Sage 100

And Speaking of Stupid Questions - I admittedly have not worked much on SMI (what it really stands for is Sado Masochistic Individual). In reading all of the Sage hype, I was under the impression that the one user SMI license being given to ALL customers included everything. Anyone else have that understanding? Well, again the fine print trips me up. If you DON'T already own FRx, you only get the pre configured reports, not the designer license. If you want to design your own reports, you have to pony up about $1,000 plus $180 client care. I am not sure as I can't order the license from BOSS. The system does not list any SMI product. The good news is that designer licenses are on promotion at NC through 1/31/2011. All you have to pay is the $180 client care fee.

I see SMI as being identical to FRX and/or Crystal with a twist (they're probably more complex to design). I've always had a large precent of clients who used neither FRX or Crystal. Same will hold true with SMI (the bullshit about getting into the client and showing them how to use it seems to imply that we do this for free -- including the 15 followup support calls that it will throw off). Those clients who want to design FRX and/or Crystal typically have larger projects and once they need to use the tool then we get involved and most times that is where the learning occurs.

Some partners are going to Biznet for about 2K instead of the $4-5K for the FRx equivalent with the base SMI, connector, and designer.