I’m having a real hard time deciding whether or not I should upgrade to ACT! 2010. I’m a longtime ACT! user, since ACT! 2.0 and I’m a huge ACT! fan. As I age, I’ve started to question the validity of constantly upgrading to new software versions for a number of reasons. Maybe I just look at it different these days.
I will eventually upgrade, but when my clients and students ask me if they should upgrade to ACT! 2010 these are the things I ponder on their behalf before I advise them:
1.) The software is new and it might have bugs, so as a rule of thumb I tell people to wait about three months before they even consider upgrading. Let the early adopters be the real beta testers. This is my advice for all software upgrades, not just ACT!.
2.) What’s broken (if anything) with your current version?
3.) What are you not accomplishing today that you think the new version will help you accomplish tomorrow?
4.) Are you rich? If so spend the money.
5.) What new features in the new version are really new?
6.) What is it that would make you more effective and efficient every day? For example, if you could reduce the amount of time you spend on processing your daily email, would you be better served to focus on that first?
7.) Do you have time to burn?
8.) Are you the type that has to have the latest and supposedly greatest? If so, you are going to do it regardless of what I advise.
9.) How many customers do you have in your database? When is the last time you called them to say hello? When is the last time you emailed them? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then focus on getting the answers before you upgrade.
10.) Do you use any other products that work with your current version of ACT! that you will need to upgrade if you upgrade to the newest version of ACT!?
In my next post, I’ll review the pros and cons of ACT! 2010.
