General Consultant Discussion

What is everyone doing for Sage demos these days?

Historically I've been using the vm images provided by the Sage Demo program. That worked well because we have add-ons that we like to show and we have specific data that I like to have ready to showcase how the system works.

I've been told that Sage has moved completely to the virtual image in the cloud model. My concern is - any add-ons or data will have to be set up every time I do a demo.

Is that correct? Or do we each get a dedicate virtual cloud image that is ours to configure for a persistent image?

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Peter Wolf
Azamba Consulting Group
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I don't know but can't imagine Sage being that generous.  I always figured they had some type of script that wiped those demo servers nightly.

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Wayne Schulz
Schulz Consulting - Consultant
Glastonbury CT
860-516-8990
http://www.s-consult.com
------------------------------

That's my thought too. So I'm wondering what others are doing. 

I assume I'm not alone with wanting to have certain data to show how the system flows a specific way. I might be unique in the fact that I like to show specific add-ons on every demo?

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Peter Wolf
Azamba Consulting Group
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2019 14:16
From: Wayne Schulz
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

I don't know but can't imagine Sage being that generous.  I always figured they had some type of script that wiped those demo servers nightly.

------------------------------
Wayne Schulz
Schulz Consulting - Consultant
Glastonbury CT
860-516-8990
http://www.s-consult.com
------------------------------

Bumping this - surely I'm not the only who does demos in the group??

What are y'all doing for your demos?

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Peter Wolf
Azamba Consulting Group
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2019 17:44
From: Peter Wolf
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

That's my thought too. So I'm wondering what others are doing. 

I assume I'm not alone with wanting to have certain data to show how the system flows a specific way. I might be unique in the fact that I like to show specific add-ons on every demo?

------------------------------
Peter Wolf
Azamba Consulting Group
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2019 14:16
From: Wayne Schulz
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

I don't know but can't imagine Sage being that generous.  I always figured they had some type of script that wiped those demo servers nightly.

------------------------------
Wayne Schulz
Schulz Consulting - Consultant
Glastonbury CT
860-516-8990
http://www.s-consult.com

We have an in house virtual machine with several copied company codes, extra data input, and each with different enhancements enabled. Then GoToAssist or another screen-share platform can be used to demo with the client either on-site or remote. I just don't trust that we could set up a demo system with Sage and have it last. They change the rules so often. 

With that, each company code can be set up for specific needs of the client, but that way the data is consistent and we can show transactions on the fly without having to explain that the demo data is shite, and back-peddling when we get a "no data to report' message for a simple report :)

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Michelle Forsey
Eide Bailly
801-456-5470
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-14-2019 00:18
From: Peter Wolf
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

Bumping this - surely I'm not the only who does demos in the group??

What are y'all doing for your demos?

------------------------------
Peter Wolf
Azamba Consulting Group
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2019 17:44
From: Peter Wolf
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

That's my thought too. So I'm wondering what others are doing. 

I assume I'm not alone with wanting to have certain data to show how the system flows a specific way. I might be unique in the fact that I like to show specific add-ons on every demo?

------------------------------
Peter Wolf
Azamba Consulting Group


Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2019 14:16
From: Wayne Schulz
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

I don't know but can't imagine Sage being that generous.  I always figured they had some type of script that wiped those demo servers nightly.

------------------------------
Wayne Schulz
Schulz Consulting - Consultant
Glastonbury CT
860-516-8990
http://www.s-consult.com

Is anyone using Azure to store VM images and spin them up when they need them?
I've read about doing this, but haven't done it yet myself. But the idea of having a pay as you use saas resource sounds like a good plan.

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Clark Walliser
Senior Consultant
San Jose CA
Clark
------------------------------

I use an Azure server, and I also let clients have a login for test driving.

Sage's demo image is pretty good if you want to show Sage 100, Sage CRM, Budgeting and Planning, SBI, Sage Alerts, etc. and all at once, playing nicely, but I usually don't have time to show all of those things at once, anyway. :-D  The downside to the demo image is that it doesn't get updated every year, so it isn't always current.  And I think Sage changed how you access the demo image this year, so I think you do a remote desktop session into their server.  So, if you're like me and replace those 2003 PC parts descriptions (ahem!) I suspect you would lose that every night.

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Rhonda McNamara
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-15-2019 12:31
From: Clark Walliser
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

Is anyone using Azure to store VM images and spin them up when they need them?
I've read about doing this, but haven't done it yet myself. But the idea of having a pay as you use saas resource sounds like a good plan.

------------------------------
Clark Walliser
Senior Consultant
San Jose CA
Clark
------------------------------

Thanks for the input Rhonda.
I'm thinking of scenarios where we had Azure VM images of our own demo data, or for different versions of Sage 100. 
Do you have any info on costing to keep multiple images on file and only use them once in a while?
Does that become expensive?

------------------------------
Clark Walliser
Senior Consultant
San Jose CA
Clark
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-15-2019 12:42
From: Rhonda McNamara
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

I use an Azure server, and I also let clients have a login for test driving.

Sage's demo image is pretty good if you want to show Sage 100, Sage CRM, Budgeting and Planning, SBI, Sage Alerts, etc. and all at once, playing nicely, but I usually don't have time to show all of those things at once, anyway. :-D  The downside to the demo image is that it doesn't get updated every year, so it isn't always current.  And I think Sage changed how you access the demo image this year, so I think you do a remote desktop session into their server.  So, if you're like me and replace those 2003 PC parts descriptions (ahem!) I suspect you would lose that every night.

------------------------------
Rhonda McNamara
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-15-2019 12:31
From: Clark Walliser
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

Is anyone using Azure to store VM images and spin them up when they need them?
I've read about doing this, but haven't done it yet myself. But the idea of having a pay as you use saas resource sounds like a good plan.

------------------------------
Clark Walliser
Senior Consultant
San Jose CA
Clark

MySageSells 2017 demo image links.  I recall thinking "What's to keep anyone from using this without paying?"  But it's $99 a year.  Which is even less than it was.  So no major investment.  The one doc shows all that it has installed, which is alot. 

  Overview
Login instructions

------------------------------
==================
Rhonda McNamara
Customer Success Manager
Stewart Technologies, Inc.
rsm@stewarttechnologies.com
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-15-2019 13:04
From: Clark Walliser
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

Thanks for the input Rhonda.
I'm thinking of scenarios where we had Azure VM images of our own demo data, or for different versions of Sage 100.
Do you have any info on costing to keep multiple images on file and only use them once in a while?
Does that become expensive?

------------------------------
Clark Walliser
Senior Consultant
San Jose CA
Clark
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-15-2019 12:42
From: Rhonda McNamara
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

I use an Azure server, and I also let clients have a login for test driving.

Sage's demo image is pretty good if you want to show Sage 100, Sage CRM, Budgeting and Planning, SBI, Sage Alerts, etc. and all at once, playing nicely, but I usually don't have time to show all of those things at once, anyway. :-D  The downside to the demo image is that it doesn't get updated every year, so it isn't always current.  And I think Sage changed how you access the demo image this year, so I think you do a remote desktop session into their server.  So, if you're like me and replace those 2003 PC parts descriptions (ahem!) I suspect you would lose that every night.

------------------------------
Rhonda McNamara


Original Message:
Sent: 01-15-2019 12:31
From: Clark Walliser
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

Is anyone using Azure to store VM images and spin them up when they need them?
I've read about doing this, but haven't done it yet myself. But the idea of having a pay as you use saas resource sounds like a good plan.

------------------------------
Clark Walliser
Senior Consultant
San Jose CA
Clark

------Original Message------

MySageSells 2017 demo image links.  I recall thinking "What's to keep anyone from using this without paying?"  But it's $99 a year.  Which is even less than it was.  So no major investment.  The one doc shows all that it has installed, which is alot. 

  Overview
Login instructions

------------------------------
==================
Rhonda McNamara
Customer Success Manager
Stewart Technologies, Inc.
rsm@stewarttechnologies.com
------------------------------

Rhonda - that image file is even older than the one I use! :) For me this whole thing arose because I'm getting a bit embarrassed showing a version that is from 2017.

I liked the old Sage image program for all the reasons listed above. I like @Michelle Forsey's idea above about having multiple images internally that I can dial into. I might give that a shot with my team.

Thank you all for the suggestions and discussion about this!

------------------------------
Peter Wolf
Azamba Consulting Group
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-15-2019 13:15
From: Rhonda McNamara
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

MySageSells 2017 demo image links.  I recall thinking "What's to keep anyone from using this without paying?"  But it's $99 a year.  Which is even less than it was.  So no major investment.  The one doc shows all that it has installed, which is alot.

  Overview
Login instructions

------------------------------
==================
Rhonda McNamara
Customer Success Manager
Stewart Technologies, Inc.
rsm@stewarttechnologies.com
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-15-2019 13:04
From: Clark Walliser
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

Thanks for the input Rhonda.
I'm thinking of scenarios where we had Azure VM images of our own demo data, or for different versions of Sage 100.
Do you have any info on costing to keep multiple images on file and only use them once in a while?
Does that become expensive?

------------------------------
Clark Walliser
Senior Consultant
San Jose CA
Clark


Original Message:
Sent: 01-15-2019 12:42
From: Rhonda McNamara
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

I use an Azure server, and I also let clients have a login for test driving.

Sage's demo image is pretty good if you want to show Sage 100, Sage CRM, Budgeting and Planning, SBI, Sage Alerts, etc. and all at once, playing nicely, but I usually don't have time to show all of those things at once, anyway. :-D  The downside to the demo image is that it doesn't get updated every year, so it isn't always current.  And I think Sage changed how you access the demo image this year, so I think you do a remote desktop session into their server.  So, if you're like me and replace those 2003 PC parts descriptions (ahem!) I suspect you would lose that every night.

------------------------------
Rhonda McNamara


Original Message:
Sent: 01-15-2019 12:31
From: Clark Walliser
Subject: Sage demos / what do you do to show the software?

Is anyone using Azure to store VM images and spin them up when they need them?
I've read about doing this, but haven't done it yet myself. But the idea of having a pay as you use saas resource sounds like a good plan.

------------------------------
Clark Walliser
Senior Consultant
San Jose CA
Clark