We wanted to give everyone an update on the Handheld Contact API project. With the new Act! Web API version expected out this Friday (March 13th), we've decided to spend the next week and half testing and optimizing against it before releasing our new mobile product.
We could likely wrap this process up sooner, but timing being what it is, we thought it unwise to spend half a year developing a product only to release it during March break. With this in mind, we’re aiming to release the IOS version of Handheld Contact – API to the ACC Community on March 23rd, and then spend the following week beefing up our Knowledgebase to better support a wider commercial launch on March 30th.
Customers will be able to subscribe starting March 23rd on the HandheldContact.com website, but no marketing will begin until the following week.
During the same week of the 23rd, we plan to soft-launch updates to the current production versions of Handheld Contact, soon to be known as "Handheld Contact - Classic". Both the Android and IOS versions will be updated to support the new branding, with the IOS version featuring some minor bug fixes and feature enhancements (ie. "Quick Clear"). The HHC Console will see a minor branding update, as well.
Please note Handheld Contact – Classic and Handheld Contact – API are separate products for different types of deployment, and therefore require separate subscriptions. There is no upgrade between them, and account transfers are not supported. For Act! Pro and Premium users with perpetual licenses, Handheld Contact - Classic will continue to be their best mobile solution, and we're committed to both Classic & the API versions for the long term.
We're very excited about these new developments and have worked hard for over 6-months to bring a quality mobile product to market that is tailor made for Act! subscribers. Handheld Contact - API is a reliable mobile client with faster, more frequent database updates across multiple devices, that is as easy to setup & use as it is to love. Simply download the software to your device, enter some account information and details on what data you want, and within a few minutes everything is download and ready to travel.
This is the update our customers have been waiting for!
- Wireless syncing of contacts, calendars, task lists, opportunities, notes & histories
- Fast setup with no computer software to install or configure
- Syncs directly with your master database using the Act! WebAPI
- No contact limit, and additional data on demand
- Sync with multiple devices per account
- New Dashboard and new modern new look
HHC API requires an Act! subscription with Standard security role or higher, with WebAPI permission assigned
This first version will not include some Classic features like mobile mapping, quoting, and secondary contacts, and will have less interaction with the device’s native address book and calendar. This is a subscription product, though, so we're committed to closing these feature gaps over time, as well as improve the products capabilities & performance as the WebAPI evolves. Please click HERE for more product details, as well as a Comparison Chart between the three HHC versions. We’re scheduled to begin development of an Android version at the end of March, which we expect to complete in late Q2 or early-to-mid Q3.
We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the many Act! Consultants who participated in our recent beta testing. Many of you provided excellent feedback that contributed to important bug fixes and improved provisioning.
We know it's been a long wait, but we hope to reward everyone for their interest and patience with a quality addition to the Act! eco-system that you and your customers can rely on every day.