Newcastle-on-Tyne-based accounting software house Sage Plc is looking to tap the Windows and Mac markets with its revamped peer-to-peer MainLan system and the promised Mac version of its mid-range Sterling +2 system. Also has a so-called ‘super enhanced’ version of its modular high-end Sovereign package for MS-DOS, MS-DOS networks, Unix, Xenix and AIX. These announcements were accompanied with the news that the Sovereign and Sterling +2 products now enjoy the privilege of being listed under the IT Recommended Product Scheme run by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. The arrival of MainLan Version 4 is perhaps the most remarkable of Sage’s hat trick of product enhancements given that UK and European MainLan sales fell some 49% last year (CI No 2,068) and that the Florida operations of MainLan Inc were duly closed. However, Sage feels the system has its attractions for small businesses, particularly if they intend to network Sage software and want guarantees of system compatibility. And so it follows that most MainLan sales will likely result from software sales. The new system will run under MS-DOS or Windows, transmits at a faster 10Mbps than its predecessor and takes up a fifth less memory space: 37Kb on a satellite, 46Kb on a server.
Re-worked for the Macintosh
Also it is compatible with Novell Inc NE1000 and NE2000 and Western Digital Corp as well as Sage’s own PocketLan Ethernet boards. It supports up to 60 people and costs UKP400 for a starter kit comprising operating software, cabling and two 16-bit boards; or UKP200 for the kit including two 8-bit boards. The new Sterling +2 software marks Sage’s first excursion into the Mac market. The system is based on the same engine as its predecessor, and has been re-worked for the Mac in such a way that it is almost identical in processing sequences, Sage says. The original release date had been January this year but it took longer than expected to complete the re-write and ensure there were no bugs. The Bookkeeper version, which logs customer details – what they buy, when they buy, how much they owe and for how long, creates VAT returns and sales and overheads breakdowns is available from Sage for UKP150. The Accountant version that includes budgetary control and management reports is UKP350. For larger, corporate users Sovereign 4.7 now adds full European Community VAT reporting, all reporting relating to sales transactions with other Community contries and automatic production of Community Sales Lists and monthly Statistical Supplementary Declaration. Profit and loss reporting has been expanded to 26 available fields, stock take procedures impoved and bank reconcilation made faster. A pop-up Note Book is also available at any point in the system and Hint Fields for more complex data entry. The system costs UKP350 per module for single users; UKP600 for multi-user systems. Upgrades are available to existing users through the SageCover support scheme. Sage now grandly claims itself Britain’s largest micro software company having been listed eighth in Romtec’s January 1993 analysis of the Top 15 software companies in the UK, behind seven US firms. It reckoned to command some 52.7% of the UK accounting software market in November 1992, with Sage Sterling holding 62.5% of the integrated packages market and Sage Sovereign 12.6% of the modular accounting systems sector. What is more, it is in the pleasant position of operating in what is now the fourth most important UK application software market after word processing, spreadsheets and graphics. Some 8.1% of UK micro software sales are accounted for by accounting software. Personal computer packages are a real boom area because of the influence of Windows, networks and the growing numbers of home computer users, according to technical director Graham Wylie. Romtec forecasts that sales of the Windows version of Sage’s flagship Sterling product will overtake those of the MS-DOS version by year-end. Sales of its Moneywise single ledger package for managing household or small business accounts are also
galloping. Needless to say, the company organises its own accounts on Sovereign software, running on a network of 100 personal computers attached to an 80486 server. Sovereign can be adapted according to customer needs and there are now 80 staff on the Sage Hotline to offer support – though it reckons three quarters of the 2,500 daily calls it receives relate to business rather than technical problems! The company employs around 550 people worldwide, including 220 in the UK, and boasts 100,000 registered users in the UK including British Telecommunications Plc, BP Oil, Royal Mail and the Ministry of Defence.
