ACT! by Sage 2009 FAQs
You Asked. We Listened.
General Sales
Q. Are ACT! 11.0 and ACT! 2009 the same product?
A. Yes, the product name is ACT! by Sage 2009.
Q.Does Sage have an automatic upgrade program for ACT!?
A. Sage offers one automatic upgrade program and Upgrade Assurance. These programs, however, are only available through our Corporate Sales channel. Upgrade Assurance, which can be purchased when you buy ACT! by Sage Premium, or ACT! by Sage Premium for Web, provides you with the next product release free of charge (depending on which product you buy) if that product ships within 12 months of your initial product purchase.
Q.If I bought ACT! 2008 / v10.0 beyond 60 days, why don’t I get ACT! 2009 at no charge?
A. ACT! 2009 offers many improvements and enhancements as well as new features that warrant the upgrade charge.
Q. Are there trial versions of ACT!, ACT! Premium, and/or ACT! Premium for Web?
A. Yes. However, trial versions will not be available until the product launches. After the release of ACT! 2009 in Australia and New Zealand, please contact ACT! Corporate Sales at 13 SAGE (Australia) or 0800 904 409 (NZ) or email actsales.pacific@sage.com.
Q. Is ACT! 6.0 available for purchase?
A. Purchase and support of this product are no longer available.
Q. How long will ACT! 2008 (10.0) be available for purchase?
A. Retail stock will rotate immediately – in line with each retailer’s restocking schedule. More specific information on discontinuation dates will become available closer to launch through contacting our customer service team. Customers purchasing through ACT! Corporate License Sales with existing ACT! 2008 implementations will be able to continue to purchase ACT! 2008 for the near term. Organisations purchasing through ACT! Corporate Sales that are new to ACT! will purchase ACT! 2009.
Q. Do you have a hosted solution?
A. Sage does not currently provide a hosted version of ACT!. However, many ACT! business partners and ACT! Certified Consultants maintain ACT! and ACT! Premium for Web licenses on their equipment for their customers. In this “IT Maintenance” model ACT! licenses remain the property of the customer and are non-transferable to others, but those licenses are maintained by the third party on behalf of the customer.
Q. What is the return policy for ACT!, ACT! Premium, and ACT! Premium for Web?
A. You may return ACT! for any reason if you are unsatisfied within 30 days of the date the product was shipped to you for a full refund.
Corporate License Sales
Q. Where is the ACT! Corporate License Program available?
A. It’s available to customers in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
Q. Do program members have to make a specific volume commitment?
A. No. Since this is a transaction-based program, there’s no annual purchasing commitment.
Q. Is special pricing on ACT! 2009 products and services available for government, educational, medical and nonprofit organisations?
A. Yes. These organisations can receive special pricing regardless of quantity ordered. Please contact Sage for more information.
CCs and Resellers
Q. Will the corporate, CC, and reseller pricing be competitive?
A. It will be under the same pricing and return policy currently in effect for other Corporate License products.
Q. Will ACT! CCs take returns?
A. Yes, they will for products purchased from them.
Q. Who should customers contact to return a purchase?
A. We recommend that customers contact the company from which they made the purchase.
Q. How can I be sure to order the correct skus for my customer?
A. Resellers are strongly encouraged to work with ACT! Corporate Sales to determine and confirm the correct part numbers for customer orders. You can contact us directly by calling 13 SAGE (Australia) or 0800 904 409 (NZ) or by contacting your ACT! Certified Consultant.
Q. Who can order upgrade skus?
A. Upgrade skus are for customers who are upgrading their users from a previous version of ACT!.
Q. Do CCs have to be re-certified? How much does it cost?
A. In order to keep placement on the Web site, CCs will have to recertify. Training material and the exam will be available 30 days prior to launch. The test and any online training will be free of charge.
Technical Support
Q. Who should install this product? What level of technical ability should my customer have?
A. Installation of ACT! and ACT! Premium requires basic understanding of computer technology. We would recommend contacting an ACT! Certified Consultant for assistance and ensuring a proper set-up and implementation.
Q. What is the ACT!, ACT! Premium, and ACT! Premium for Web support policy?
A. Getting Started Support provides product support for a term of 30 days from the date of registration; for coverage after that, customers may purchase a support plan or purchase service on a Pay-Per-Call basis. We recommend that customers follow instructions in the appropriate product documentation and call ACT! Technical Support when something does not seem to be working properly or there is an error message.
Compatibility with Products
Q. Will ACT! Premium for Web work with ACT!?
A. No. ACT! Premium for Web works with ACT! Premium only. Further, ACT! Premium (EX Edition) is only compatible with ACT! Premium for Web (EX Edition), and ACT! Premium (ST Edition) is only compatible with ACT! Premium for Web (ST Edition).
Q. Will my existing add-on products work with ACT! 2009?
A. This depends on what version of ACT! you are currently using. To use ACT! 6.0 add-on products and links with ACT! 2009, they will need to be replaced with ACT! 2009-compatible versions. To find out if the ACT! add-ons you are currently using will work with ACT! 2009, please contact us. You can also visit the ACT! Add-on site at www.actsolutions.com.
Q. Do you have a BlackBerry® Link?
A. Sage does not provide a BlackBerry link but instead works with a third party product called Handheld Contact which does provide access to ACT! data from a BlackBerry. For more information, contact ACT! Customer Service on 13 SAGE (Australia) or 0800 904 409 (NZ) or your nearest ACT! Certified Consultant.
Q. Will ACT! 2009 be compatible with Windows Vista or Office 2007?
A. ACT! 2009 will be supported on Windows Vista and Office 2007.
Functionality and Features
Q. How do ACT! and ACT! Premium differ?
A. ACT! is designed for individuals, sales professionals and sales teams of up to 10 users who share data. ACT! Premium is for sales teams, small business and corporate workgroups who require greater scalability and data sharing, more flexible deployment options, advanced workgroup functionality, and additional administration and security features.
Q. With ACT!, can I have more than 10 users who share the same database?
A. No, with ACT! you cannot have more than 10 users sharing data. If you require more than 10 users sharing data, you must use ACT! Premium or ACT! Premium for Web.
Q. Can I run ACT! 2008 and ACT! 2009 on the same machine?
A. No, ACT! 2008 and ACT! 2009 cannot be running on the same machine.
Q. If I’m in a workgroup, do all customers have to have the same version of ACT!?
A. Yes, all users sharing a database must have the same version.
Q. Does ACT! Premium 2009 have to be installed on a Server OS to host the master DB?
A. No, you can install ACT! Premium on a non-server OS. However, for enhanced scalability, we recommend that you locate databases on a server machine so you can take advantage of the scalability offered by dedicated server resources.
Q: Does .NET 2.0 require .NET 1.1 to be uninstalled? Are there any other conflicts?
A: ACT! 2009 uses .NET 2.0 for greater performance and adaptability. Users who have earlier versions will not be affected as .NET 2.0 installs side-by-side previous versions.
Q. Can you run both ACT! and ACT! Premium side by side?
A. No, you can have only one version of the product line on the same machine.
Q. Can ACT!, ACT! Premium, and ACT! Premium for Web be located behind a firewall?
A. Yes.
Q. Can you limit which contacts can be viewed by certain users?
A. Yes, you can make contacts private so that other users in the database cannot access those contacts via ACT!, or, if using ACT! Premium, they can be restricted by user or team.
Q. Do all ACT! 2007 and 2008 features exist in ACT! 2009?
A. Yes, ACT! 2009 is a superset of ACT! 2008, which is a superset of ACT! 2007. Thus, all ACT! 2007and 2008 features are available in ACT! 2009. Please note, however, that menu, toolbar, and layout customisations do not convert.
Q. Is the actual 2008 database converted, or just copied, when upgrading to 2009?
A. The actual 2008 database is converted. Before a conversion takes place, you are prompted to perform a backup.
Q. Can I save my data back?
A. No, data cannot be saved back to a previous version. Once data has been converted, there is no way to get it back to its pre-11.0 state. It is for this reason that we recommend that all users back up their 2008 database, prior to moving to ACT! 2009.
Q. Does all of my ACT! 6.0 functionality exist in ACT! 2009?
A. Certain features have changed or are no longer available, including inbound caller ID functionality, WinFax integration, recording and playback of macros, e-mail/modem–based database synchronisation, and SideACT!. Several aspects of the system requirements have been updated. It is recommended that you carefully review the system requirements for compatibility and acceptance prior to upgrading.
Q. Will all my data convert from ACT! 6.0 to ACT! 2009 or to ACT! Premium 2009?
A. All of your data will convert from one version to the next. However, because ACT! 2009 is built on a different architecture than ACT! 6.0, queries, group rules, sync settings, macros, and menu customisations will not convert.
Q. Can I save my data back?
A. No, data cannot be saved back to a previous version. Once data has been converted, there is no way to get it back to its pre-11.0 state.
ST and EX Edition and SQL
Q. What is SQL Express?
A. With the release of ACT! 2007, Microsoft replaced SQL Server 2000 MSDE with SQL Server 2005 Express. We have found SQL 2005 Express to meet the needs of a substantial portion of our ACT! Premium and ACT! Premium for Web customers. Primary differences lie in database scalability and hardware. Our experience with customers using ACT! 2007 has reinforced that conclusion.
Q. Is SQL Workgroups or SQL Enterprise edition supported?
A. While these editions aren’t officially supported, a Knowledge Base article exists explaining how to connect ACT! to these db’s.
Q I already own Microsoft SQL Standard CAL’s. Can I use these CAL’s with my ACT! Premium (EX or ST) purchase?
A. Yes. We have made some modifications to our End User Licensing Agreement this year. If you currently own SQL Standard licenses, you may opt to buy the EX Edition and will be able to connect to your independently purchased SQL Standard licenses.
Q. What are the differences between the EX Edition and ST Edition?
A. With a different database comes a different recommendation for networked user counts. Sage Software offers a recommendation of up to 30 users for ACT! Premium (EX Edition) and 100 users for ACT! Premium (ST Edition), up to 30 users for ACT! Premium for Web (EX Edition) and up to 600 users for ACT! Premium for Web (ST Edition). Actual scalability and number of users supported will vary based on hardware and size and usage of your database. Sage scalability recommendations are based on in-house performance tests using the recommended server system requirements found at: www.sagebusiness.com.au. Published minimum system requirements are based on single user environments. You must purchase one license of ACT! per user.
Q. Can a Premium EX user synchronise with a Premium ST user?
A. No, Premium EX users can only sync or share databases with other Premium EX users.
Q. If I don't have Microsoft SQL Server 2005, can I install ACT! and ACT! Premium?
A. Yes. Each license of ACT! Premium includes an ACT! license of SQL. This version of SQL can also install next to SQL 2000.
Q. What if I have an older version of SQL?
A. Installing ACT! will install an ACT! instance of SQL 2005 Express Edition or SQL 2005 Standard Edition (depending on the edition purchased) next to older versions of SQL. This instance is completely independent of any other SQL version on your machine. However, if you purchased ACT! Premium 2005 or ACT! Premium 2006, you will be prompted to uninstall the ACT! instance of SQL Server 2000.
Q. Is there a way to determine which Edition of Premium users have?
A. Yes. This information is located in the Help About section of the product. In addition, the edition is noted on the CD artwork.
Q. How do I know when to purchase Premium EX or Premium ST?
A. If there are more than 30 users in your workgroup, it is recommended that you purchase the ST Edition. Purchasing the ST Edition will enable you to more fully leverage your hardware if your server machine is running more than one processor. SQL Express can only leverage a single processor so there is minimal benefit gained by using a server with more than one processor when using SQL Express. Also, if users plan to connect to any database hosted by SQL Standard, including ACT! Premium for Web, they must purchase ST Edition.
Scalability and Performance
Q. Is performance improved in ACT! 2009?
A. Performance continues to be a focus for the ACT! by Sage Development team with each ACT! release.
Q. Are users happy with the 2009 release?
A. User feedback has been extremely positive for the 2009 release. Users are particularly excited about the enhancements to the most commonly used features. The features worked on and added in ACT! 2009 were in direct response to customer feedback and surveys conducted with our install base of users on multiple prior versions of ACT!.
Licensing, Registration, and Upgrade Assurance
Q. What is Upgrade Assurance?
A. Upgrade Assurance can be purchased when you buy ACT! Premium, or ACT! Premium for Web. Upgrade Assurance provides you with the next product release free of charge (depending on which product you buy) if that product ships within 12 months of your initial product purchase. For more info, contact our ACT! Customer Service Team.
Q. I bought Upgrade Assurance for ACT! Premium for Workgroups 2008/ACT! Premium for Web 2008. Do I get ACT!/ACT! Premium 2009/ACT! Premium for Web 2009 for no additional cost?
A. Yes - provided that your Upgrade Assurance term has not expired prior to the release of ACT! 2009, if you are on ACT! Premium for Workgroups 2008, you will receive, at no additional cost, one copy of ACT! Premium 2009 for each Upgrade Assurance seat you purchased. If you are on ACT! Premium for Web 2008, you will receive, at no additional cost, one copy of ACT! Premium for Web 2009 for each Upgrade Assurance seat you purchased.
Q. If I have Microsoft® SQL Server™, do I have to pay the full license price?
A. Yes. The ACT! instance of SQL is a specialised version of SQL. This SQL instance is only provided through ACT! installations. The SQL license provided with ACT! Premium is for exclusive use of your ACT! database.
Q. Is concurrent licensing available?
A. No. At this time, each license is for a unique named user in a given database. Product requires activation and registration for each license.
Q. Does the administrator need a license?
A. Yes. ACT!, ACT! Premium, and ACT! Premium for Web are licensed on a named user basis. Every user needs a license.
Q. Do I have to buy each user a license of ACT! even if they are sharing the same machine?
A. Yes, each named user in a database must have a unique ACT! license number. You will install the ACT! product on one machine, but if every machine user wants to share the same database, they will each need an ACT! license.
Q. What is Product Activation? How does it work?
A. ACT! Product Activation is a technology designed to protect ACT! customers from purchasing pirated software. Product Activation helps assure a safe and easy-to-use software experience. ACT! Product Activation is a quick and easy process to complete and is designed as part of the general process of product registration. You will be prompted to register when you first launch the product. Follow the wizard to submit your registration information and serial number via Internet or phone activation methods. If you do not register and activate, the product will run in trial mode until you do, for up to 30 days. After that time, the product will not run unless you register and activate.
Miscellaneous
Q. What are the primary differences among ACT!, Sage SalesLogix, and Sage CRM?
A. ACT! is a contact and customer manager, whereas Sage SalesLogix and Sage CRM are CRM products. CRM products by definition include Sales, Marketing, Service and Support competencies, and have opportunities and activities aligned with a company or account. While all three products are highly customisable, Sage SalesLogix, and Sage CRM allow further customisation of business process and workflow. For more info on our other CRM solutions, please contact our Sales team at 13 SAGE (Australia) or 0800 904 409 (NZ).
Sage Business Solutions is a leading provider of end-to-end accounting software and business management software solutions. Numerous awards confirm Sage Accpac as the best accounting software for large, mid-size and small business. ACT! By Sage is the ideal customer contact and client manager software. For a highly functional and scalable Customer Relationship Manager software solution turn to Sage SalesLogix or for an Internet based Customer Relationship Management solution your perfect choice is Sage CRM. No matter which Sage solution is right for your business, you’ll find it to be easy to implement, easy to use and easy on your budget. Contact Sage Business Solutions today.