Following the popularity of ACT! 7.0, two versions of ACT! by Sage v8.0 have once again been developed to provide users with the option of a standard edition, for individual users, single office and home office businesses (SOHOs) and small teams of up to ten people allowing users to manage up to 50,000 contacts at a time; or a Premium for Workgroups edition - catering for larger teams with multiple users that need to share customer data and manage sales opportunities in a secure networked environment. It allows workgroups to collectively manage up to 100,000 contacts at a time.

ACT! by Sage v8.0 marks the first of what will become annual upgrades from the company, as part of a new global research and development commitment to ensure the software, first developed in 1987, continues to meet the changing needs of small businesses and corporate workgroups worldwide.

As in previous versions, ACT! by Sage v8.0 features Lotus Notes integration and an advanced 'Tree View' which allows users to easily see group and company relationships and their hierarchy within subgroups and divisions.

This new version also integrates with a number of other business applications including Microsoft Office and Palm OS as well as Pocket PC and BlackBerry enabled handheld devices. Furthermore, ACT! by Sage v8.0 has expanded accounting capabilities including integration with MYOB.

Other new features include:

• Phone numbers are printed on ACT! calendars for all scheduled calls, even if not originally listed in by the user, for easy 'at a glance' access.
• Automatic database back-up even when users are logged in to the database or if the database is closed.
• Remote user permissions to allow database back-up, restore and maintenance functions.
• Silent installation which allows software to be centrally administered and deployed to other users on the network.

Ken Prokopec, ACT! regional business manager, said that ACT! by Sage v8.0 had closed the gap between ACT! 6.0 and ACT! 7.0. "Sage has taken on board feedback from ACT! 7.0 users and 'tightened up the screws' to make ACT! by Sage v8.0 totally geared to the needs of small businesses and corporate workgroups." Currently, there are over 25,000 registered ACT! users in Australia and New Zealand alone.

Prokopec also commented that since the launch of ACT! 7.0 for Workgroups last year, the company had seen an increase in the number of corporate accounts. "We are extremely encouraged by this feedback, which shows that ACT! is also fulfilling the contact management needs of larger businesses who don't always require all the features of a full-blown CRM system."

A number of popular add-on applications will be released early in 2006 including Handheld Contact, which wirelessly links ACT! with handheld devices operating on the BlackBerry platform, as well as ACT! for Palm, ACT! for Web, ACT! Link for MYOB and ACT! Link for QuickBooks.

ACT! by Sage v8.0 Standard has a recommended retail price of NZ$379.00 (inc GST), or NZ$209.00 (inc GST) for upgrading customers. ACT! Premium for Workgroups v8.0 retails at NZ$629.00 (inc GST), or NZ$399.00 (inc GST) for existing customers.

It is now available across New Zealand from Rafael Technology, Ingram Tech Pacific, Harvey Norman and the Pacific Retail Group as well as through all ACT! Certified Consultants. For the details of your nearest consultant visit www.sagecrm.com.au/Products/ACTCertified.aspx.

For information on volume licensing please call 0800 775 617. For an interactive demo or features tour visit www.sagecrm.com.au.

November 2005