There is not a version of Act! for “the Mac.”  In fact, there has not been a version of Act! that was Apple compatible since Version 4.  I agree, it would be nice to have one but unfortunately it just can’t happen; Act uses SQL as its database engine and SQL is a Microsoft Product so the chances of ever having a Mac version of Act are slim to non-existent. However, there are a few work arounds for those of you who love your Macs and your Act software.

ACT for Mac Work-Arounds

Use Act! for Web

Act! for Web offers approximately 90% of the functionality of the desktop version of Act! and is a great alternative for companies that have mixed environments of Windows and Mac machines.  There are two ways you can deploy Act! for Web

• Purchase Act! Premium and install the software on your own Web server.
• Purchase the Act! Premium Cloud product and have your database hosted by Swiftpage.

Act Premium Cloud will allow you to access the entirety of your database on your Mac machine using either the Safari or Chrome browser.  You’ll also have the benefit of having someone else be responsible for the maintenance of the Act! database since it will not reside on your machine.  The downside is that if for some reason you don’t have access to the Internet, you won’t have access to your data.

Act! for Mac Virtualization

Virtualization, via programs such as Parallels or VMWare, allows you to run both the Mac and Windows environments on your Mac.  In essence you are partitioning off a part of the Mac’s hard drive and installing Windows.  That will allow you to install Act! on the Windows portion of the hard drive, and continue to use all of your other products on the Mac side of things.

This option is a bit pricey as you’ll need to purchase several items:

• Abundant RAM memory for your Mac
• The Windows operating system
• Virtualization software such as VMWare or Parallels

You can typically purchase a bundle that will include the Windows operating system and the virtualization software for around $500.

If you would like to learn more about Act! CRM please contact one of the Act! consultants at Tech Benders.