Act! and your HandheldBenefits and Considerations |
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Now you can choose whatever handheld device you'd like and stay in touch with your office in a wireless, seamless fashion.
You may keep your Act! database, calendar and email in front of you as if you were in the office. See new contacts as they are added to the database and new appointments scheduled for you. If some of your calendaring information lives in Outlook and some in Act!, use the new Act to Outlook scheduled sync and then push all of your calendaring information out to your handheld.
Never be without a phone number. Never be out of touch with those who have sent you an email and need a quick response. Know your schedule and make appointments on the spot.
Overview
It is now possible to synchronize your email and your Act! database to any handheld device with a real time, wireless connection. CompanionLink Software, getting there…
To save $5's on your single- user purchase click here
To view the CompanionLink Enterprise whitepaper
Introduction
Integrating Act! with your handhelds does take a bit to setup it up since there are more than a few moving parts. In most instances integration involves Act!, Windows, data and email synchronization software, handheld software, Outlook and an email service provider or Microsoft Exchange Account.
As challenging as this is, there is one piece of software which facilitates the Act/handheld integration and extends your range of handheld device options. This software – CompanionLink – is a proven 3rd party Act! add-on software that supports nearly all handheld devices using either a network or wireless connection.
Integrating Act! and your PDA
First, determine the version of your Act! software. Anything less than Act! 8 or Act! 2006 will probably be more of a troubleshooting investment than the cost to upgrade.
Second, determine the type of Operating System used by the handheld. The handheld operating system determines how data can be moved between the Act! database and the handheld. Use either Act's free links or CompanionLink. There are currently four predominant types of handheld operating system software:
The Palm OS - Treo Windows Mobile - Everything that is not a Treo, BlackBerry or iPhone The Blackberry - BlackBerry iPhone
Act! offers free software to connect Act! and the Palm OS or Act! and Windows Mobile with ActiveSync. Act! does not provide a link to the BlackBerry, which has its own proprietary system.
CompanionLink software integrates: Act! and the Blackberry Act! and the Palm OS, for additional functionality Act! and the Treo with Palm OS, for additional functionality Act! and the Treo with Windows Mobile OS, for additional functionality Act! and Windows Mobile, for additional functionality Act! and the iPhone, in development Act! to Outlook to iPhone, currently available
CompanionLink can also be counted on to help adjust for handheld software version conflicts that Act! no longer supports or does not yet support.
Third, determine the particulars of what you would like to synchronize from your desktop to your handheld and how you would like to do it. For the sake of this discussion, I'll focus on Act! data and email.
A) In regards to Act, determine what would you like to move from Act! to the handheld and if you'd like to make changes on your handheld and return those changes to Act!
You may synchronize the following Act! Data: Contacts, Activities, Histories and Notes, Opportunities, Alarms
B) In regards to your email, determine:
If you are using Microsoft Outlook? If you are using a pop3 address? If you are receiving your email through Microsoft Exchange Server?
Fourth, determine how you would like to sync Act! Do you want to sync when you are only physically connected to your computer? Or, do you want to sync wirelessly, when you are away from your computer, when you are out and about and wish to receive new contact and calendaring updates when you are away from the office?
A) Act! - If you choose to use the free Act! links, you must synchronize your Act! database when you are physically connected to your computer.
B) Act! - If you choose to utilize CompanionLink you may: 1) Sync when you are physically connected to your computer. 2) Sync when you are away from your computer using a wireless connection for a monthly $10 charge.
C) Email 1) Pop3 Address and your ISP - Internet Email Access functionality is purchased through your mobile provider. 2) Microsoft Exchange Server - Internet Email Access functionality is purchased through your mobile provider.
Final Thought
In our world, customer service and timeliness are everything. Now, you can have that with real-time Act! and email and with more choices and with more control than ever before. |
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