ACT For Palm Receives Major Update

ACT is one of the few PIM applications that survived Microsoft’s Outlook juggernaut by successfully focusing on sales and marketing professionals. While the desktop version offers basic Pocket PC and Palm OS synchronization, organizations and individuals looking for a true ACT experience on a handheld may want to consider the updated ACT for Palm OS 2006, according to developer Sage Software.

Sage Vice-president of ACT product management, Larry Ritter, explains, “For sales professionals, having valuable customer details always at hand, whether in the office or while traveling, is a business necessity. Enabling comprehensive ACT functionality for the versatile Palm OS handheld device provides a valuable mobility option for people who rely on quick data access to drive their business relationships.”

ACT for Palm OS 2006 is the first update to the mobile version of ACT in a couple of years. With it, you can perform many of the functions available in the desktop edition, and sync them between the two.

Scott Stewart, Sages’ product manager for ACT, says “ACT for Palm OS operates as a native application on an individual’s Palm OS handheld device to enable access, adding and updating of predefined and custom data fields, notes and history, activities, calendar information and sales opportunities.”

you can map more than 50 pre-defined ACT fields and up to 15 custom fields, enter new opportunities; read and filter current ones (as well as select and add products from existing product lists); you can also view group and company membership information whether contacts were manually or dynamically added based on defined criteria, among other features.

The new edition is the first Palm OS version with color screen support, which Sage puts to good use. Stewart points out “another new feature of ACT for Palm OS is the ability for people to view their most critical information by having a snapshot view of a their most regularly accessed data fields, which they can view by color-coded prioritization.”

When asked whether the company would consider developing a Pocket PC version of ACT—as PalmSource will not be updating the Palm platform, and the Windows Mobile market – for smartphones at least – appears ready to take flight — Sage wouldn’t commit. Representatives indicated that a mobile strategy is important, but that they have nothing to announce at this time.

ACT for Palm OS sells $99.99.

Adapted from pdastreet.com.