Importing an ACT! 6.0 database into Contact Manager?

[Ralph]

I have been successful in importing my ACT database into the updated Contact
Manager ("CM"), but I have two general problems/questions:
1) is there any way to get the contact's company to be interpreted as an
Account?
2) I use "Groups" in ACT! to handle contacts that are related to projects,
e-mail lists, etc. How can I import these Groups into CM?
3) Where can I find a good online manual for CM, so that I can quickly get
upto speed on use and power?

 

[Susan]

Q1 I think there are other posts on this, but from what I remember I opened
ACT and exported to a CSV file, mapping fields along the way. Then when I
imported that CSV file into the BCM, and BTW, I did change Company to
Account, it worked.

Q2 - On the other hand, when you use BCM to import an ACT db, you have to
convert it first, and one thing you can do in that process is to assign
Groups to Categories (I have the same problem, my ACT users have lots and
lots of Groups). The closest I have come in BCM is Categories. Not perfect
as they use them like Distribution Lists (not native to BCM) and like
categories, but better than nuttin.
Susan

 

[Bill Rodgers]

Hi Ralph,

A good reference book on this subject is "Moving from ACT! to BCM" by Lon
Orenstein, a long time ACT Certified Consultant. The book will help you with
the best case scenarios for sending you ACT data to BCM as well as how to
adjust your old ACT way of thinking to the new BCM methodology. You can get
the book from this website:

http://www.outlookpower.com/issues/issue200604/00001753001.html

Bill Rodgers
Pinpoint Tools

 

[Thatch]

Check out the solutions at act-to-outlook.com or at act-to-bcm.com

TH

 

[Rex]

Hi Ralph,

I just found your e-mail question below. I am just now trying to move from
ACT! 6.0 to BCM 2007 and seeking the exact same answers. Did you find
success? Did you get any of the books that were suggested and were they
helpful to you?

Thanks for your help,
Rex

 

[Lon Orenstein]

Gentlemen:

1. There's not a way to make the Company field in the Contact record
transform into an Account record -- you'll need to create one and then link
the contacts into it.

2. If you were using group rules to define your groups in ACT!, the members
of the group won't come across during the conversion to BCM 2007. Your best
bet is to use Search Folders in BCM to recreate the criteria and that will
function like groups in ACT!.

3. I'll have my eBook, Moving from ACT! to Business Contact Manager 2007,
finished by tomorrow and will post a link on our website. My Dummies book,
Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager for Dummies, will hit the stores
mid-March.

Hope that helps,
Lon
_________________________________________________
Lon Orenstein
pinpointtools
(e-mail address removed)
www.pinpointtools.com