today. I fired up the bad box for one day in the office, reduced the ACT! discharge key, and watched out it to load substantially faster than I had remembered. Encouraged, I waited that the activities roll over. I can explain to you, think now i that I would wait still this Rollover, if I had not killed the process. I watched out a Hourglass for approximately 10 minutes, before I did and again tried a cold weather starting. The same result. Last straw. I designated ACT! and requires a rueckerstattung. After A (waiting period of the minute of surprise!)30, I was attached with a gentleman, who credited me back for my full purchase price. For the recording with everyone, which I employed at Salbei, useful and was friendly. A person, whom I spoke with (probably NOT on a noted line!) even it bejammert that the product can have been gotten to the market ' prematurely '. Final result: It does not admit no irresistible reason ' to improve ' and many, many reasons.



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--end of Act! By Sage 2007