Sage News and Discussion

An intersting perspective ... I just spoke with Taylor MacDonald (over at Intacct for those that don't know). We were talking about their channel and he told me that they don't seriously consider resellers that can't hit six deals per year. I found that interesting in light of how dismayed most of us are at the 1 per quarter for subscription pricing. It reinforces certain thoughts that I've had and I think I've seen coming from @WayneSchulz. The problem isn't really that Sage is the ""bad guy"" ... the problem is that most of us aren't great marketers and we have put our fates in someone else's (Sage's) hands. It's a somewhat sobering thought. I've done some other investigation and have found that the margins that Sage is proposing for the subscription model are still better than most other vendors. I'm certainly not defending the way the message has been delivered - which I think is disingenuous - but it underlines the core issue: just as Sage and the other software publishers are evolving to meet the changing landscape, we need to as well. Or ... get out of the industry. Harsh? Off-base?

I agree - from my perspective I look at Sage with what is essentially a bunch of bolt on integrations which astute customers pick up on right away and ask myself do I want to put extra time into learning what will likely always be an aging on premises solution or is the future of the market something else. I believe future demand of the market is something else - and that Sage does not possess those products.

It is quite obvious that changing. A bit like global warming - everyone can feel the effects but there is no agreement on the cause. Is Intacct an apples to apples comparison for us? From what I recall from MOTM session is that it was a light weight player with cloud functionality. It seems to be easy to set up and low price point but lacking the robustness in distribution, manufacturing and other features that the MAS products have (or should have). Somebody (Scott Hickman) correct me, but Qucikbooks came to mind when I saw the product. Could I make a living supporting QB? I suppose but it will require a radically different business plan. Could I sell six installs of Intacct a year? Probably, but if they don't protect my marketing lead investment, what is the point? Who knows what they will have to offer in five or so years? Maybe if I jump on that wagon, I can afford an airplane like Steve B has. What I really am starting to think about is how to find an up and coming startup business that needs (and values) my 30 + years of accounting/IT/production/logistics/HR experience and ride that wave into retirement............

It think you should think of Intaact like MAS500 when it had mostly financials modules. Or like how Solomon is positioned as a strong financials package with projects, but weak elsewhere. Would be an ideal product for a Solomon VAR. I think Netsuites functionality is closer to MAS but I can't speak at all to them as a partner company ...or not

Jeff, you believe in global warming? Intacct is probably not a close comparison, since it is primarily core accounting and at a lower price. Also it has the endorsement of the AICPA, which helps drive sales. OK, I had 6 deals last year, but I felt that we should have had more, so 4 seems reasonable, but I don't want the software vendor holding me to any quota like that.

In my opinion any future software product has to offer more than just a commission. It has to offer an opportunity for us to offer complimentary services which we bill directly to the customer and which the publisher cannot prevent us from providing and would find it very difficult to duplicate..

@JohnHoyt - I'm not sure Intacct is at a lower price. Does anyone know how it is priced?

This is why I think BI software offers more 'razor/razor blade' income then selling some other persons software for a spiff and having minimal ongoing revenue. Most BI Var's don't understand ERP and business needs. They are math and database people. That gives us a big leg up if we could merge together our skills and marketing dollars.

@JohnHoyt - I'm sure the Wooly Mammoths didn't believe in the ice age cometh until it was too late also. Hard to fathom ice was a mile thick over Central Park.............