The New Release of Sage 200 Has been Delayed

The latest release of Sage 200 (version 2011) had been scheduled for release in January of next year along with the integrated Sage CRM v7.1. Sage CRM is an optional extra for Sage 200 users to provide a fully integrated contact management solution with the accounts system. They will now both be made available from May 2011.

The launch date of Sage CRM has been revised, as a result of this the upcoming release of Sage 200 has also been delayed so the two can be released simultaneously.

This is what Sage UK have said:
“This decision to revise the launch date not only allows us to adopt the very latest CRM version but it also brings added benefits by enabling us to test 2011 with live hand held sites throughout our customers year end procedures. This ensures we maximise the benefits of the hand held site process and our stringent testing procedures and reflects our commitment to delivering high quality, reliable software.”

Whilst it is always disappointing when a product release is delayed, we are confident that it has been done for all the right reasons, we will, of course, keep you updated with any further developments.

Sage 50 Price Increase

It has just been announced by Sage that there will be a slight price increase on most Sage 50 software from 4th October 2010. Whilst not a major difference (around £10 on most software) this will apply to every Sage Accountant Partner and Business Partner, so from the start of next month you can expect to see the increase on all web shops offering the Sage 50 range.

So our advice is if you are planning to buy anything in the near future, do it in the next 2 weeks or it will cost you that little bit more.

How to Email Orders, Invoices and Quotes

From within your Sage 50 Accounts 2011 program, you can email documents directly to your customers and suppliers, saving on office overheads (paper, postage, printing and labour) whilst doing your bit for the environment by heading towards that paperless office environment, here’s how:

From within your Sage 50 product, you must first set up the email layouts, this can be found inside the settings (Invoice and Order Defaults) Email tab, from here you can define the specific layouts to be used.

Once this is configured to send out an order, invoice or quote, all you need to do is select it from the list and click on “email”, it’s that easy and could save you some time and money.

You can also keep track of whats already been sent by viewing the Emailed column in each area.

New Features in Act 2011

The latest version of Act has been released this month and has just started shipping, so here is an update of the latest features available:

1. Getting Started – The installation and features to get you up and running have been improved, such as the simplified database creation and opportunity to expand it at a later stage. You can also import customer details directly from Microsoft Excel. The new layouts make it much easier for the Act user to navigate the program.

2. Mapping Imports – Fields can now be matched, so importing data is much more logical and faster (i.e. you can match “client name” field to Customers Name”)

3. Integration of MS Outlook – You can now synchronise data from Act and Outlook to keep both contact details and activities in your calendar.

4. Security – The security of who can do what on the software has been improved, so you can limit, for example, who can attach documents to a customer.

5. Mobile Integration – Act Mobile enables users to have access to all critical data from both mobile phones and not just Blackberry. All activities, prior conversations and contact details are available. Essential for those who spend most of their time away from the office.