Sage Software Unveils New Standard in Small Business Accounting: Peachtree by Sage 2007

May 9, 2006; 07:16 AM

NASHVILLE, TN - Sage Software has unveiled its new Peachtree by Sage 2007 product line, which has been significantly enhanced to provide small businesses with faster access to key information for easier day-to-day operational management. New to the product line is the addition of Peachtree by Sage-Quantum edition, a high performance solution which will support up to 10 named users, and will include free support, upgrades and updates in an automatic annual renewal plan.

The net result of thousands of hours of customer input and onsite design and testing, the Peachtree 2007 line combines the accuracy and control for which Peachtree is known with significant improvements to the product interface, user experience and work flow.

"This is the most significant upgrade in the 30 year history of Peachtree," said Connie Certusi, General Manager, Small Business Accounting Solutions, Sage Software. "We've invested thousands of hours in usability studies through our in-house Customer-Connected Design Center, bringing in more than 150 small business owners for user input and design sessions, conducting visits to customers' offices, and gathering data through surveys of small businesses. We worked not only with our own customers, but with our competitors' customers and with small businesses that utilize paper and pencil to manage accounting. The net result is a product that works the way small businesses do, bringing them improved productivity and ease of use without cutting corners in critical areas."

New with the 2007 product line is the Business Status Center(1), a dashboard of critical, real-time information about the health of the business. With eight sections available, the Business Status Center is customizable by user and provides instant access to an integrated view of key business measurements and indicators. From this dashboard, small businesses can quickly gain insight as to who their most profitable customers are, what bills need to be paid and what is owed to them, as well as many other indicators for their business.

Peachtree 2007 also features enhanced integration with Microsoft Office, adding more powerful links with Excel® and Outlook® to the existing Office integration technologies built into the product since 1999.

Integration with Excel: With more robust options for exporting data, small businesses will be able to export Peachtree report layouts into Excel that include both the formulas for calculated values, and the report formatting, as well as the option to retain viewing capabilities such as freeze pane, auto-filtering and report headers.

Outlook Contact synchronization: This feature synchronizes vendor, customer and employee contacts in Peachtree with those in Outlook, so that contact information will only need to be entered once. A dynamic synchronization process within Peachtree 2007 will keep this contact information up to date.

Navigation within the Peachtree 2007 products has been significantly improved with new access and workflow enhancements. While familiar top pull down menus are still available, new side menus have been added and are visible from every screen for faster data access and easier navigation. New Navigation Centers provide simplified access to the most common areas within Peachtree, such as Customers, Vendors, Inventory, Employees, Reports, and others. Users are also able to create customized navigation shortcuts for commonly performed tasks.

Additional customer-requested time-saving features(2) in Peachtree 2007 include:

--  Custom Fields for Report Filtering: Small businesses can run more meaningful reports, categorized by criteria specifically important to their business.
--  Simplified Access to Key Lists: At a glance, small businesses will be able to view key information, such as invoices and payments, from 25 different lists, with the ability to easily sort and search on lists of customers, vendors and transactions.  With just a single click on a list entry, all information pertaining to that list will be displayed.
--  Print-n-Sign Tax Forms(3): With a subscription to the Peachtree Payroll Tax Update Service, small businesses can now print payroll tax forms on plain paper, eliminating the need to load and align pre-printed paper forms with data output. This enhancement includes over 180 state forms for all 50 states.
--  Recurring Transactions with Year End Rollover: Small businesses will be able to set up recurring transaction amounts and frequencies, such as monthly rent, and have Peachtree manage the recurrence, including continuation into a new year.
--  Comparative Budget Spreadsheet Creator: With this enhancement, budgets will tie directly to transactions in Peachtree, so small businesses can compare past, present and future budget scenarios. Budget creation screens will look and behave like Excel spreadsheets, saving time and avoiding mistakes by eliminating the need to re-key budget data from one application into another. Budgets can also be created by using historical financials from within Peachtree, or can be imported from an Excel spreadsheet.
--  Change Job IDs:  Will allow small businesses to change the assigned lookup IDs for Jobs, Phases and Cost Codes at any time, even after they have been used within Peachtree.  This will facilitate edits to existing IDs to better match business needs without requiring the user to start over from the beginning.
    
Peachtree 2007 is already meeting with positive response from small businesses: "I feel like I'm in total control," said Erin Olsen, of PC Keys Technology Solutions, Inc., one of the firms who tested the Peachtree 2007 beta product. Larry Lesniak of Christenson Oil, who also worked with Peachtree 2007 beta added, "Thank you for listening to the people who actually use this. I was really impressed with what you have changed."

The award-winning Peachtree Accounting product line includes:

    Peachtree by Sage First Accounting, for small start-ups or those automating for the first time;
--  Peachtree by Sage Pro Accounting(4), for those who need more general accounting functionality. This product also will be available at major retailers this year in a Total Care edition(5), which will include a year's worth of support, a 2008 Peachtree Pro Accounting upgrade and a bonus offer of 3 months free processing with Peachtree Payroll Service(6).
--  Peachtree by Sage Complete Accounting and Peachtree by Sage Premium Accounting, for growing small businesses who need capabilities such as stronger inventory management, time & billing and job costing.  Peachtree by Sage Premium Accounting also offers multi-user and vertical industry versions for Accountants, Construction, Manufacturers, Distributors, and Nonprofits.
--  New this year will be Peachtree by Sage-Quantum, the ultimate, high performance Peachtree solution which will support up to 10 named users, and will include support, upgrades and updates in an automatically renewing yearly plan.
    
Pricing and Availability

Peachtree Premium Accounting 2007, Peachtree Complete Accounting 2007, Peachtree Pro Accounting 2007 and Peachtree First Accounting 2007 will be available direct from Sage Software beginning in mid-June and will be available from most computer retailers and office supply stores in early July. The suggested retail price for Peachtree Premium Accounting 2007 is $499.99, Peachtree Complete Accounting 2007 is $269.99, Peachtree Pro Accounting 2007 is $169.99, Peachtree Pro Total Care Edition is available for $369.99 and Peachtree First Accounting 2007 is $69.99. The Multi-User Value Pack (5 seat license) of Peachtree Complete Accounting retails for $699.99, while the Peachtree Premium Accounting 2007 Multi-User Value Pack (5 seat license) can be ordered direct from Sage Software for $1099.99. High value competitive rebates are available from Sage Software for customers on other small business accounting packages. Call 800-228-0068 for more details.

Also available direct from Sage Software and from hundreds of Peachtree Certified Consultants(7) nationwide as well as selected resellers in mid- June will be Peachtree by Sage-Quantum, Peachtree Premium Accounting for Manufacturing 2007, Peachtree Premium Accounting for Construction 2007, Peachtree Premium Accounting for Distribution 2007, Peachtree Premium Accounting for Nonprofits 2007 and Peachtree Premium Accounting 2007-Accountants' Edition, as well as the Multi-User Value Pack (5 seat license) for each of these industry specific solutions.

About Sage Software

Sage Software supports the needs, challenges and dreams of more than 2.5 million small and mid-sized business customers in North America through easy-to-use, scalable and customizable software and services. Our products support accounting, operations, customer relationship management, human resources, time tracking, merchant services and the specialized needs of accounting practices and the construction, distribution, manufacturing, nonprofit and real estate industries. Sage Software is a subsidiary of The Sage Group plc, a leading international supplier of accounting and business management software solutions and related products and services for small to mid-sized businesses. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and the Group now has 4.7 million customers and employs over 10,000 people worldwide. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.sagesoftware.com/moreinfo or call (866) 308-2378.

(1) not available in Peachtree First Accounting or Peachtree Pro Accounting
(2) not available in all versions
(3) Federal tax forms included are 940, 941, 941b, 943, 945, W-2, W-3 and over 180 state forms. Requires subscription to the Peachtree Payroll Tax Update Service. Additional fees required. Print-n-Sign tax forms are not compatible with dot matrix printers.
(4) formerly known as Peachtree by Sage Accounting
(5) Product must be registered by May 31, 2008 to receive the 2008 full product upgrade and the 12 months of support. Upgrade will be Peachtree Pro Accounting or equivalent product. Sage Software reserves the right to limit support calls to 1 hour or 1 incident. Sign up for Peachtree Payroll Service is required within 90 days of registration in order to receive 3 months bonus offer.  Subject to approval.  Internet access and credit card required.
(6) 3 months of processing fees includes tax table updates, federal, state, and local payroll deposits and filings, standard payroll reports, integration with Peachtree, toll-free customer service, and one state filing.  Peachtree Direct Deposit and W-2 processing not included.
(7) Sage Software is in no way liable or responsible for any claims made related to services provided by third party vendors.