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Web, Windows, & Remote Databases
Understanding the feature gaps between each access method
Customers often ask us what control they're relinquishing by using a subscriber or web based database versus hosting the main host database themselves? The feature gaps between web & windows shrink each year with each new release, and the following is breakdown of the current feature differences between accessing the "master" database, a "web" database, and a remote "sync" database. We hope these distinctions will help users determine the deployment strategy most suitable for their team. These differences are illustrated in the chart below. Some features may not be available in previous Act! versions as this comparison chart reflects the features from latest version of each.
Application Task | Local Master Database | Web Database | Remote (sync) Database | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full Contact, Company & Group Management | ||||||
Create & Manage Contacts, Companys, and Groups | ||||||
Duplicate Checking settings, scan for duplicate records | ||||||
Create and Manage Secondary Contacts | ||||||
E-Mail Document option on Document tab | ||||||
Email from template | ||||||
Write, Email, and Merge Mail | ||||||
Add document attachments as shortcuts | ||||||
Replace, copy, or swap field data for multiple contacts | ||||||
Create & Manage Companys | ||||||
Copy or move contact data | ||||||
Act! Dialer | ||||||
Fax integration | ||||||
Social Updates | ||||||
Edit Contact Access (Make Public, Make Private, Create Access List, Add or Remove Users/Teams) for multiple contacts | ||||||
Edit phone number format defaults | ||||||
History recorded when printing a document (Mail merge directly to printer does create history). | ||||||
No option to "Open each view in its own window" in Preferences | ||||||
Quick Print | ||||||
Create or Edit Layouts (see list of web limits below) | ||||||
Layout Designer Limitations in Web: Change fonts, text alignment or colours, or width of layout | ||||||
Full Calendar Management | ||||||
Create and manage scheduling | ||||||
Create and manage custom activity types, resouces, & priorities | ||||||
Create or Manage Activity Series | ||||||
Schedule resources within activities | ||||||
Create or Manage Smart Tasks | ||||||
Timer | ||||||
Use of Act! Resources when scheduling | ||||||
Edit List Values for the Regarding field when creating an Activity | ||||||
Full Opportunity Management | ||||||
Create and manage Opportunities | ||||||
Create and manage products | ||||||
Create and manage processes | ||||||
Create and manage sales stages | ||||||
Freeze Columns in List View | ||||||
Administration Features | ||||||
Add, edit or delete database fields | ||||||
Add, delete, enable, or disable users | ||||||
Define a password policy | ||||||
Use of Act! Diagnostics utility (ACTDIAG) | ||||||
Setup and use field triggers | ||||||
Database maintenance (check, repair, reindex, delete) | ||||||
Use of Act! Scheduler | ||||||
Manage Addons Feature | ||||||
Preferences: Colours & Fonts | ||||||
Preferences: Communication Tab | ||||||
Backup and restore databases | ||||||
Edit Contact Access (Make Public, Make Private, Create Access List, Add or Remove Users/Teams) for multiple contacts | ||||||
Full Marketing Features | ||||||
Act! Marketing Automation | ||||||
Act! emarketing | ||||||
MailManager4act | ||||||
Full Report Management | ||||||
Create new or edit existing report templates | ||||||
Insights (v20 or higher) | ||||||
3rd Party reporting tools | ||||||
Create new or edit existing Dashboards | ||||||
Searching & Lookups | ||||||
Lookup Menu from Pull-down menu | ||||||
Left Side Navbar Lookup field | ||||||
Advanced, Universal & Keyword Search | ||||||
Show "Look For" Option in List View | ||||||
Lookup > Contact Activity | ||||||
Lookup by Example | ||||||
Synchronization Management | ||||||
Create and re-create remote databases | ||||||
Initiate or schedule synchronization | ||||||
Install remote databases | ||||||
Synchronize Act! data with a handheld device | ||||||
Unpack and restore remote databases | ||||||
Remote database synchronization panel (edit, delete remote databases, and sync sets) | ||||||
MS Office Integration | ||||||
Only available in Web with Internet Explorer | ||||||
Importing | ||||||
CSV files | ||||||
Excel files | ||||||
Dbase | ||||||
Act! database | ||||||
Outlook | ||||||
Exporting | ||||||
CSV files | ||||||
Excel files (using Export to Excel function) | ||||||
Act! database | ||||||
Txt files | ||||||
Custom Tables (Premium Plus) | ||||||
Manage Custom Tables Menu | ||||||
Edit custom table data | ||||||
Import into custom tables | ||||||
Manage Templates | ||||||
Sequential Field Settings | ||||||
Activity Fields | ||||||
Editing Field Security settings | ||||||
Right click functionality | ||||||
Presents browser options in Web | ||||||
Customize menus and toolbars | ||||||
= Included
= Not Included
= Partially Included
Definitions:
- The "Local Master" database resides on your server or workstation, and can only be accessed directly with the Act! windows client by Keystroke authorized personnel.
- The "Web" database is the thin client means to access the host database with a browser, tablet, or smartphone.
- A "Remote" database", often called a "subscriber" database, is created from the host database and is deployed locally on customers computers for use with the Act! windows software. These databases sync with the host database.
* Some of the web features listed above as supported may require the latest version of the Act! software.
