Best Software Introduces ACT! for Web – a Complete Online Contact Management Solution with No Monthly Charges(email this article)

Scottsdale, Ariz. – February 25, 2003 – Best Software (Company Profile, Past Stories, Case Studies) today introduced ACT! for Web, a complete online contact management and sales force automation solution offering all the key benefits of the award-winning ACT! for Windows product, over the Web for a one-time fixed price of just $249.95 per user. ACT! for Web offers quick installation, easy data sharing among workgroups, and unlike other web-based sales force automation products, ACT! for Web also allows small businesses to keep all of their critical customer information within their own network.

“The majority of our SMB customers are averse to entrusting their critical customer and sales opportunity data to a third-party hosting facility,” said Greg Head, ACT! general manager. “ACT! for Web data is stored within the company’s own network and enables customers to have both ACT! for Windows and ACT! for Web users accessing the same database so all users are working in real-time. Compared to other online offerings that charge monthly user fees of $65 and up, ACT! for Web pays for itself in less than four months, making it a much more cost-effective solution for small businesses.”

ACT! for Web users experience the key features of contact management and sales force automation such as the ability to track up to 255 fields of customer information; quick look-ups using the hyperlink on each field label; daily, weekly and monthly calendars views for individuals, selected users, or the entire workgroup; access to activity and sales reports to get instant summaries of ACT! information; and the ability to manage sales information using the built-in opportunity tracking and forecasting functionality.

"ACT! for Web was just the solution we were looking for! Our team works in different offices around the United States and we needed to be able to share not only information and documents, but also our calendars,” said Roger Linn, principal, Catalyst/Hall. “We looked at a variety of applications, including SalesForce.com, but we simply weren't comfortable with sending our customer data and associated information to a third-party hosting facility and we didn't like the concept of monthly service charges. ACT! for Web allows us to own the product and maintain control of our data.”

Whether users are in the office or working remotely, both ACT! for Windows and ACT! for Web users can securely access the same ACT! database in real-time to view changes made to existing records and new records. Each user is required to have a valid user name and password and their individual access rights, which can be set as detailed as field level security, can be defined by the administrator. Depending on access rights, users can view their own appointments, activities and notes for contacts or the details of the entire team’s interaction with that contact. Calendars include private and public activity types so users can filter what is displayed to others.

Sales professionals appreciate the easy format of ACT! for Web because they can customize their specific preferences without programming or HTML knowledge. All the fields customized in ACT! for Windows can automatically be viewed in ACT! for Web. In addition, users can change the look of database screens and add new tabs or change tab labels to track additional information about each contact. Users can also customize letter templates with specific merge fields for easy letter creation, insert new fields to the database, and specify the location of the field. Screens refresh as edits are made so users can view changes as they go, and easily undo any unwanted changes.

“Another critical factor in our decision making process was the availability of local resources for support. While ACT! for Web is easy-to-use and customize, our ACT! Certified Consultant has been fabulous to work with and together we tailored ACT! for Web so that it matched and even encouraged our day-to-day business processes,” said Linn.

To learn more about ACT! for Web, please visit www.act.com/web for an interactive demo or features tour. ACT! for Web is a one-time fee of $249.95 per user. For information about volume licensing of ACT or ACT! for Web, please call 1-888-855-5222.


About Best Software

Best Software offers leading business management products and services that give 1.7 million small and mid-sized customers in North America the insight for success throughout the life of their business. Its parent company, The Sage Group plc (London: SGE.L), supports three million customers worldwide and has revenue of $815 million. For more than 25 years, Best Software has delivered easy-to-use, scalable and customizable applications through its portfolio of leading brands, including Abra, ACT!, CPASoftware, FAS, MAS 90, MIP, Peachtree and SalesLogix, among many others. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.bestsoftware.com or call (866) 308-BEST.