Using ACT!, looking for a new solution

Using ACT!, looking for a new solution

I work for a midsize company -- around 350 employees and $400 million annual revenue. We currently use ACT! but would like to replace it with a new solution. We are looking at Goldmine, ACCPAC and Microsoft CRM. Here are our few basic requirements: It must have a Web client, be able to store data in Oracle (our main problem with MS), be able to integrate with ERP system and be able to integrate with Outlook from a native client (pop3 is NOT an option). Also, we are not interested in an ASP model. Are there any other vendors you might recommend?

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First, let me throw in my usual disclaimer. I don't know anything really about your company and vendor selection is a highly specific process, so what I give you will be a place or two to look. Given your size and requirements and the fact that you use ACT!, you might want to look at SalesLogix. They fit your requirements well, though there are occasional issues with Outlook integration - you'll find that with Goldmine and ACCPAC too. SalesLogix is a long established SMB player and they provide pretty rich sales and service functionality and powerful integration features. If you want to look a bit higher on the chain, look to E.piphany perhaps. E.piphany supports WebSphere which, of course, features Oracle integration as one of its key features. So there is an EAI cost there. Goldmine, to me, is a souped up contact manager but I have a hard time placing it in the realm of CRM. ACCPAC is a player recently in CRM but longstanding in ERP and seem to have done a pretty good job of it.
I hope this is a little bit helpful, but if you need more, tell me more at paul-greenberg3@comcast.net and I'll do the best I can to help.

This was first published in February 2004