Act! Growth Suite – Part 1

Anyone remember New Coke? Me neither. Manufacturers often like to change naming conventions; why, I’m not sure. Maybe they feel compelled to “freshen” things up a bit, or maybe their marketing folks just needed further justification for developing new strategies.

I have been bombarded by questions lately from confused Act Customers; I’m hoping this article will help straighten any confusion on the part of existing Act users.

Act!, Sage Act! or ACT! – What’s in a Name?

Let’s start with the basic Act (which by the way has been around since 1987).  The product has had a few changes over ownership along the way. Along with new ownership came new names – and new spellings. The spelling has gone from ACT! to act! to Act! Act! was even known at one time as “Sage Act!.” The only true consistency lies in the exclamation point which at least separates Act! from the ACT Test!

In 2006 Act! split off into two “flavors”:  Act Pro, which was developed for the little guys, and Act Premium which was developed for the big guys. Even this change proved daunting for Act Premium users as the name changed from the original Act EX.

Just when you thought things could not get more confusing, in 2002 Act started offering an E-Marketing product originally called “SwiftPage E-Marketing.” Fast forward to 2013 when the SwiftPage folks decided that they “liked the product so much that they decided to buy the company.”

SwiftPage E-Marketing, Act! E-Marketing and Act! Marketing Automation – Gone But Not Forgotten

SwiftPage E-marketing was a cool product that allowed you to send target e-mail blasts directly from Act!; it had the additional benefit of writing the results of your e-marketing campaign right back into Act. It worked really well with the exception that the template creator showed its age; what was “cool” in 2002 became “clunky” by 2016. Surprise! Another e-marketing product arrived in 2016 called “Act E-Marketing.” As if the idea of having two separate e-marketing products that worked with Act wasn’t confusing enough, in 2018 a third product was introduced: Act Marketing Automation.

Confused yet?  But wait – there’s more! But first a little follow-up about the products:

• SwiftPage E-Marketing was discontinued as of 6/30/19.
• Act E-Marketing is still alive and kicking – albeit without the “free” accounts that were available when the product was first introduced. It is also slated to be discontinued in the not so distant future.
• Act Marketing Automation was renamed (drum-roll, please) to Act Growth Suite.

So if you’ve been following me to this point you deserve a gold star on your forehead – or a very “generous” pour of your favorite adult beverage.

Am I happy with all the naming and renaming of the various products? No, but again I don’t get paid the big bucks to decide these things. More importantly, am I happy with the new product, Act Growth Suite? Yes, I am!

Feeling confused by Act? Don’t be! We’re here to help. Give us a call at 561-470-5450 x1 and we’ll explain your options!