Competitive summary

ACT! 4.0 [ERP $199]
ACT! turns contacts into relationships and relationships into results. ACT! 4.0 continues to lead the contact management segment in easy to use, innovative features that give you instant access to complete customer information. The top three reasons why ACT! 4.0 leads the contact management segment are:

1. ACT! delivers a contact manager which automatically extends your customer database with the world of free customer information.
• Internet Links deliver contact-specific information from various Yahoo! and other search services directly to your desktop.
• Internet Directory Lookup allows you to locate prospects and customers on the Internet and add their information to your customer database.
  
2. ACT! provides superior integration with the tools that you use to communicate with your customers.
• Improved WinFax PRO integration (v 8.0.2 and greater) lets you take advantage of cover pages, attachments, delivery schedules, QuickFax, logging and automatic error recovery.
• Comprehensive email connectivity: Internet email (SMTP/POP3), Eudora Pro, Lotus cc:Mail, CompuServe, and Microsoft Exchange.
• Out of the box integration with the leading word processors (Word and WordPerfect).
• PDAs: Windows CE, PalmPilot, Newton, Psion.
• TAPI integration for telephone dialing: call timer, call forward, transfer and conference.
  
3. ACT! delivers a feature set which is easy to learn and easy to use - making you productive, faster!
• Getting Started with ACT! 4.0 integrated multimedia training.
• Group records than can be used for companies and/or accounts.
• Extensive drag and drop support.
• Integrated, zipped backup.
• Endless easy-to-use features.

Product	Weaknesses	Strengths
GoldMine 4.0 ERP $295 GoldSync: Five sites $695 Ten sites $1295	Difficult to use Complex interface Aimed at large organizations VAR recommended for installation at sites with more than one user Links to word processors are difficult to install Limited screen customization Limited built-in synchronization	Sales tools Telemarketing scripts InfoCenter (remote access to text only sales information files)
Maximizer 97is ERP $249 MaxExchange: Server software & five clients $700	No form view Limited reporting Screens not customizable No built-in synchronization No history for field changes No custom searches	Company records that link to contact records Includes Internet services: links to a service for downloading names from the web, availability of online resource center

Detailed competitive matrix

NOTE: All new ACT! 4.0 features are marked with NEW:

Contact management	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
Predefined fields and layouts	Yes	Yes	Yes
All fields and layouts are editable	Yes	No	No
Every note is date and time stamped	Yes	No	Yes
Automatic contact history log tracks activities, letters, faxes, emails	Yes	Yes	Yes
History log records "field history" when a new value is entered into a field or the field value changes	Yes	No	No
Attach any file to contact record	Yes	Yes	Yes
Contact database	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
Industry-standard xBase file format	Yes	Yes	No
Contact record limitation	None	None	None
NEW: Integrated, zipped contact database backup	Yes	No	No
Import ASCII, dBase and Q&A files	Yes	Yes	Yes
Preview mapping of all file types before importing	Yes	No	No
Automatic duplicate contact record during data entry	Yes	No	No
Autofill entry of data from editable drop down menus	Yes	No	Yes
Unlimited additional phone fields, addresses or contacts per record	Yes	Yes	No
Spell checking entire record (notes, fields, groups, etc.)	Yes	No	No
Drag and drop file attachment to contact record	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ability to add additional customized contact fields	Yes	Yes	Yes
Supports advanced field types: currency, initial caps, lower case, upper case, phone	Yes	No	No
Ability to define template fields (such as ###-##-####)	Yes	No	No
Ability to define a new index on any contact field	Yes	No	No
Calendar and scheduling	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
Day, week, and month calendars	Yes	Yes	Yes
Floating three-month mini calendar	Yes	No	No
Drag and drop rescheduling in all calendar views (day, week, and month)	Yes	No	No
Activities automatically linked to contact record	Yes	Yes	Yes
Activity prioritization	Yes	No	Yes
Automatic roll-over of uncompleted activities	Yes	No	No
To-do list of activities	Yes	Yes	Yes
To-do list can be customized to display and sort on any column	Yes	No	Yes
NEW: Filter to-do list by user, activity type, priority, & status	Yes	No	No
NEW: Internal/External to-do list	Yes	No	No
NEW: Transfer from internal/external to-do list to contact database	Yes	No	No
NEW: Add new contact while scheduling activity	Yes	No	No
NEW: Complete multiple activities at once	Yes	No	No
Reschedule/edit/clear all instances of recurring activities	Yes	No	No
Viewing of cleared and upcoming activities	Yes	Yes	Yes
Schedule private activities which cannot be seen by other group users	Yes	No	No
On-screen alarms with multiple snooze options	Yes	Yes	Yes
Scan through several alarms at once	Yes	No	No
Calendar and address book printing in most popular organizer formats	Yes	Yes	Yes
Communicating with your customers	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
Automatic, out-of-the-box links to Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect	Yes	No	Yes
Built-in full featured word processor	Yes	No	Yes
Spell checking for all customer communication	Yes	No	Yes
Envelope printing	Yes	Yes	Yes
NEW: Automatic prompt to print envelopes after printing customer communication	Yes	No	No
NEW: Automatic optional attachment of generated letters, faxes, and email to contact	Yes	No	No
Mail Merge coach which centralizes all merge settings	Yes	No	No
One step mail merge output to printer, fax, email or file	Yes	No	Yes
Label printing to Avery laser and dot matrix labels	Yes	Yes	Yes
Specify label position	Yes	No	Yes
Easily edit merge templates with built-in word processor	Yes	No	Yes
Point and click creation of merge templates	Yes	No	Yes
Faxing your customers	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
Supports fax merge functions with WinFax PRO	Yes	Yes	Yes
NEW: Use of WinFax PRO attachments, delivery, and scheduling features	Yes	No	No
NEW: Groups, lookups and contact databases listed as phonebook directly in WinFax PRO	Yes	No	No
NEW: One click creation of quick fax to active contact using WinFax PRO	Yes	No	No
NEW: Option to attach WinFax PRO fax image directly to contact record	Yes	No	No
NEW: WinFax PRO logs fax status directly in contact record	Yes	No	No
NEW: WinFax PRO automatically schedules activity to re-fax contact on unsuccessful fax	Yes	No	No
Supports fax merge functions with Microsoft Fax (the faxing built into Windows 95)	Yes	No	Yes
Email and Internet support	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
NEW: Support for Lotus cc:Mail, CompuServe, MS Exchange, and Eudora Pro	Yes	No	Yes
NEW: Direct support for Internet email (SMTP/POP3)	Yes	Yes	No
NEW: Automatic detection of existing Internet email settings	Yes	Yes	No
Access email address books for any configured email system	Yes	No	Yes
NEW: Direct editing/entry of email addresses	Yes	No	Yes
NEW: One-step, customized mail merge to email	Yes	No	No
NEW: Create contact from received email	Yes	Yes	No
NEW: Attach emails to contacts (including email attachments)	Yes	No	Yes
NEW: Send contacts to other users via email	Yes	No	No
NEW: Send activities to other users via email	Yes	No	No
NEW: Unlimited Internet email accounts	Yes	No	No
Email spell checking	Yes	Yes	Yes
NEW: Use Internet email as Microsoft Internet Explorer's mail program	Yes	No	No
NEW: Create customized folders for drag and drop management of email	Yes	Yes	No
Web integration	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
Web address automatically located on base contact layout	Yes	No	Yes
Supports unlimited web site fields per contact	Yes	No	No
One click to launch web sites directly from contact record	Yes	No	Yes
NEW: Automatically extend customer information with Internet resources and services	Yes	No	No
NEW: Lookup contacts on public Internet name servers	Yes	No	No
NEW: Add contacts or send email to contacts found on public Internet name servers	Yes	No	No
NEW: Add contact specific, customized Internet searches	Yes	No	No
Telephone integration	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
Auto-dialer	Yes	Yes	Yes
Automatic history generation for incoming/outgoing calls	Yes	Yes	Yes
Timer for incoming and outgoing calls	Yes	Yes	Yes
Graphic timer and timer controls	Yes	No	Yes
Find a contact using CallerID	Yes	No	No
Formatting international phone numbers	Yes	No	No
Support for Microsoft TAPI dial out, call forward, transfer and conference	Yes	No	No
Searching and lookups	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
Quickly locate group of records	Yes	Yes	Yes
Expand or narrow an existing lookup of records	Yes	No	Yes
Global keyword search	Yes	Yes	No
Sort contacts by up to three levels	Yes	No	Yes
NEW: One-click visual tagging to create contact selection	Yes	No	Yes
Find contacts with any activities, notes/history or email address	Yes	No	No
NEW: Type ahead searching in contact list	Yes	Yes	Yes
Use wildcard strings in lookups	Yes	No	Yes
Ease of use	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
NEW: Integrated multimedia training	Yes	No	No
Context sensitive multimedia help	Yes	No	No
NEW: Wizard to walk user through initial setup and preference setting	Yes	No	No
Provides right mouse context menus	Yes	Yes	Yes
Instant access to program enhancements and product support information	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wizards for advanced functions	Yes	Yes	Yes
Context sensitive help ("What's This" help)	Yes	No	No
Workgroup capabilities	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
Sharing data over a LAN	Yes	Yes	Yes
Security in network database	Yes	Yes	Yes
Group calendar sharing	Yes	Yes	Yes
NEW: Extend workgroup with native Windows CE product version	Yes	No	No
Private contacts and activities	Yes	Yes	No
Schedule activities for other users	Yes	Yes	Yes
Send activity notification as email message	Yes	Yes	No
Send activity as email attachment	Yes	No	No
Synchronization	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
Synchronize calendar, contact, notes, groups	Yes	Yes	No
File synchronization at the field level	Yes	Yes	No
Synchronize via modem, email, or direct connection	Yes	Yes	No
Synchronize directly with another database over LAN	Yes	Yes	Yes
Synchronize database customizations and deletions	Yes	Yes	Yes
Out-of-the-box setup as synchronization server	Yes	No (Requires purchase of GoldSync add-on product)	No (Requires purchase of MaxExchange add-on product)
NEW: Synchronize without logging other users off	Yes	No	No
NEW: Administrative synchronization log	Yes	No	No
Groups, accounts, and project management	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
Assign contacts to "groups" (categories, companies, projects)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Link contact's individual notes, history, and activities to group	Yes	Yes	No
Groups are a second record type with their own customizable fields and data	Yes	No	No
Drag and drop support for group membership	Yes	No	No
Attach notes and files to groups	Yes	Yes	Yes
Create and use customized layouts for group records	Yes	No	No
Customize group record by adding unlimited fields	Yes	No	Yes
Reporting	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
NEW: Instantly print out task list	Yes	No	Yes
Graphical report writer	Yes	Yes	Yes
Supports page/group header, detail, group/page footers, summary bands	Yes	Yes	No
Exclude user's record/data from report	Yes	No	No
Key math and statistical functions for summary fields	Yes	Yes	No
Output report to printer, preview, email, fax, or editable text file	Yes	No	Yes
Customizability	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
Form layout designer allows placement of fields anywhere on contact record	Yes	No	No
Include bitmaps on contact form layout (e.g. company logo)	Yes	No	No
Ability to add and delete tabs	Yes	Yes	No
Fully modifiable menus	Yes	No	No
View/context specific toolbars	Yes	No	No
Supports a contact list view	Yes	Yes	Yes
Columns in list view can be hidden, displayed, moved and resized	Yes	No	Yes
Direct data editing in list views	Yes	No	No
View unlimited fields in contact list view	Yes	No	Yes
Recordable macros	Yes	Yes	Yes
Integration with other applications	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
NEW: Built-in links to external PDA applications (Windows CE, Psion, Newton)	Yes	No	No
NEW: Free PalmPilot Link	Yes	No	No
Add external program commands to menus or toolbars	Yes	No	Yes
DDE functions	Yes	Yes	Yes
Directly access data from external applications using OLE	Yes	No	No
Control user interface from external applications using OLE	Yes	No	No
Integration with Outlook 98	ACT! 4.0	GoldMine 4.0	Maximizer97is
NEW: Share activities with Outlook users. Send/receive activities as email attachments. Double-click to merge them into your database.	Yes	No	No
NEW: Share contacts with Outlook users. Send/receive contacts as email attachments. Double-click to merge them into your database.	Yes	No	No