On September 15, 2023 you will no longer be able to purchase an Act! Pro license. It’s the end of an era. From April 1st, 1987 until September 15th, 2023, you could buy an Act! Pro license for a one-time price and install it locally. If your business process or technology stack didn’t change much, you can leverage it for 3+ years. The business software pricing landscape has changed. no matter the application.
With the advent of rapid changes by Microsoft and the web as a whole, desktop technology for a complex program like Act! is simply too expensive to develop and support with a one-time license. Other industry giants like Autodesk, Adobe and Sage have migrated desktop software to a subscription model as well. Quickbooks desktop offers a one-time fee, but they discontinue services like payroll or credit card processing to force those upgrades. Moreover, in 2024, Intuit has phased new licenses for Quickbooks desktop in favor of Quickbooks Online. Oh, don’t forget Microsoft as well with Office 365.
We have laid out some options here, but feel free to contact us to evaluate your unique situation.
Recommended for:
- Clients that want to remain on Act! for 3+ years.
- Clients that want the database on their own server.
- Clients that need software updates for Microsoft compatibility and new features of Act!.
- Clients that want to integrate with additional applications via Zapier or the Web API. with our hosting services.
- Clients that don't want radical change of business process and invested heavily in custom programming or commercial addons.
- Clients that prefer a desktop software experience with web-based access to the database as an ancillary feature.
Changes Required:
- Act! will be billed on an annual basis.
- Upon cancellation of the subscription, the software will no longer access the database.
- No walk-away one-time license purchase is available.
For Act! Pro users, you can upgrade to Act! Premium CRM for $468/user/year (Year 1 promotional price could apply to reduce this cost). Year 2+ , budget $468/user/year.
Recommended for:
- Clients that want to remain on Act! and dislike the hard and soft costs of converting data and systems.
- Clients that want to outsource managing the server.
- Clients that want Act! to keep adding new features including:
- Online appointment scheduling
- Interactive quotes
- Online event management
- Web lead capture forms
- E-mail list verification
- URL shorteners (good for social media)
- Online surveys
- Online customer portals
- Project management
- Website chat integration
- Accounting Link (QBO)
- New mobile app
- Clients that want to integrate with additional applications via Zapier or the Web API.
- Clients that prefer a web-based software experience with installing desktop software with offline access as an ancillary feature.
Changes Required:
- Act! will be billed on an annual basis.
- Upon cancellation of the subscription, the software will no longer access the database.
- No walk-away one-time license purchase is available.
Act! Advantage pricing starts at $360.00 per user per year.
Recommended for:
- Clients that have 3+ users to manage.
- Clients that want to keep an Act!-like user interface without radical change for the sales reps.
- Clients that no longer want to deal with desktop support issues.
- Clients that want to automate more processes.
- Clients that simply don't believe in paying a subscription and prefer a one-time fee.
- Clients that want custom integrations to accounting software or ERP systems.
Changes Required for Self-Hosting:
- Clients need to install a dedicated Windows server.
- Clients need either an in-house I.T. department or a MSP (Managed Service Provider) to maintain the server.
- An evaluation to make sure all the features you want will translate into WiredContact.
WiredContact Enterprise is available as a one-time purchase, a buy once+hosting fee model or a monthly subscription.
Recommended for:
- Clients that want to integrate CRM with their ecosystem of 40+ applications known as Zoho One.
- Clients that want to outsource CRM hardware and software management.
- Clients that want an affordable alternative to SalesForce.
- Clients that want to automate more processes.
- Clients that want a DIY approach to CRM customization and programming before hiring a consultancy like us.
- Workgroups less than 3 users who need a basic edition of Zoho CRM for free.
Changes required:
- An evaluation to make sure all the features you want will translate into Zoho since its a different approach to CRM vs. Act!.
- Budget a fee for conversion, database re-design and training on a new platform.
Recommended for:
- Clients that a basic CRM that's easy to customize without a consultant's fee.
- Clients that want to outsource CRM hardware and software management.
- Clients that want a contact centric approach, not an account-centric approach like Salesforce or Zoho CRM.
Changes required:
- An evaluation to make sure all the features you want will translate into Zoho since its a different approach to CRM vs. Act!.
- Budget a fee for conversion, database re-design and training on a new platform.
