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ACT! Extra article :: Product Review - ACT! Replacer:: March 2006
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THE newsletter for Serious users of ACT! software.
November 2006
Home
Authors
Test drive CompanionLink and take your
contact data with you
by Carol Gilliland and Stacy Roach
Applications: ACT! Classic/2006/2007, CompanionLink
Articles
If you're like most professionals-on-the-go, you need to take your
critical contact data wherever you go. But syncing with your portable
device can be a messy process that doesn't give you all the data you
need. To help, CompanionLink offers a feature-full solution to your
synchronization needs.
Featuring...
ACT!Remote!
Addressing
To get you syncing your critical customer data using CompanionLink,
we'll:
ListGrabber
ShipRush
z Describe CompanionLink's benefits and its versions so you can
choose the right version for you.
z Step through general instructions for configuring and running
CompanionLink with your PDA.
“I love ACT Extra and I
read cover to cover.”
z Offer insider tips so you can avoid problems.
z Direct you to a help source in case you need it.
-Tom Bursey,
Managing Director
PICKING WINNERS SEARCH
"You cover subjects in
their entirety and make
ACT! a lot more user
friendly. I appreciate all
your hard work."
-Gary Kramer,
Account Manager
NORTH AMERICAN TITLE CO.
“I wholeheartedly
recommend ACT! Extra to
my clients, and to ACT!
users everywhere."
-Sharon Gillie
ACT! CERTIFIED CONSULTANT /
ACT! PREMIER TRAINER
Our guest contributors
Applications, Web Enabled
ACT!Remote!
Audio & Web Conference
Scheduler
GO-Global, Web Enabling
Technology
Online for SALE$
We'd like to thank Carol Gilliland and Stacy Roach of Power of 3
Consulting (www.po3inc.com) for this CompanionLink review.
RemarkableMail
Simply put, you can use CompanionLink to sync the data from ACT!
to your PDA (PocketPC, Windows Mobile, Treo/Palm, or BlackBerry).
If you already use ACT! or your PDA software to transfer some types
of information, CompanionLink provides many more options for you.
We have found that CompanionLink is more thorough and easier to
operate compared to other utilities.
Web & Phone Conference
Scheduler
Conferencing
Customer Service /
HelpDesk
Resource Dynamics, Inc.
Get the skinny on CompanionLink
Data Input
AddressGrabber
CompanionLink offers two products - CompanionLink Pro and
CompanionLink Express. With CompanionLink Express, you can only
sync one database to one PDA. With the Pro, you can sync multiple
databases with multiple PDA's. So, if you want to sync your Outlook
contacts and calendar with your Treo as well as your ACT! contacts
and calendar with your Q phone, you would need the Pro product.
Fetch My Leads
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Web Response Grabber
CLOSE MORE
SALES
with this
SPECIAL REPORT
The Pro version also provides more flexibility on where you can put
your various "to-do's." You can choose to show these on your
calendar or on the task list on your PDA. With the Express version,
the "to-do's" all go on the task list - there is no option to put them on
your calendar.
Data Management
CashRush
Duplinator
InfoOptics
The bottom line: CompanionLink allows you to configure your PDA,
bring over the specific data you want, and store it where you want it.
You can bring over multiple phone numbers, addresses and specific
user fields from your contact manager. You can also bring over
notes, histories and activities from your ACT! database.
Prepare to sync
PrintRush
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Data Synchronization
CompanionLink
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Before you get started, there are a couple of key things to prepare.
Install the latest update for your PDA
EmailRush
FaxRush
Fetch My Email
Begin by making sure you have the latest desktop software for your
PDA. For all of these devices, open the application on your desktop
(Palm Desktop, Activesync, Intellisync, for example) and then go to
the Help/About menu. That should tell you the version number.
IOC Campaign
SwiftPage Email
Financial Services
For Windows Mobile and Pocket PC devices, use Activesync version
4.2 (if you don't have it, the easiest way to get it is to Google search
Activesync 4.2 and look for the download).
For Treo's/Palm, go to the Palm website and follow the links. If you
http://www.actextra.com/UploadedPages/free-2006-11-1.asp
MaxAct
HTML eMail tools
EmailRush
12/28/2006
ACT! Extra article :: Product Review - ACT! Replacer:: March 2006
Page 2 of 2
use a BlackBerry, check with CompanionLink. They have very userfriendly instructions for your version.
Get the latest CompanionLink install
Invoicing
Do it Bill it
Mailing | Shipping
After ensuring you have the most recent desktop software installed,
make sure you have the latest version of CompanionLink. To do so,
point your browser www.companionlink.com and choose
Downloads/Evaluation Software. The evaluation software is the same
as the full version - the only difference is that it stops working after
the 14 day initial trial period. You must pay for it in order to continue
to use it.
Configure CompanionLink
ShipRush
Mapping
BusinessMAP®
PDA Products & Accessories
CompanionLink
Handheld Contact
Now it's time to set up CompanionLink. We can't walk you through
every option for every PDA, so go to the CompanionLink site to find
good step-by-step instructions on how to configure CompanionLink
for your specific PDA. Print out the instructions and keep them handy
as you walk through our general examination of the setup process.
Project Management
Do it Bill it
Quoting | Proposals
Blackberry users take note: The CompanionLink instructions on
CompanionLink's site are especially critical for BlackBerry users
because depending on the version of BlackBerry software, the setup
is completely different.
QuoteWerks
Sales | Marketing
CashRush
To set up CompanionLink:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Install CompanionLink. The CompanionLink installation adds
two icons to your desktop.
Double-click on the CompanionLink Setup icon and start
following the wizard.
Once you choose the PDA, CompanionLink will auto detect the
profile(s) that are associated with that PDA.
After choosing the software to sync with (ACT!, Outlook, etc.),
click on the Configure button.
For first time users, click on each tab and make sure the
settings match what you want.
ListGrabber
Phone & Web Conference
Scheduler
PrintRush
RemarkableMail
Sales Automation Mania
Web Response Grabber
Sales Leads
AddressGrabber
Tread carefully with this essential step: The most important tab
for the first sync is the Purge and Reload. We strongly recommended
that you click this tab to avoid sending duplicate records to your
contact management software. But remember, if you check this box
all data from your PDA will be lost and completely replaced with the
data from your contact manager. So… before clicking this tab, make
sure all the data you want is in your contact manager and not on
your PDA.
ListGrabber
Time Tracking
Do it Bill it
Training
MaxAct
The actual method of syncing varies for each PDA. Once you have
completed the wizard, click on the Synchronize button that is on the
main CompanionLink Setup page and you will get a dialog box that
tells you how you to sync your specific PDA. In the case of some
BlackBerry versions, clicking this button will start the sync process.
Utilities | Accessories
ACT2Excel
Web & Email Tools
Need help?
If you have problems, CompanionLink has an excellent technical
support team. You can call them at 503-243-5200 or email them at
[email protected]. We have found that they are incredibly
responsive to email and you can typically get an answer back within
15 to 30 minutes. Good luck and good syncing!
EmailRush
Web | Wireless Access
ACT!Remote!
Handheld Contact
Our guest contributors
We'd like to thank Carol Gilliland and Stacy Roach of Power of 3
Consulting (www.po3inc.com) for this CompanionLink review.
© Copyright 2006 Buzz Publishing. All rights reserved. Contact web person
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12/28/2006