Sage Adds CRM to Accpac ERP Suite

Published: April 29, 2008

by Alex Woodie

Customers that license Accpac ERP from Sage Software now get SageCRM as part of the deal, Sage announced last week. Sage calls the combination of SageCRM with the new Accpac version 5.5, which run on Windows and i OS (formerly i5/OS), the new Extended Enterprise suite offering, and claims it gives customers the tools needed to automate their back-office as well as their front-office operations.

The Canadian software company has integrated SageCRM's sales, marketing, and customer service functionality into its Accpac ERP suite with the release of Accpac version 5.5. The integration will improve the decision making capabilities of Accpac ERP users by providing a single, consistent view of customers and enhancing collaboration among departments, the company says.

The new Extended Enterprise suite offering gives small and mid size businesses simple and integrated business processes and workflows, says Laurie Schultz, general manager of Accpac for Sage.

"With simplicity in product and pricing, new, improved support offerings, and better synchronization of complementary application availability, the convenience and value offered by our new Sage Accpac Extended Enterprise Suite is our next step in that direction, and you'll see more of this approach from Sage Software in the future," she says.

Accpac 5.5 brings several other new capabilities, including new business performance dashboards for the accounts receivable, accounts payable, and sales analysis; new multicurrency capabilities; tighter integration with Accpac HRMS (human resource management system) and Sage FAS Fixed Assets; a new general ledger account roll up feature (available only in the 500 series); better integration with Microsoft Office 2007 and Windows Vista; an increased number of account segments and number of years of history; and the inclusion of popular options products (such as general ledger security and lot-tracking with serialized inventory) at no additional charge, the company says.

Sage, which ranks among the five largest ERP software vendors in the world, has also launched a new online community at www.sageaccpac.com/community where Accpac users, Sage representatives, and Sage business partners will be able to communicate and help each other solve common problems.

Sage will flesh out the Extended Enterprise suite by delivering versions of complementary applications that are compatible with Accpac version 5.5, such as Sage Accpac HRMS, Sage FAS Fixed Assets, and Sage Accpac Insight. Sage has committed to delivering these by the end of July.

In the meantime, Sage is offering special per-user pricing for Accpac 5.5 users that should make the software more affordable for smaller organizations. The pricing is good through June 18. After that, the pricing returns to its standard price of $695 per module ($795 Canadian) for Accpac 100 ERP 5.5. The company also offers two other editions of Accpac, the 200 and 500 series.

Sage Accpac runs on Windows Server and IBM i, while Sage CRM runs entirely on Windows. For more information visit www.sageaccpac.com.

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