07 February 2020

Handheld Contact Announcement

We wanted to share some of the exciting changes we have in store at Handheld Contact. As we’ve announced in previous postings, the new “Handheld Contact API” is scheduled to go to external beta next week, and based on feedback, we expect it to be ready for commercial release in the following 2-3 weeks.

Handheld Contact API
Not to mince words, Handheld Contact API is a game-changer. With easy setup and syncing directly to the master database for faster, more frequent updates of a larger amount of data across multiple devices, Handheld Contact API is what our customers have asked for.

  • Wireless syncing of contacts, calendars, task lists, opportunities, notes & histories
  • Fast setup with no computer software to install or configure
  • No Windows Console needed, syncs directly with master database using the Act! WebAPI
  • No contact limit & sync with multiple devices per account
  • New Dashboard and modern new look

The first release will be in IOS only, but we expect to have an Android version in Q2 or Q3 of this year. See our quick video walkthrough of the new setup process HERE.

Branding Changes
While we expect many current Handheld Contact subscribers will want to sign-up for the new API version, some won’t because the WebAPI technology is only available to the current Act! subscribers. Act! Pro customers or those using “off-plan” versions of Act! with perpetual licenses can continue to use the current production version of Handheld Contact, but the API version won’t be available to them until they sign-up for Act! Growth Suite.

Since each product serves a different Act! markets, we wanted to reassure our loyal customers that we’re committed to maintaining, supporting, and improving both versions for the foreseeable future. That said, having two products called "Handheld Contact" working on two mobile platforms might cause some confusion, so we felt some small rebranding was required.

Effective March 1st, 2020, the current product version of our mobile software will be called “Handheld Contact Classic” (or shortened to "HHC Classic"), with minor tweaks to the device & Windows software to reflect this change. The new version will be called “Handheld Contact API” (HHC API).