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Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

  • 1.  Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 03-20-2023 12:45

    Sage Partner Summit 2023 workshop details have been posted online here.

    At the Meeting of the Minds, Sage indicated there would be about 30 BMS-related sessions at Sage Partner Summit. More recently indicated that of those sessions, approximately ten would be Sage 100 specific.

    During MOTM, Sage said that details of the sessions would be posted online, and the above link leads to those details ( PDF ).



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    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
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  • 2.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 03-21-2023 10:54

    The content is not surprising, but even fewer core applications that I guessed.  In the brochure 9 are listed under Sage 100.  Of those 3 are truly knowledge about the core application  with one being the road ahead session we saw at MOTM and 2 being on how to win vs, the competition in Service and "Manufacturing and Distribution."  The others are about extensions to the product like HR, CRM, Lockstep, Sage Cloud and Sage Active.  

    If you are a partner that recently added Intact and can go for free, definitely go!  If your firm represents Intacct and either Sage 100 and 300 there is tons of Intacct content to make it worth you while.  If you only represent Sage 100 and/or 300 in the BMS portfolio, it may be a good trip to take for the networking with Sage, attending sessions on CRM and Fixed Assets and to understand more about where Sage is going in the future.

    What I really think this event does for 90 Minds is to give us a roadmap on how we can add value to its members.  We can and should provide:

    • Substantive content on Sage 100 and 300 like the sessions @Carmen Cruz and @Alnoor Cassim provided
    • Add content on extended Sage Solutions like CRM and Fixed Assets
    • Provide competitive intelligence sessions led by members that represent the competition
    • Educate our community on best practices for bringing customers to the cloud.

    I encourage everyone to complete their surveys, contact the education committee members or Anne and make certain that MOTM 2024 and interim webinars and events provide timely and constructive knowledge to improve the service we provide to our customers.  With your feedback I am quite certain that the value of 90Minds and MOTM 2024 will far exceed its cost.



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    Gary Feldman
    I-Business Network, LLC
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  • 3.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 03-22-2023 09:15

    I've been working on a Premium upgrade and have a few other Premium/SQL projects on the horizon.

    From my experience, having a decent knowledge of Premium/SQL is an excellent way for consultants to add value and earn their full++ rate. Most customers don't want to fool with SQL. The path to migrate/move SQL within Sage 100 is not well documented by Sage, and Sage has few internal resources available to assist. 

    I had a customer call Sage asking for more information on the SQL requirements, and they come back to me shaking their heads at how little information they could obtain. I can practically guarantee that the pool of knowledge around Sage 100 at Sage is going to get shallower and shallower over time.

    Premium is an area that most MSPs (aka we do it all including your Sage upgrades)  and lone ranger IT folks won't be capable of tackling either. It's the one area perfect for Sage consultants to be familiar with and ready to assist their customers. 

    This is worth doubling down on for the next 3 to 5 years of Sage 100's life



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    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 03-22-2023 11:50

    We have many Premium clients, but push certain SQL support activities back at the customer / their IT, because we don't want to "own" the backup and recovery responsibilities or the SQL licensing.  This way there is no "competition" between us and their IT, and we are free to focus on Sage 100 specifics.  Occasionally we'll run into IT people trying to get us to teach them how to support Sage 100... which is a big "no"... but otherwise this strategy works well.

    The big selling points for Premium / SQL are data security and custom report processing speed.  That is primarily what the extra $ for SQL licenses (and additional processing power to run SQL server) gets them.  (I think one client made the decision, about switching to Premium, during an unrelated conversation when I mentioned SQL data is locked away and inaccessible from a workstation crypto infection).



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    Kevin Moyes
    Technical Systems Analyst
    Munjal White Consulting Co.
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  • 5.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-22-2023 13:57

    Is anyone at Summit?  Does it look sold out?  What were the Sage 100 sessions that are being presented?



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    Jeff Schwenk
    Bottomline Software, Inc.
    (540) 221-4444
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  • 6.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-22-2023 14:19

    Here's an image from the Sage 300 session. It's hard to draw any conclusions on attendance though usually if they expect a fuller house they won't use circular tables and you'll start seeing pictures of a full hours.



    ------------------------------
    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-22-2023 14:25

    Green is apparently the color of everything at the conference. It reminds me of the broadway musical Wicked



    ------------------------------
    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-22-2023 14:40
      |   view attached


    Anne Sawyer, Executive Director
    anne.sawyer@90minds.com
    90 Minds, Inc.

    SCHEDULE A MEETING HERE:  Calendly - Anne Sawyer
       






  • 9.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-22-2023 17:03

    This seems like it may be the main keynote room. 

    I remember the days when Sage 100/500 sessions would come very close to filling this room.

    https://twitter.com/SagePartners/status/1660752432484286470?s=20



    ------------------------------
    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
    ------------------------------



  • 10.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-22-2023 19:53
    Edited by Wayne Schulz 05-22-2023 19:53

    Sage announces Partner Summit 2023 attendance of over 1,200 partners Our President of Sage North America,



    ------------------------------
    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
    ------------------------------



  • 11.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-22-2023 20:03

    Hmmm.  So if you were an Intacct reseller, you got in for free?  Not sure if that would have been enough.  Do you think there were 1200 people there?  Or Sean Spicer doing the press conference for Sage?



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    Jeff Schwenk
    Bottomline Software, Inc.
    (540) 221-4444
    ------------------------------



  • 12.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-22-2023 20:07

    Jeff Schwenk... Now that's hilarious 😂😂😂😆😆!!



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    Doug Higgs
    Midwest Commerce Solutions, Inc
    (312) 315-0960
    Chauffeur, Chef, and Personal Assistant to Sprinkles
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  • 13.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-23-2023 07:52

    There are probably 1,200 there. Remember, this is a global conference.  If I recall, the old Sage Summit - before it joined with customers - attracted around 2,500 ( someone, please correct me if I'm off on these numbers ). Then when customers were allowed, I think that increased by 1,000 to around 3,500. I may be of a couple hundred, but I think that's in the ballpark(?)

    I'm also not 100% sure if Steve Hare will show up in the photos. It seems very strange for a global conference not to have the CEO at least present ( I think in prior years, Hare was not on the speaking roster but did appear somewhere a the conference ).



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    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
    ------------------------------



  • 14.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-23-2023 07:58

    Another opening day crowd shot.



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    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
    ------------------------------



  • 15.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-23-2023 18:55

    FYI - I dropped a couple of videos that captures the attendance quite well for the opening keynote this morning: 

    Video 1: https://malikinc.sharepoint.com/:v:/s/SSAdv/ERFolrBm7C5Ooz4Q_V3ICiQByErGJgd3MAWKxXyv5KqV4w?e=9IkPfI
    Video 2: https://malikinc.sharepoint.com/:v:/s/SSAdv/ESRK-lXghZtEnaQhfYlS-MUBIMGGor84QLbG2eMmPtfmpw?e=d556Tf



    ------------------------------
    Basil Malik
    e: basil@ss-adv.com
    p: (918)600-8700

    "Whatever you are, try to be a good one."
    ------------------------------



  • 16.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-23-2023 07:58
    Edited by Basil Malik 05-23-2023 07:58

    I registered to go to Summit before I went to 90 Minds MOTM, so I was already committed to going and networking. It certainly feels like there are 1,200 people here - if not more. The opening keynote session yesterday and the evening opening receptions felt quite full.



    ------------------------------
    Basil Malik
    e: basil@ss-adv.com
    p: (918)600-8700

    "Whatever you are, try to be a good one."
    ------------------------------



  • 17.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-23-2023 07:59

    @Basil Malik  Is Steve Hare there? If not, what reason have they given for the CEO not attending/speaking at a global conference?



    ------------------------------
    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
    ------------------------------



  • 18.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-23-2023 08:03

    I haven't seen Steve. If you went to the Sage Partner Summit last year, the same emcee that facilitated the sessions was on the main stage. And Aziz facilitated the Act I of the keynote. I had to leave about 30 minutes in to take a sales call, so I'm not sure if they mentioned anything about Steve.

    I believe today's keynote is supposed to be the official kickoff for the event for the entire summit as yesterday was the partner-focused day. We'll see if they mention it or if Steve makes an appearance.



    ------------------------------
    Basil Malik
    e: basil@ss-adv.com
    p: (918)600-8700

    "Whatever you are, try to be a good one."
    ------------------------------



  • 19.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-23-2023 08:06

    I'm not 100% but last year; I think Steve Hare was not on the speaker list but did appear at some point. 



    ------------------------------
    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
    ------------------------------



  • 20.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-23-2023 11:01

    So what (besides Intacct) is new in the world of Sage?  Does anything besides the fair haired child exist?  What is the latest pie in the sky innovation coming down the pike?



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    Jeff Schwenk
    Bottomline Software, Inc.
    (540) 221-4444
    ------------------------------



  • 21.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-23-2023 11:13
    Edited by Wayne Schulz 05-23-2023 11:16

    I think the next big thing is going to be about integration. Specifically, Sage takes a fee for transactions from third parties for money moved into and out of Sage. 

    Stephen Kelly predicted a few years ago that the business was about the movement of money.

    At one point, I believe Sage planned to sell people and businesses on using some type of Sage network

    For that, the various participants would need to create a Sage ID. It sounded an awful lot like EDI. It has been a little while since I've seen this on a Powerpoint. 

    From what I hear and can see, the process may have morphed to be more of a fee per transaction as measured on the Sage Intacct API. I don't think this type of toll is as easy to collect for legacy products.

    From watching the very few Twitter photos that are coming back from the Sage Partner Summit 2023 it appears the content is pretty similar to many past conferences.  I see slides telling participants how big the market is and how it's growing and how Sage loves partners. 



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    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
    ------------------------------



  • 22.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-23-2023 11:32

    I am at the SAP Partner Summit for SME in Panama.   SAP has also talked about managing digital payments.  Because the EU digital currency will be in place by 2026 SAP is building a platform that will be available to all SAP products.  The approach is to provide a service which will accept any digital currency validate it and convert it to a local currency as a service.  The key objective is to ensure that the transaction is secure and that SAP make it as difficult as possible for ransom-ware actors to attack an SAP system.   



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    Gary Feldman
    I-Business Network, LLC
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  • 23.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-23-2023 13:34

    Greytrix is posting a lot of good slide images from today's technology overview with Aaron Harris 



    ------------------------------
    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
    ------------------------------



  • 24.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-23-2023 18:52

    Aaron's keynote was superb. But it does reinforce the fact that Sage has two primary directives coming out of this particular event:
    1) Responsibility with AI and how Sage is gradually including it within their products.
    2) Big changes to the Developer platform. This includes integrations, and rolling out a new RESTful API on the Sage Network. It sounds much like what SData should have been but with modern technology underpinning the infrastructure that'll allow it to evolve gracefully over time vs. needing to take it behind the shed and "Ol' Yeller" it.

    I am no Wayne Shulz, but I am pooling all of my pictures from keynotes and the sessions here: https://malikinc.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/SSAdv/Eho8HrdNaJNAskS1MyUHRPgBIjy7A-8evEsupsMBI_AtDQ?e=BDtEXP 

    If you use any of those images in posts, I only ask that you tag/cite me in those posts. :) There's a two-minute live demo that Aaron did on stage that I think the team would be interested to see.

    I'll upload more as the conference progresses. 



    ------------------------------
    Basil Malik
    e: basil@ss-adv.com
    p: (918)600-8700

    "Whatever you are, try to be a good one."
    ------------------------------



  • 25.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-24-2023 16:57

    @Basil Malik - Are any of these directives outlined above going to impact Sage 100?  Or were they talking to the X3/Intacct crowd?  Did they give any timelines?  Or was this another "broad brush stroke" PowerPoint presentation to be forgotten about after the conference (Remember the Erika J flipcharts on the final day and final hour partner session).  Wasn't Sdata supposed to be the cat's meow when it was first introduced?  I don't think it made it past three lives, let alone nine.

    Can anyone summarize what the major takeaways were of the conference?



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    Jeff Schwenk
    Bottomline Software, Inc.
    (540) 221-4444
    ------------------------------



  • 26.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-25-2023 09:43

    See my reply ( 21 ) above.

    TL;DR: Sage will work hard to integrate as many integrations as possible. And they are going to take a piece of the transaction fees. The Lockstep acquisition looks to be front and center. See the slide posted above from the keynote titled "Sage Network Apps". To the extent that Sage can effectively apply that toll through a restrictive API then Sage will put money into those products. Those products that don't have an easy way for Sage to restrict third part integrations will likely get less love. Just my personal hunch.

    Just like Apple shifted their focus from the number of phones sold to the amount of revenue from services, I feel that you will also see most of the software companies switch from bragging about the number of users/acquired users to the revenue from add-ons and bolt-ons.



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    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
    ------------------------------



  • 27.  RE: Sage posts list of detail Sage Partner Summit workshops

    Posted 05-28-2023 14:19

    Hey @Jeff Schwenk - It's hard for me to speak in definitives as I'm not a Sage ERP partner abroad, so, I'll try to answer - but bear in mind I'm speculating.

    RE: AI and "Responsibly integrating AI into Sage Products" - while they spoke of it in broad terms, the only actual demo they provided was the 2-minute video I included in the above SharePoint link, it only focused on the "Sage Assistant" paired with Intacct. While there may be some opportunity to integrate it into other products, it's not entirely clear 1) how the AI product integrates with the data (i.e., APIs, ODBC, third-party bridge (IPaaS), etc.), or 2) which products and the hierarchy of importance to roll it out to those products. There wasn't any discussion around timelines as they left it quite ambiguous to the idea/concept that they have a directive and they want to be as "responsible" about it as possible. With how prevalent AI has become in all levels of discussions and users "maturing" in its use, I don't think that it's going to be going away any time soon. If Sage wants Intacct to remain relevant, they're going to have to continue working with it so long as AI demands the spotlight.

    RE: Sage Network API - this seems like it's coming to market a lot quicker than those that might think. Alex Fawcett did a good session on how developers would use the Sage Network to access data and write data using the new APIs. Some products have read only capacity (i.e., Sage 100), while others have more robust capabilities already. I do think this is going to be Sage's way of normalizing data transactions across its portfolio with Intacct likely having a secondary means of enabling API transactions. It's more or less their new way of also levying a "tax" on all API transactions that integrate with Sage's suite of products and driving more people to launch marketplace applications. The latter being an important note as the tax gets embedded in the marketplace solution whereas any direct API usage that doesn't have a marketplace app will have standardized rates applied to number of transactions. I'm sure there are other factors in how they calculate the "tax," but that's the one I heard most frequently. I'm certain another one will be the size of the payload when interacting with the data. i.e., 100 transactions where the total payload == 1MB will have an equivalent cost comparison to a transaction volume of 10 transactions with the same 1MB cumulative payload.

    I didn't really pay too much attention to the other items from the conference as I was there from a CRM person's perspective to understand the integration between Intacct and other products, best practices, etc. 



    ------------------------------
    Basil Malik
    e: basil@ss-adv.com
    p: (918)600-8700

    "Whatever you are, try to be a good one."
    ------------------------------