Written by Ken Quigley

October 07 2024

Switching from Act! Pro to Act! Premium Cloud (APC) might seem overwhelming, especially if you’ve avoided CRM fees for years. While it’s nice to dodge recurring costs, perpetual licensed programs inevitably become obsolete. The recent deprecation of SQL 2014 is a prime example of this. There are many compelling reasons to consider upgrading to...

Written by Ken Quigley

May 27 2024

Recent survey results suggest that a majority of Act! users who upgraded to Act! v24 or v25 from a 32-bit version may still be using the soon-to-be-deprecated SQL 2014. If you're not familiar with the risks of using unsupported versions of SQL, please read this blog. To reduce the security risk for this cohort, we encourage them to upgrade to the...

Written by Ken Quigley

May 24 2024

With SQL 2014's pending deprecation in early July, many Act! users are facing a tough choice. As we explain HERE, there are only four responsible paths forward for this cohort, and they all begin with the letter "U"—upgrade, update, unplug, or uninstall. Upgrade your Act! to a 64-bit version that supports SQL 2019 Update your SQL version to...

Written by Ken Quigley

May 23 2024

For users operating a 32-bit version of Act! integrated with SQL 2014 who are not prepared to transition to Act! Premium Cloud by the time Microsoft phases out SQL 2014 on July 9th, there is an alternative solution. The majority of 32-bit Act! editions post version 17, which initially included SQL 2014, are eligible for an update to SQL 2016. This...

Written by Ken Quigley

May 15 2024

It's helpful to note that Act! software can detect which version of their program customers are using. With this information, all Act! v24 customers were recently notified via an in-product pop-up about the scheduled retirement of that version on August 31st. This retirement date was initially scheduled for July 31st but was extended a month.

Written by Ken Quigley

May 13 2024

With the pending deprecation of SQL 2014, we thought it timely to review the benefits of upgrading to Act! v25 from earlier unsupported 32-bit versions. We understand many decline to upgrade because "if it ain't broke, don't fix it, but the latest version of Act! offers many features that can enhance your customer relationship management...

Written by Ken Quigley

May 01 2024

It's the first of the month, and a few Act! Marketing Automation users are likely waking up to their email send quotas being reset. Each tier of AMA has different send limits, and active campaigns that attempt to send further emails will be placed into a hold status. To release from hold, you will need to upgrade your tier, purchase...

Written by Ken Quigley

April 30 2024

Using Microsoft Word or Excel for sales quotes is a common practice, but there are compelling reasons to consider employing a dedicated quoting software. Let’s explore the benefits of adopting such a solution: Efficiency:  Quoting software streamlines the quote-to-cash process, allowing sales reps...

Written by Ken Quigley

April 29 2024

With the countdown to the July 9th end-of-life of SQL 2014 well underway, it is useful to review the risks of continuing to use unsupported versions of SQL. Here are some reasons why it’s crucial to avoid using them: Security Vulnerabilities: Unsupported versions do not receive security updates or patches, leaving your system exposed to new...

Written by Ken Quigley

April 19 2024

On July 9th, Microsoft will officially retire SQL 2014, ceasing all support for the software. Users of this SQL version will face increased security risks due to the absence of future patches and updates. We’ve previously communicated this, but it’s crucial to understand the consequences to our Act! customers, especially those utilizing...