The exploration of what the future holds for the MAS 90 and MAS 200 accounting software products made by Sage Software continues as we take a look at a recent announcement made by Sage's Sales Department.
In an effort to rally the troops and communicate their message, Sage sales recently announced that they would be hitting the road, traveling the states sponsoring get-together sessions with MAS90 and MAS 200 VAR's to talk about the importance of selling the MAS 90 and MAS 200 products and communicating their intent to further develop the links between MAS and other Sage Software products.
From one perspective, this could be a good sign. Sage wants to open lines of communication with it's vendors and lay out some jargon about the MAS products. Communication is always a good thing, and kudos to Sage for taking the time and effort to communicate with their base.
From another perspective, it appears they want to simply give their version of self-help and success stories so as to press on with the sale of new MAS product and largely avoid the topic of their aged technology.
Tell me what you think? Leave a comment.
Is Sage's MAS tour a good sign for the future of MAS90 and MAS200?
Or is the tour simply an antique roadshow?
Monday, December 31, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Upgrade Security for MAS 90 and MAS 200
End users and consultants of the popular MAS 90 and MAS 200 accounting software applications from Sage Software have been asking lately if they should undergo the arduous process of another upgrade of their MAS 90/200 systems. The urgency of this inquiry was increased when Sage informed the masses that they were going to discontinue support of version 3.71 - the last remaining version prior to the flat-file database modification in version 4.
The current release of MAS 90 and MAS 200 is version 4.20. Arguably the most significant change in this version from version 4.10 is the change of the back end database structure in the Accounts Payable module. Users will notice visual changes in the appearance of AP module windows and slight changes in functionality. The overall procedures for the Accounts Payable module are essentially the same, but the look and feel of the windows is different as are some minor procedures in areas like data entry.
If you are an end user and MAS 90/200 owner considering an upgrade, note that moving from version 4.10 to 4.20 is relatively straight forward. If you own Extended Solutions or custom modifications of your MAS, then you have additional upgrade steps to consider so contact a qualified Sage Software consulting firm before you upgrade. Also be certain to install all the service pack releases and patches (and there are many) to your version 4.20 install. If you do not, you are inviting trouble.
If you are upgrading from version 3.71 - or any version 3 - to any version 4, please... please consult a skilled and qualified Sage Software consultant or technician and keep in mind that an upgrade from MAS 90/200 version 3 to MAS 90/200 version 4 is more of a re-implementation of your accounting software than it is an upgrade. A good consultant/technician will be honest with you about the labor required to do an upgrade successfully, so be aware that moving to version 4 of MAS 90 or MAS 200 is significant and must be done properly if you are going to avoid significant problems.
In summary, end users of MAS 90 and MAS 200 need to know that upgrades of MAS are not quick and easy. Gone are the days of slam-dunk, 4-hours and your done, upgrades. If you want to avoid most upgrade headaches and be more secure that your upgrade will be done correctly, contact a qualified and experienced MAS 90/200 technology firm. Rest assured if the consultant tells you they can complete an upgrade from version 3 to version 4 quickly and easily; buyer beware.
The current release of MAS 90 and MAS 200 is version 4.20. Arguably the most significant change in this version from version 4.10 is the change of the back end database structure in the Accounts Payable module. Users will notice visual changes in the appearance of AP module windows and slight changes in functionality. The overall procedures for the Accounts Payable module are essentially the same, but the look and feel of the windows is different as are some minor procedures in areas like data entry.
If you are an end user and MAS 90/200 owner considering an upgrade, note that moving from version 4.10 to 4.20 is relatively straight forward. If you own Extended Solutions or custom modifications of your MAS, then you have additional upgrade steps to consider so contact a qualified Sage Software consulting firm before you upgrade. Also be certain to install all the service pack releases and patches (and there are many) to your version 4.20 install. If you do not, you are inviting trouble.
If you are upgrading from version 3.71 - or any version 3 - to any version 4, please... please consult a skilled and qualified Sage Software consultant or technician and keep in mind that an upgrade from MAS 90/200 version 3 to MAS 90/200 version 4 is more of a re-implementation of your accounting software than it is an upgrade. A good consultant/technician will be honest with you about the labor required to do an upgrade successfully, so be aware that moving to version 4 of MAS 90 or MAS 200 is significant and must be done properly if you are going to avoid significant problems.
In summary, end users of MAS 90 and MAS 200 need to know that upgrades of MAS are not quick and easy. Gone are the days of slam-dunk, 4-hours and your done, upgrades. If you want to avoid most upgrade headaches and be more secure that your upgrade will be done correctly, contact a qualified and experienced MAS 90/200 technology firm. Rest assured if the consultant tells you they can complete an upgrade from version 3 to version 4 quickly and easily; buyer beware.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Don't Lose Your Accounting Data
All seemed quiet on the Sage front. Things have been moving along with somewhat ease as Sage resellers jockey for positioning and seek out new accounting software VAR opportunities with other products. NetSuite continues to court former MAS users and Microsoft recently made note that the sale of Dynamics was strong.
All indications show that the mid-sized business management and accounting software market is alive, well and healthy - even though the former leader, MAS 90 and MAS 200, are not.
At it's own hand Sage has been significantly wounded again. Released today to VARs and next week to MAS 90/200 users. Sage announced that their engineering department found a significant bug in the new version 4.2 release of MAS 90/200. Version 4.2 has been out for about a year almost and is currently on it's 9th service pack release, and today Sage notified resellers that 4.2 has a bug that removes data from the system.
The bug removes good data from the sales invoice history and sales order history among others. Essentially eliminating a businesses ability to accurately analyze their sales data.
I would like to say it is no real big deal, but unfortunately it is a big deal. Since the bug has been out and active for about a year, and it resides in a utility frequently used by all businesses, it is safe to say that a very large percentage of any business that upgraded to the new version of MAS 90 or MAS 200 has inadvertently lost sales history data.
If it wasn't before it now is extremely difficult to recommend businesses upgrade and tell the truth at the same time.
Keep checking back to see how things progress - however my recommendation is that if you are a MAS 90 or MAS 200 VAR or consultant it would be wise to figure out what you will do next, because the future of MAS 90 and MAS 200 is looking increasingly grim.
All indications show that the mid-sized business management and accounting software market is alive, well and healthy - even though the former leader, MAS 90 and MAS 200, are not.
At it's own hand Sage has been significantly wounded again. Released today to VARs and next week to MAS 90/200 users. Sage announced that their engineering department found a significant bug in the new version 4.2 release of MAS 90/200. Version 4.2 has been out for about a year almost and is currently on it's 9th service pack release, and today Sage notified resellers that 4.2 has a bug that removes data from the system.
The bug removes good data from the sales invoice history and sales order history among others. Essentially eliminating a businesses ability to accurately analyze their sales data.
I would like to say it is no real big deal, but unfortunately it is a big deal. Since the bug has been out and active for about a year, and it resides in a utility frequently used by all businesses, it is safe to say that a very large percentage of any business that upgraded to the new version of MAS 90 or MAS 200 has inadvertently lost sales history data.
If it wasn't before it now is extremely difficult to recommend businesses upgrade and tell the truth at the same time.
Keep checking back to see how things progress - however my recommendation is that if you are a MAS 90 or MAS 200 VAR or consultant it would be wise to figure out what you will do next, because the future of MAS 90 and MAS 200 is looking increasingly grim.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Sage Software Press Release Confirms Worst
Well, it is official. Yesterday Sage software released a statement indicating that the parent organization, Sage Group, "removed" the top four seats at Sage Software US including the CEO, CFO, CTO and President.
This serves as confirmation that despite Sage Software trying to put on a good face, the ship hit the perverbial iceberg when it tried to update the technology behind MAS90 and failed to a large degree.
Sage also announced they were going to work harder at getting closer to their customer base. This on the heels of their largest reseller / VAR announcing last week that they sold more than double MAS 90/200/500 product than the next closest VAR. Anyone else smell a merger?
You know, it isn't much fun to be right when the news is negative. It would be better to be saying nice things for sure. But in this particular circumstance, the beurocratic whoo-ha of a self centered myopic organization has caught up with its designers and fallen flat as a result.
The jury is still out on whether or not MAS 90 and MAS 200 will be retired as a product. Sage Software already announced that their flagship cash-cow porducts MAS 90 and MAS 200 were being put out to pasture, so it is only a matter of time until what was once the most widely used business management software for the mid-market moves to Florida and buys a condo, and hits the buffets at 3pm for dinner.
Keep track here and we will see if/when MAS90 dies.
This serves as confirmation that despite Sage Software trying to put on a good face, the ship hit the perverbial iceberg when it tried to update the technology behind MAS90 and failed to a large degree.
Sage also announced they were going to work harder at getting closer to their customer base. This on the heels of their largest reseller / VAR announcing last week that they sold more than double MAS 90/200/500 product than the next closest VAR. Anyone else smell a merger?
You know, it isn't much fun to be right when the news is negative. It would be better to be saying nice things for sure. But in this particular circumstance, the beurocratic whoo-ha of a self centered myopic organization has caught up with its designers and fallen flat as a result.
The jury is still out on whether or not MAS 90 and MAS 200 will be retired as a product. Sage Software already announced that their flagship cash-cow porducts MAS 90 and MAS 200 were being put out to pasture, so it is only a matter of time until what was once the most widely used business management software for the mid-market moves to Florida and buys a condo, and hits the buffets at 3pm for dinner.
Keep track here and we will see if/when MAS90 dies.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Circle The Wagons
Not Long ago Sage Software had a roundtable webinar with it's VAR base to broadcast what they feel is a successful launch of their MAS 90 and MAS 200 version 4.2 release . In the meeting, Sage Software management touted a "successful" launch of the version 4.20 release of MAS 90 and MAS 200.
As we walk through the decision of whether or not to jump ship on MAS 90 and MAS 200, we have to take a careful look at the propeganda vs. the reality and attempt to discern what the heck is really going on.
The version 4.20 release was delayed by several months due to a handful of factors, not the least of which was Sage had simply not completed the database transformation of all the modules they had intended to convert.
Then Microsoft released Windows Vista and Sage had a new challenge to suffer, making MAS compatible with the new Vista Operating System. Shortly after the Vista release, Sage published a "Vista Compatibility Statement" where they listed a myriad or reasons MAS 90 and MAS 200 were not going to be ready for Vista anytime soon.
The pre-release info on MAS 90 and MAS 200 version 4.2, let out last year announced that Sage would be converting Accounts Payable, Purchase Order and Inventory Management modules to the new database. However Sage was unable to find a relevant number of end using businesses to do beta conversion testing up to version 4.2 due to the debockle known as the 4.10 upgrade.
In addition, neither the PO or IM modules were truly ready for release.
So essentially Sage announced a grand and substanative release with 4.2, ended up being 6 months or more late, and released one-third (1/3) of what they originally intended, then had a party announcing the wonderful success of the release.
All things considered, the water is still merky and it is a gamble either way. In the coming days and weeks, continue to read this blog to learn more about whether or not we should stay commited to MAS 90.
As we walk through the decision of whether or not to jump ship on MAS 90 and MAS 200, we have to take a careful look at the propeganda vs. the reality and attempt to discern what the heck is really going on.
The version 4.20 release was delayed by several months due to a handful of factors, not the least of which was Sage had simply not completed the database transformation of all the modules they had intended to convert.
Then Microsoft released Windows Vista and Sage had a new challenge to suffer, making MAS compatible with the new Vista Operating System. Shortly after the Vista release, Sage published a "Vista Compatibility Statement" where they listed a myriad or reasons MAS 90 and MAS 200 were not going to be ready for Vista anytime soon.
The pre-release info on MAS 90 and MAS 200 version 4.2, let out last year announced that Sage would be converting Accounts Payable, Purchase Order and Inventory Management modules to the new database. However Sage was unable to find a relevant number of end using businesses to do beta conversion testing up to version 4.2 due to the debockle known as the 4.10 upgrade.
In addition, neither the PO or IM modules were truly ready for release.
So essentially Sage announced a grand and substanative release with 4.2, ended up being 6 months or more late, and released one-third (1/3) of what they originally intended, then had a party announcing the wonderful success of the release.
All things considered, the water is still merky and it is a gamble either way. In the coming days and weeks, continue to read this blog to learn more about whether or not we should stay commited to MAS 90.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
What does the future hold for MAS 90 and MAS 200?
MAS 90 and MAS 200 is a technologically aged accounting software solution that has been the industry standard for mid-sized business management for decades. Not long ago the manufacturer, Sage Software began the arduous task of upgrading MAS's out dated back end database and officially launched it's version 4.0 release where the General Ledger financial module was upgraded to a new database standard. Keep in mind the rest of the application was left largely the same, but the GL was changed.
In the months following, Sage released additional upgrade versions of MAS 90/200 version 4, each time releasing a new module upgraded to the new database standards; each upgrade requiring a complex and risky combination of reworks, data conversions and report re-writes.
End using business owners and Sage Software consultants alike lost sleep and went through gallons of late night coffee trying to get MAS upgraded correctly and more than a few ulcers were had trying to follow Sage's dizzying maze of upgrade instructions.
In the end, Sage succeeded in upgrading roughly 4 of its 20+ modules to the new database standard before the MAS user based screamed in agony for mercy. It was reported last quarter that Sage Software's parent corporation, The Sage Group, reported a lower than expected revenue growth and cited lagging sales in the US market (MAS 90 and MAS 200) as a factor. I do not know what went on behind closed doors, but shortly after this announcement, Sage Software in the US finally admitted that all was not well and began to put together a plan to navigate the rough waters created by their own upgrade efforts.
The real question that needs to be asked is: will the MAS 90 and MAS 200 product survive the failed upgrade of it's database?
Since MAS 90 and MAS 200 uses old school technology, and even a modest upgrade of that technology poked a crater sized hole in the product, and she is taking on water at an alarming rate - is it time to abandon ship? Or will the Captain(s) of the MAS 90 ship steer their cash cow into safer waters where she can be repaired and gain back market share?
These are important questions not only for those of us neck deep in the sale and support of the product, but is also very important for the mid-sized business owner and MAS End User. Do we need to be planning for the eventual demise of MAS? Or get on the band wagon that may potentially cheer it back into a secure horizon?
Those questions are what this BLOG intends to explore.
Come back again and lets see what the future holds for MAS 90 and MAS 200.
Are you in?
In the months following, Sage released additional upgrade versions of MAS 90/200 version 4, each time releasing a new module upgraded to the new database standards; each upgrade requiring a complex and risky combination of reworks, data conversions and report re-writes.
End using business owners and Sage Software consultants alike lost sleep and went through gallons of late night coffee trying to get MAS upgraded correctly and more than a few ulcers were had trying to follow Sage's dizzying maze of upgrade instructions.
In the end, Sage succeeded in upgrading roughly 4 of its 20+ modules to the new database standard before the MAS user based screamed in agony for mercy. It was reported last quarter that Sage Software's parent corporation, The Sage Group, reported a lower than expected revenue growth and cited lagging sales in the US market (MAS 90 and MAS 200) as a factor. I do not know what went on behind closed doors, but shortly after this announcement, Sage Software in the US finally admitted that all was not well and began to put together a plan to navigate the rough waters created by their own upgrade efforts.
The real question that needs to be asked is: will the MAS 90 and MAS 200 product survive the failed upgrade of it's database?
Since MAS 90 and MAS 200 uses old school technology, and even a modest upgrade of that technology poked a crater sized hole in the product, and she is taking on water at an alarming rate - is it time to abandon ship? Or will the Captain(s) of the MAS 90 ship steer their cash cow into safer waters where she can be repaired and gain back market share?
These are important questions not only for those of us neck deep in the sale and support of the product, but is also very important for the mid-sized business owner and MAS End User. Do we need to be planning for the eventual demise of MAS? Or get on the band wagon that may potentially cheer it back into a secure horizon?
Those questions are what this BLOG intends to explore.
Come back again and lets see what the future holds for MAS 90 and MAS 200.
Are you in?
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