Over the years, Act! has made tremendous strides in bridging the gap between its Windows desktop client and web access. In fact, recent updates have made the web experience more powerful and user-friendly than ever before—sometimes even surpassing the desktop in specific areas, such as accessibility and ease of deployment. However, despite these advancements, there are still compelling reasons for businesses to maintain at least one desktop client activation in their deployment (a detailed list of the features in Windows that are unavailable in Cloud can be found HERE)
The following is a high-level breakdown of the advantages of keeping at least one desktop around.
1. Add-On Support and Customization
Act! has a rich ecosystem of add-ons that extend its functionality for specialized workflows, advanced automation, and industry-specific needs. These add-ons are primarily designed for the Windows desktop environment and often cannot be fully leveraged through web access alone. Examples can include enhanced Outlook and accounting integration, Group & Company utilities, importing & exporting tools, automation features, and more. For organizations that rely on these custom tools, the desktop client remains indispensable. Click HERE to see our current marketplace of add-ons.
2. Superior Reporting Capabilities
While Act! Web offers robust reporting features in Insights, the desktop client still provides more advanced options for creating, customizing, and exporting reports—especially with add-ons like Keystroke Dash and our Campaign Dashboard for AMA. Complex reporting requirements—such as multi-level grouping, advanced filtering, campaign results, and integration with external data sources—are better handled on the desktop. In fact, Dash not only provides more complex reporting options, but when combined with Keystroke Alerts, the two can automatically deliver these reports on a scheduled basis. For businesses that depend on detailed analytics and reporting, this is a critical advantage.
Having an offline client also affords developers the ability to access SQL directly for enhanced reporting capabilities.
3. Advanced Administrative Tools
Some administrative tasks, such as mass changes to access permissions, reassigning tasks and record managers, and managing users, are more complete in the desktop client. These tools give administrators greater control over the management of their database, ensuring optimal efficiency and security.
4. Offline Access
Web access is fantastic for mobility, but it requires a stable internet connection. The desktop client offers offline capabilities, allowing users to continue working even when connectivity is limited—a key benefit for teams in remote areas or those who travel frequently. It's also serves as an offline backup when needed.
5. Legacy Integrations
Many businesses have legacy systems or workflows that integrate directly with the desktop version or SQL. Maintaining at least one desktop activation ensures these integrations remain functional while the organization transitions to more modern solutions. For example, data exchanges between the CRM, accounting, or ERP products may have been initially setup via the local SDK, but can be transitioned to API exchanges over time.
6. Feature Gaps
Many Act! users have been using Act! for many years, and have come to rely on specific features within the desktop application. To them, the new features in Web will always matter less than the absent desktop features, so here is a list of the most common features missed by users when migrating entirely to the Cloud.
- Managing field-level security
- Freeze Columns
- Add or Edit Activity Resources
- Create Activity Series
- Setup and use field triggers
- Create new report templates (legacy reports)
- Create new or edit existing Dashboards
- Customize menus and toolbars
- Add document attachments as shortcuts
- E-Mail Document option on Document tab
- Edit phone number format defaults
- Timer
- No option to "Open each view in its own window" in Preferences
- Social Updates
- Quick Print
- Lookup > Contact Activity
- Lookup by Example
- Edit default font preferences
- When importing from a spreadsheet, cannot Save map or Load map
The Bottom Line
Act! Web has evolved into a powerful platform that meets the needs of most users. However, for organizations that require advanced customization, reporting, administrative control, or offline access, the desktop client is still a vital component of the deployment strategy. A hybrid approach—leveraging the strengths of both web and desktop—offers the best of both worlds.
