Sage and Construction Financial Management Association Team Up to Expand Construction-Specific Financial Management Education

BEAVERTON, OR and PRINCETON, NJ--(Marketwire - Sep 7, 2011) - Sage North America, a provider of business management software and services to more than three million small and midsized businesses in Canada and the United States, and the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA), an international professional non-profit association focused on the educational needs of financial professionals in construction, today announced that Sage's Construction and Real Estate (CRE) business will partner with the association to deliver quality educational programs to CFMA members and the overall construction industry. The partnership seeks to accelerate the development of timely, relevant educational content fulfilling the specialized learning needs of financial managers working in the construction industry.

For more than 40 years, Sage has been developing industry-specific accounting and operational management software for the construction and real estate industries. Through this partnership, Sage will sponsor various existing CFMA educational programs, as well as fund the establishment of the Sage Educational Fellowship which will develop new educational programs.

"As the construction industry has grown more complex and is undergoing a transformation, construction financial professionals need solutions to the challenges they face every day," said Jon Witty, general manager of Sage Construction and Real Estate. "CFMA has established itself in the industry as a trusted provider of educational programs and resources to financial managers. We are pleased that this unprecedented partnership will help expand CFMA's already robust educational program."

CFMA is the only professional organization dedicated to serving its members by providing critical industry research and specialized financial information and education to construction financial managers and professionals. CFMA is known as the source and resource for construction financial managers to help them achieve better bottom lines.

"Working with Sage to advance educational programs in construction will be a boon to the field as a whole," said Stuart Binstock, President & Chief Executive Officer of CFMA. "CFMA takes pride in delivering the best learning opportunities to its members. Partnering with a market leader such as Sage will allow us to further expand those opportunities for our members and the broader construction community."

Sage's construction and real estate products include Sage Timberline Office, Sage Timberline Enterprise, Sage Master Builder, and Sage Peachtree software that are industry-tailored to help companies optimize financial and operational performance. With over 40 years in the industry and more than 20,000 construction and real estate customers, Sage product lines have been recognized as the most widely used applications for construction estimating, job costing, accounting, payroll, and project management in the mid-market, according to the Construction Financial Management Association's (CFMA) 2010 Information Technology Survey for the Construction Industry.

ABOUT CFMA
CFMA, established in 1981, is the only professional organization in the world focused on the unique specialized educational needs of today's construction financial managers and professionals. Members include CFOs, controllers and treasurers working in major commercial construction contractors including contractors in general, subspecialty trades and heavy highway sectors. CFMA members also include those professionals who service the financial professionals within the industry, such as accountants, surety agents, bankers, information technology and other professionals.CFMA has nearly 6,700 members in the US and Canada supported by 87 chapters located in major metropolitan areas. For more information about CFMA, visit www.cfma.org. Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/CFMA/112209692150851 or Twitter www.twitter.com/@cfma

About Sage North America
Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and services. Sage North America employs 3,900 people and supports 3.2 million small and midsized business customers. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 13,400 people and supports 6.3 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the website at www.sagenorthamerica.com. Follow Sage North America on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/SageNorthAmerica, and Twitter, http://twitter.com/#!/sagenamerica.