Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK-based Sage Group Plc is embracing electronic commerce with the latest version of its Instant Accounting package for the small business user, and plans to the same for all of its offerings for small and medium business users. Instant Accounting ’97 now has Web-enabled features and can access whatever Web browser resides on the desktop. Web sites can be accessed for supplier price lists or online credit checking, for instance, without having to exit the package. In a separate announcement, Sage has integrated its Payroll software with the electronic banking services of Lloyds TSB Group Plc and National Westminster Bank Plc: it already has a similar deal with the Midland Bank. Sage software users will be able to view bank details and conduct transactions from within a single menu. Company payrolls will also be processed electronically without the need to re-key data for the banks’ use, Sage says. Payroll version 4 will ship by the end of March and Instant Accounting 97 by April, both packages priced at 100 pounds each.
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