August 23rd, 2010
As announced at Insights 2010, we are pleased to offer free skill-building workshops at various locations to all Sage small and mid-market business partners. In addition to the Sales and Consulting workshops, we are now offering the new Customer Experience and Business Strategy workshops.
Regardless of which Sage product line(s) you represent, it is our goal to provide ongoing training opportunities to equip you with key skill-sets needed to gain the competitive edge in the marketplace. We encourage you to take advantage of the following free workshops and register today!
♦ Business Strategy Workshop (NEW!)
♦ Customer Experience Workshop (NEW!)
♦ Consulting Skills Workshop Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: BUSINESS STRATEGY, CONSULTING SKILLS, CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, Ed Kless
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August 13th, 2010
While Wave debuted to wild acclaim a year ago, it failed to gain much traction amongst ordinary users, and was probably best known for people’s inability to describe what it was actually for. The app will remain available for use until the end of the year, but will receive no further investment from Google.
But far from lamenting the failure and coming up with numerous excuses, Google sought to cast the exercise in a positive light. “We celebrate our failures,” said Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, when addressing reporters at the Techonomy conference yesterday. He went on to say that “this is a company where it is absolutely OK to try something that is very hard, have it not be successful, take the learning and apply it to something new.”
Google Wave was developed by a team based in Australia who were responsible for the runaway hit, Google Maps. They were given a greenlight to develop Wave when they approached Google HQ with a simple pitch which essentially stated they wanted to do something “new and game-changing but we can’t even tell you what it is.”
The lessons learned and the technology developed will not go to waste, according to Google’s Official Blog. “The central parts of the code, as well as the protocols that have driven many of Wave’s innovations, like drag-and-drop and character-by-character live typing, are already available as open source, so customers and partners can continue the innovation we began”.
Speculation is rife on the net that the end of Google Wave is another signal that Google are preparing the groundwork for an assault on social media, in the form of the much speculated about Google Me.
Only time will tell if this is the end, or just another beginning.
Tags: Eric Schmidt, Google Maps, Google Wave
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August 3rd, 2010
| The perfect storm for productivity improvements and cost savings.
By Jim Herbold
Posted Jul 29, 2010
Permission to use was granted by the Author, Jim Herbold & Ashley Mayer from Box.net’s Marketing team
In case you missed it, the cloud is taking over the CRM industry by storm. According to Gartner, the worldwide market for software-as-a-service (SaaS) is forecast to hit $7.5 billion this year (a 17.7 percent increase from last year), and will total $14 billion by 2013.
We’re all familiar with CRM vendors such as Salesforce.com, NetSuite, SAP, and Oracle. But there are other complementary cloud tools that forward-thinking organizations are using, such as:
- Cloud content management services to store and share collateral with prospects, partners and customers
- Digital signature services that close deals faster by keeping contract signing online
- Virtual PBX phone systems that add automation and reduce costs associated with the contact center
- Email marketing automation solutions that increase demand generation and optimize lead management
- Online billing and accounting tools that simplify managing finances as well as automate the invoice process
- Virtual meeting services that facilitate product demos and interactive conversations
If you’re not catching my drift, I’ll spell it out for you: The tipping point for the cloud is finally here. Partly due to the recent economic downturn, the cloud is pushing its way from no-man’s-land to man on the street. Thomas Friedman recently coined this unique point in time as the Great Inflection meets the Great Recession, meaning we’re at a crossroads where affordable technologies that change the way we work are in-line with today’s cost-conscious business.
SaaS products are much more affordable, scalable, require minimal implementation and training, and above all, manage themselves — meaning there’s no updates to install. Cloud services also have the benefit of being easy to use as they’re often developed with the end user in mind. The best part is the fact that the cloud is becoming more ubiquitous, so companies now have the pick of the litter and can implement best-of-breed services from as many vendors as they want.
This also begs the question: Won’t multiple SaaS solutions silo my information in one place or another? Breathe easy because most web-based services are focused on the next step in the SaaS evolution: connected clouds.
With connected clouds, all the online services you use at your organization are integrated and communicating with each other. The inherent nature of cloud computing’s open standards and APIs (application programming interfaces) makes this work in a way that’s not possible with server-based solutions. APIs allow cloud service providers to use pre-built integrations, or functional connections, in other cloud services. Read the rest of this entry » |
Tags: CRM, NetSuite, Oracle, SaaS, Salesforce.com, SAP, software-as-a-service
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July 30th, 2010
By REBECCA GO
The Daily Transcript
For Steve Bond, building a positive brand is important, both in his career and on a personal level. The executive vice president at local accounting and software services firm TAG works to ensure that his company lives up to its name and promise in delivering quality service while developing quality relationships. TAG provides outsourced accounting, accounting software and high-net-worth family accounting.“It focuses on relieving a business owner of noncore competencies,” said Bond, 36, who prior to joining TAG oversaw business development for human resource outsourcing company Administaff. “If you have quality vendors managing noncore competencies,then you can focus on running a business.”
Bond joined TAG in 2006 as managing director of TAG subsidiary Next Stage Software, and subsequently led the company to become one of the top accounting and operations Sage software value-added resellers in San Diego.Founded 14 years ago as two separate companies — The Accounting Group and Next Stage Software
— TAG is no newcomer to the marketplace, but it was only a few years ago that Bond and founder Rob Scherer worked to rebrand the company and shape TAG into what it is today. The management team merged the disparate companies, acquired a handful of additional companies and implemented an employee stock ownership plan, awarding stock options to its employees.“Rebranding may be an understatement,” Bond said. “It was a shift in the business model.” Bond says he’s happy with the results: a cohesive, growing, employee- owned company with a unified value proposition and a positive culture. He added that he could see the possibility of a profitable exit in five years and pointed to the billion-dollar success of Administaff as an example of an outsourcing model that worked. “I really love what we’re doing,” Bond said. “I really believe it can impact companies, and I really believe it can be something that can be considered a new standard.” Over the past year, Bond has shifted more of his attention to community involvement. Already an active member of the downtown Rotary Club, MIT Enterprise Forum, Software Industry Council and Execs San Diego, Bond joined the board of Promises2Kids in April 2009. Promises2Kids is a local nonprofit that fights child abuse and neglect in the region.
For Bond, helping others is the bottom line — and in a society where it’s hard to live in anonymity, it plays a part in building a positive personal brand. Bond notes that he has a sign on his wall that encourages him to aid a prospective client and make an introduction that benefits a friend. “I try to check those boxes every day,” Bond said. “The way I try to build relationships is by helping other people.”
rebecca.go@sddt.com
Tags: Rob Scherer, Sage, Steve Bond, TAG
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July 30th, 2010
It’s no secret that businesses are paying more attention these days to the concept of software as a service (SaaS) and how it can be incorporated into IT portfolios.
There is strong sentiment that companies get the most benefit from SaaS when it is part of an overall enterprise architecture, and that SaaS should be on the table anytime a new IT-driven capability is acquired.
Why is SaaS considered the phenomenal new kid on the block? One big reason is speed to value. According to a recent InformationWeek Analytics survey of 281 business technologists (including 131 who now use SaaS), 37 percent cited fast implementation as a major driver. InformationWeek notes that speed is followed by capital expense savings (cited by 28 percent of survey respondents), and operational expense savings (cited by 25 percent). About one-third of companies surveyed describe their SaaS applications as mission critical.
SaaS is never one-size-fits-all, however. IT departments should have a clear framework for evaluating and operating any new model, and a detailed supply chain IT impact assessment should be performed to determine if the SaaS model is a good match for the operation.
Overall benefits such as rapid deployment, lower cost, and scalability must be counter-balanced by other key decision criteria particular to an organization—such as fit, return on investment (ROI) and risk. Evaluations should also take into consideration both long-term ROI and short-term total cost of ownership. Vertical industry expertise and similarities to existing clients also can be strong indicators for precise selection of a SaaS model.
And there are a myriad of options when it comes to SaaS. Organizations must grasp nuances inherent in the different models they evaluate, along with understanding the difference between SaaS, hybrid, hosted, and in-house—and any combinations thereof. Quite often, a “hybrid” deployment model can be a good alternative to a wholesale organizational shift to SaaS. Read the rest of this entry »
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June 13th, 2010
Business sofware vendor launches X3 product aimed at mid-market organisations in Australia. Business software vendor, Sage, is looking to recruit new and existing partners for its upper mid-market charge in Australia.
The catalyst for its push is its ERP X3 offering, which provides financial, distribution and manufacturing capabilities along with process management functionality. Although the platform has been available in many global markets for several years, the vendor only made the decision to launch the platform locally in 2010.
The vendor’s managing director, Mike Lorge, said X3 was aimed at organisations with 100-1000 employees and complemented Sage’s Accpac ERP solution for smaller organisations. X3’s key competitor is Microsoft’s AX platform.
“We see a great opportunity in the upper mid-market in terms of new business, but there are also a number of businesses with more sophisticated requirements that typically were being addressed by lower-end products,” Lorge said.
He claimed X3’s customisable functionality, ease of implementation, cost-effectiveness and interface made it a good choice for partners and customers across various vertical markets. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Accpac ERP, ERP X3, Sage
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June 12th, 2010
LAGUNA HILLS, CA – Leading Sage business partner Blytheco, LLC has been recognized by Everything Channel as one of North America’s top technology integrators. Blytheco provides business management technology and consulting to over 4,000 customers nationwide. With nine locations in the US, the company is Sage’s largest and most recognized business partner. BlythecoDev, the company’s development arm, also creates ground-breaking solutions to complement Sage products, like bly|Mobile, the web-enabled version of Sage MAS 90 ERP.
The 16th annual ranking VAR 500 list details the leading producers among technology integrators and technology solution provider organizations in North America based on gross worldwide revenue of hardware and software sales, as well as earnings from professional and managed IT services.
“It is exciting to be recognized among the esteemed companies in the VAR 500,” said Stephen Blythe, CEO of Blytheco, LLC. “In an ever-changing industry, we have found that our strategy of growth and dedication to exceeding customer expectations have continued to make our business successful.”
“The VAR 500 is the who’s who of the solution provider community. In companies large and small, the VAR 500 are considered trusted business advisors and invaluable partners. We are honored to compile this list and represent this audience,” said Kelley Damore, VP, Editorial Director, Everything Channel.
Tags: Blytheco, BlythecoDev, MAS200, MAS500, MAS90, Sage, Sage ERP X3, VAR 500
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June 19th, 2009
Sage Consulting Academy – Consulting Essentials By Ed Kless
The Sage Software Consulting Essentials course is designed to give sales professionals a comprehensive education on the selling process & a thorough understanding of the Sage Software Consulting Essentials. It also provides a thorough understanding of the business and industry issues and a hands-on approach to presenting Sage solutions in the marketplace.
ed.kless@sage.com
Sage Sales Academy – Presenting & Enabling Decision By Rob Johnson
Presenting & Enabling Decisions is designed for salespeople who wish to improve their selling skills and career trajectory by improving presenting techniques, closing and objection handling skills, and price negotiating. / rob.johnson@sage.com
Tags: Ed Kless, Rob Johnson, Sage Consulting Academy, Sage Sales Academy
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Tammy Mathews / Bill Kizer @ Sage Insights 2010 Denver
