Sage Helps Small Businesses to Be More Productive and Get Paid Faster With Simply Accounting 2010

RICHMOND, BC--(Marketwire - October 5, 2009) - The credit crunch continues to pressure small business to scrutinize their finances in order to weather the tough economic climate and invest strategically for growth. Today, Sage North America fortifies its commitment to helping Canadian small businesses better manage their operations with the launch of Simply Accounting by Sage 2010. Simply Accounting is the #1 choice of Canadian small businesses and accountants,* with more than 500,000 registered users in Canada. Sage has more than 5.8 million small and mid-sized business customers worldwide.

"Small businesses today have to do more with less, which makes fast and easy-to-use tools key to their success," said Jamie Sutherland, vice president and general manager, Simply Accounting. "Simply Accounting by Sage 2010 is built for both simplicity and speed, managing financial and operational needs and providing a complete scalable accounting solution. With millions of customers who rely on Sage products everyday, we truly understand the challenges faced by small businesses and invest in solutions that deliver the best customer experience possible."

Simply Accounting by Sage 2010 is a progressive accounting system that simplifies a complete range of small business accounting tasks, from the basics to payroll and taxes, and continues to be the only truly bilingual accounting software that supports multicurrency invoicing on the market.

Simply Accounting by Sage 2010 Pro and Premium benefit Canadian small businesses and accountants through:

--  Faster Installation to get up and running quickly. A streamlined
    installation Wizard reduces the number of steps users have to complete in
    the installation process.
    
--  Faster Daily Startup. Users can quickly access the home window when
    they open a company file and start working right away.
    
--  Faster entry of sales and purchases. Improved sales and purchases
    windows allow users to enter more transactions in less time which increases
    overall business productivity.
    
--  Greater insight into Cash Flow.  Users can now view total sums and
    balances on the Home Window that are instantly calculated up to the latest
    transaction date.
    
--  Quick and simple management of Records of Employment. Users can view,
    modify and export employees' ROEs for Web Submission and upload the
    information to a secure ROE website.
    
--  SimplyCARE with Platinum Payroll. Provides users with up-to-date
    federal and provincial tax updates for your software
    

"Sage's Simply Accounting 2010 is on the mark," said Leyla Szabo-Kustan, Simply Accounting Certified Consultant. "Sage has increased the software's processing speed which makes it easy to start working right away. Sage has also added new robust features, such as the export of a Record of Employment to the Canadian federal government's ROE Website. I would definitely recommend upgrading to the new 2010 version."

For small businesses that require a multi-user accounting solution with an increased level of customization, Simply Accounting Enterprise by Sage 2010 offers a 5- to 10-user accounting product. Features include detailed sales analysis and forecasting tools, a serialized inventory option, role-based security settings and faster posting speeds that can scale to easily accommodate databases with large numbers of inventory records and transactions. Simply Accounting Enterprise also includes the SimplyCARE with Payroll and Support service plan, which provides unlimited access to customer support, automatically delivers product upgrades, and provides access to payroll tax updates for twelve months.

Price and Availability

Simply Accounting by Sage 2010 is currently shipping and will be available at Canadian retailers nationwide by mid-October. Simply Accounting First Step is available for $49.99. Simply Accounting Pro has a suggested retail price (SRP) of $169.99; with payroll included at $369.99. Simply Accounting Premium (two-user) is priced at $299.99; with payroll included at $499.99. Simply Accounting Enterprise is available for direct purchase from Sage, with a five-user license available at an SRP of $1399.99, and a ten-user license at $2649.99. All prices listed are in CDN dollars.

For more information on Simply Accounting by Sage 2010, SimplyCARE Plans and other products, please phone 1-888-261-9610 or visit: www.simplyaccounting.com and http://www.billingboss.com/home.

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 more than 4,100 people and supports nearly 2.9 million small and medium-size business customers. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 14,500 people and supports 5.8 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.sagenorthamerica.com.

*Based on independent surveys of 312 Canadian businesses with 1-99 employees and 482 accountants who work with small business clients, conducted in Canada in Sept 2009.

©2009 Sage Software Canada, Ltd. Sage, the Sage logo, and the Sage product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sage Software Canada, Ltd. or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners

Contact Information: Press Contacts: Monisha Khanna Sage 604.207.8676 Monisha.Khanna@sage.com