July Notes

Chicago ACT! USER GROUP

Meeting Notes

Special Edition: July 1996

Greetings. The ACT! SIG is still on summer hiatus, but the release of a brand new version of ACT! for Windows 95 is news that just couldn’t wait. Here’s a rundown (courtesy of Symantec) of some of the key features of this new release.

Please note: we will be demo-ing ACT! 3.0 at our September 10th ACT! User Group Meeting. Call (847) 352-4770 for additional information. See you there!

New Features: ACT! 3.0 for Windows 95 and NT

Basic Features

new - Links to Microsoft Word and WordPerfect
ACT! 3.0 lets you choose your preferred word processor. Produce documents, proposals, templates and even mail merge letters directly from ACT! using Microsoft Word or WordPerfect. ACT! 3.0 continues to include the easy ACT! Word Processor for fast, simple letters and memos.
new - Attach Files to Your Contacts
Drag-and-drop to link any file to any contact. Spreadsheets, contracts, proposals, faxes, pictures – anything. ACT! 3.0 automatically links every letter produced directly to the contacts. So you can find instantly find and retrieve all your information – even years later.
new - Work In Form Or List View
Most contact managers require users to make a choice between working form or list view, but ACT! 3.0 removes this barrier. Work in the traditional form view, the new list view, or use both at the same time. The new list view features "edit in place", customizable columns, and one click sorting.
new - Improved Calendars and To-Do List
You can now view your contact screen at the same time as your calendar. ACT! 3.0 will "strike through" and save your completed activities so you can view your cleared activities right from the calendar. One-step follow-up scheduling makes it easy to schedule the phone call that came from yesterday’s meeting. The to-do (task) list is even better with sorting by priority, customizable columns, and one click clearing of activities. And new multi-day "banner" activities means you’ll see all your activities at a glance.
new - Even Easier to Learn and Use
You’ll learn ACT! faster and be more productive than ever before! The new tabbed interface provides single-click access to all fields without switching layouts. A five minute "Quick Tour" helps new users get started. Wizards make complex tasks (such as importing data) easier. "Auto-fill" lets you type in the first letter of a pop-up field and ACT! fills in the rest. Instant duplicate checking ensures you never accidentally enter the same contact twice.
new - Find Contacts Based on Caller-ID
ACT! will instantly find a contact based on an incoming call (requires Caller-Id). Advanced phone functions are also easier with ACT!. Transfer calls, set up conference calls, and even forward your phone using ACT! (requires phone equipment that supports the Microsoft TAPI standard).
new - Group Calendar Sharing
Share calendars on a LAN or with mobile ACT! users. View other’s calendars, bring up multiple calendars, and look for open times. Schedule activities for other ACT! users and send Email or set alarms to notify them.
new - Get Automatic ACT! Enhancements with LiveUpdate
LiveUpdate gives you free, instant access to in-lines and updates, enhancements, support tips, and other useful information. LiveUpdate is run from within ACT! and uses a modem or Internet connection to search the Symantec server and present you with a list of available items. Select items and they will be downloaded and any updates automatically applied.
new - Support for Internet Email
ACT! 3.0 supports Internet Mail. Create and send mail messages from ACT! over the Internet. Attach contacts, notes, history, and activities to email and send to other ACT! users. Create a form letters use email merge to send letters to a group of contacts.
And More!
ACT! 3.0 has over 100 new features! Find contacts and add them to the current lookup. Use last name instead of first name in the salutation field. Import pop-ups from text files. Sort on up to three fields at once. And much more! All the top features you have been requesting have been added to ACT! 3.0.

Advanced Features

new - Fully Customizable Layouts and Database
ACT! 3.0 is now fully customizable. The new graphical layout editor allows you to move fields around the screen, add your own graphics, and create custom on-line forms. Add unlimited user fields, delete fields, and modify the default ones. The new "format" fields allow creation of fields with specific entry requirements, such as social security number.
new - Improved Report Generator
The enhanced report writer provides better, more powerful custom reports. Reports now support sub-totals, statistical functions, sorting, and you can add colors, fonts, custom graphics, and bitmaps to your reports.
new - Support For Larger Databases
ACT! 3.0 supports much larger databases than ACT! 2.0 so as you grow your business, ACT! grows with you. There is no fixed limit to the number of records.
new - Synchronize Databases With Other ACT! Users
ACT! 3.0 provides easy and extensive built-in two-way merging (synchronization) of calendars and contacts. Copy an ACT! database onto your laptop, take it on a trip, and merge changes when you return. Identify a set of records you want to share, dial another user, and synchronize directly with their database. Or send your changes via email. All synchronization is done on a field-by-field basis with time-stamping for breaking ties.
ACT! 3.0 can be configured as a server to perform merging for a group. New leads, updated records, and changes in database format can be automatically distributed to mobile users. new - Manage Projects and Accounts

ACT! 3.0 has customizable group records. These records can be used to track information on accounts, companies, and projects. Everything still links to your contacts, but with ACT! 3.0 you can also link activities, notes, history, and files to group records. Then you can instantly view a summary all the contacts, activities, notes, history, and files for a specific project.

For example, a real estate agent may set up group fields such as "number of bedrooms" and "quality of schools". The agent then enters a record for each house they are trying sell. Now they can see who is interested, view activities by house, run reports by house, and so on.

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