Sage Updates Software for SMBs and Governments

by Alex Woodie

Yes, Virginia, there are alternatives to Microsoft and SAP when it comes to ERP software for the Windows platform. Sage Software, one of the world's biggest ERP software companies and a major Windows player, recently announced new releases for a range of its Windows products, including its BusinessVision software for small businesses, its Sage Accpac ePOS point-of-sale system, Sage FAS Gov Fixed Assets and Sage FAS Nonprofit Fixed Assets, and Timeslips by Sage 2006.

BusinessVision 7.0

BusinessVision is an integrated suite of accounting products designed for small and medium size businesses that have outgrown products like QuickBooks, but don't yet require the robustness of a full-fledged ERP system. It includes 18 standard modules, such as general ledger, payroll for U.S. and Canadian workers, AR and AP, order entry, and inventory management, and additional modules, such as multi-currency support and more than 150 pre-defined reporting templates.

With BusinessVision 7.0, Sage says it has included more than 100 enhancements, such as expanded tables and fields, a new user interface, a new database, better data management capabilities, easier third-party application integration, and new reporting features through Crystal Reports Designer. BusinessVision 7.0 runs on Windows and Novell NetWare operating systems and is available in limited, small business, standard, and client-server editions.

Pricing for BusinessVision 7.0 starts at $300 (Canadian) for a single-user license to the limited edition, and ranges up to about $9,000 (Canadian) for the client-server edition. Only the Canadian version will be released this month; the U.S. version will be released later this year, the company says.

Accpac ePOS 5.3

Sage has also released a new POS system for its successful Accpac ERP system. Accpac ePOS version 5.3 introduces new features that should bring users faster processing, better inventory control on the back end in conjunction with Sage Accpac ERP, more complete oversight of sales activity, and simplified handling of returns and exchanges, according to Craig Downing, a vice president with Sage Software and general manager of its Accpac unit.

Retailers operating in more than one country will also benefit through Accpac ePOS's new capability to handle varying tax tables, different currencies, and different languages (through the XML translation files included with the product). Retailers' customer loyalty programs are bolstered through new capabilities to gather customer information at check-out and to track customer buying patterns within the POS device itself.

Sage Accpac ePOS 5.3 runs on Windows server and Windows POS stations, and is available now. Pricing starts at $2,000 for the server component, which includes one POS register license, and $1,000 for each additional POS register component.

Sage FAS 2005.1

The Sage Fixed Asset Solutions division has shipped new versions of its fixed asset management software. Last week, the group shipped the 2005.1 release of its Sage FAS Gov Fixed Assets and Sage FAS Nonprofit Fixed Assets solutions for nonprofit, government, and school organizations.

The 2005.1 release brings several new features to the Sage FAS products, including a new Clear Period Close feature, an enhanced Allocations feature, a new Links Menu, an enhanced Express Start feature, a streamlined Inventory Helper, a new Inventory Manager, an improved Reader Manager, an enhanced Overdue Assets Alert, and an updated Virtual Reader. It also works with the FAS Construction in Progress Accounting 2.0 product, Sage says.

More than 700 organizations use Sage FAS software, which provides them access to depreciation information, helps with end-of-year reporting processes, and assists with implementation of the government's GASB 34 requirements. GASB 34 refers to new financial reporting requirements the federal government started implementing in 1999 to make it easier for citizens, legislators, bond creditors, the media, and others to understand the overall financial health of state and local governments.

Timeslips 2006

Last week Sage started shipping the 2006 release of its Timeslips software, a Windows-based time and billing program designed for small to medium size professional service organizations. Timeslips is sold by Sage's Atlanta-based Small Business Division, which also sells the popular ACT! contact management system and the Peachtree and DacEasy accounting systems.

Timeslips 2006 brings several new features, including the capability to reprint partially paid or unpaid bills in a single step, the capability to export reports to a formatted Excel file, and a new print preview function for standard reports within Timeslips. Other new features include: Interactive Reports, which enables users to drill down to the source of reporting data from the preview screen; Smart Configure, which makes it easier for users to turn off Timeslips features that they rarely or never use; and new report design features that lets users modify reports by dragging and droping items on the preview screen.

Timeslips 2006 is available now. Pricing starts at $450 for a single-user version of the product, while the Multi-user Value Pack is available for $800 for a five-user license and $1,500 for a 10-user license.

In other news, Sage Software has appointed Elvin Monteleone its senior vice president and general manager for midmarket CRM solutions, which includes its SalesLogix CRM and Sage CRM packaged software and hosted CRM businesses.

In his new position, Monteleone returns to Best Software. He worked at Best before the company was acquired by Sage Group in 2000. Since that acquisition, Sage Group has been growing its North American business ) quite rapidly, and today it counts more than 2.4 million small and mid-sized business customers as its customers. It only recently changed its name from Best Software to Sage Software. Overall, Sage Group has about 4.5 million customers worldwide.

Sage Group, as a whole, has been growing solidly over the past year, and is now the third largest ERP software vendor in the world, by revenues, behind tier-one ERP juggernauts SAP and Oracle, according to AMR Research. From 2003 to 2004, the U.K.-based software vendor grew revenue by 38 percent, from $900 million to about $1.2 billion, to claim 5 percent of the worldwide ERP market, AMR's June tally of the ERP software market shows. This year, the research firm expects Sage to grow revenues by a more modest 11 percent, to about $1.4 billion, and to grow its worldwide market share to 6 percent.