DEPLOYI
NG ACT!
IN A
CITRIX
ENVIR
ONMENT
Jon KlubnikCloudTop OfficeACT! Hosting Quickbooks [email protected]
http://cloudtopoffice.com(866)710-4228
WHAT IS CLOUDTOP OFFICE
ACC Since 2000
Hosting ACT Since 2004 Jon Klubnik Robert Formby Donna Triolo Grace Musuva
Nearly all of our business is providing hosting services for users of ACT!, Quickbooks, Microsoft Office, Sage 50 and Quotewerks
We are based in Sugar Land, TX
Our primary datacenter is in Dallas, TX
WHY WE ARE DOING THESE WEBINARS
I liked the idea of Perfecting ACT!
Love learning new things.
I love hanging out with people who do what I do (ACCs)
WHAT IS CITRIX?
Citrix is a platform build on top of Remote Desktop allows us to deliver Windows application to any internet connected device.
WHY IS CITRIX A BIG DEAL FOR ACT! HOSTINGThis means that ACT! for Web is not your only option
You we can deliver the FULL ACT Desktop application to an IPAD, MAC, Iphone with only a small plugin to install.
YOU, the consultant can have full access to the master ACT! database
• to make changes,
• do imports,
• customize reports, add fields… anything
• You make your changes into ACT, not a proprietary web tool.
WHY CITRIX?
Device Agnostic
Multi Platform
Full Desktop ACT!
Access to add ins
Can be deployed with OFFICE, Quickbooks, Sage 50, Quotewerks
Security
Low Bandwidth
FEATURES MISSING IN ACT! FOR WEBAdd additional user licenses to the
database
Add or modify database fields or layouts
Menu and Toolbar customization
"Show Look For" option
Edit Smart Tasks
Right click functionality (presents browser options)
Create Activity Series
Setup and use field triggers
Import or export data (you can use the Export to Excel function from the list view)
Create new report templates
Sage E-marketing for ACT!* functionality
Add document attachments as shortcuts
Manage Opportunity Product and Process Lists
Synchronize Sage ACT! data with a handheld device
Integrate Sage ACT! with a supported accounting program
E-Mail Document option on Document tab
No Sage ACT! Email client installed locally for viewing or managing email
Source ACT! KB 29493
MORE FEATURES MISSING IN ACT! FOR WEBEmail Message (from template)
Backup and restore databases
Replace, copy, or swap field data for multiple contacts
Duplicate Checking settings, scan for duplicate records
Edit Contact Access (Make Public, Make Private, Create Access List, Add or Remove Users/Teams) for multiple contacts
Copy or move contact data (merge)
Database maintenance (check, repair, reindex, delete)
Use of Sage ACT! Diagnostics utility
Remote database synchronization panel (create, edit, delete remote databases and sync sets)
Sage ACT! Dialer
Fax integration
Timer
Sage ACT! Scheduler
History recorded when printing a document (Mail merge directly to printer does create history).
No option to "Open each view in its own window" in Preferences
Social Updates
Quick Print
ISSUES WITH SYNCHRONIZATION
Workstation or user issues can cause it to break
Security issues. Data is on the laptop and subject to theft or misuse.
Users must still be responsible ensure sync success
No Real time Data
Difficult to switch workstations
No solution for Mac
There are 1268 Knowledge base articles on Synchronization
REMOTE DESKTOP AS AN OPTION
Much less expensive
More prone to security issues
Limited device support
Ok for internal us or small implementations
OK with High Bandwidth and when users authenticate over VPN first
CITRIX VS REMOTE DESKTOP
Citrix is built on top of Terminal Services (Remote Desktop)
Extra Layer of Security with Citrix
Citrix Supports for a variety of devices natively vs Mac and Windows only for RDP
Citrix is better optimization for low bandwidth scenarios
A recent study shows that Citrix can use up to 73% less bandwidth on your server than Terminal Services.
BENEFITS OF ACT! OVER CITRIX (KB 15275)
Users: No need to install, configure, or manage ACT! on user computers. All
set-up and administration is performed by others. In addition to Windows PCs, ACT! can be available from a range of
computers including Macintosh®, Linux PCs, thin clients, etc. Anytime, anywhere access to ACT!.
Administrators: Central installation and maintenance of the ACT! application and
database. ACT! deployed as part of a published desktop or published application
(Citrix). ACT! deployment and administration consistent with other
applications.
SELLING POINTS FOR ACT! OVER CITRIX
Add ins work
Imports are possible
FULL Use of ACT desktop
Any internet Connected Device
You can log in to ALL of your customers Production databases from a single login.
You don’t need a third party tool to customize ACT!
PUBLISHED APP OR DESKTOP
Published App Puts the ACT Icon on the users Windows or Mac Desktop
Little bit of a learning Curve
Does NOT integrate with local copies of Office
Virtual Desktop – Delivers a Windows Desktop, users and switch back and forth
CITRIX SPECIFIC ACT TECHNICAL ISSUES
Issues with ACT! Internet Mail (KB17444) – I”ve not seen this one.
Unable to Attach E-mails to Contacts When Using ACT! in a Multi-UserCitrix Environment KB 17449) I”ve not seen this one – resolved in later ACT Versions 2008 and higher
Email History Fails to be Recorded Using Outlook® Integration in a Citrix® Environment – Easy to resolve (qpath) kb 23701
Clipboard Operations Not Functioning in Citrix® Environment kb25672 some what rare, but minor issue. Resolved with reboot.
Error: "A generic error occurred in GDI+" kb25903 much less common with 2013 but still happens – RDP Issue
ACT! ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WITHIN CITRIX
ACT! Integrates with Office on the server. (Excel, Outlook, Word)
Good news is that this makes the entire environment portable and device agnonstic.
Can present a challenge for email users Work around for email – APFW Client, OutlookIntegratoR1 – DesignR1 User Hosted Exchange or MAPI
IF HOSTING MAKES SENSE
We can deploy a hybrid of APFW, Citrix and Sync within the same organization
Your Customers are supported by ACCs
You keep all of the
training revenue
software sales
Consulting
as much of the support as you want.
CURRENT DEMO PROFILES
• ACT! for Mortgage
• Durkin Impact
• TopLine
• ACT! for Advisors
• ACT! for Physician Liasons
• Stonefield Query
• Hogan Data
• QB Data
• Quotewerks
• Quickbooks
• Sage 50 Peachtree
RESELLER PROGRAM
We are taking a limited number for resellers.
Call me!
Jon Klubnik
(866) 710 4228 Donna [email protected](866) 710 4228
A FEW OF MY IDEAS…..
ACTPlugins Page - An independent Wikki- like ACT! Addons site – this site would be free and independent . It is up to the community to rate and list their favorites.
ACC Mastermind Group – meet via Skype once a month to share ideas. 15 minutes on a topic, 30 minutes for discussion. Purpose for networking and mutual assistance
Monthly Webinar Training on Growing an ACC Business – Similar to Perfecting ACT, but via Webinar and free. Meet once a month