New Simply Accounting by Sage Enterprise to Be Unveiled During Simply Partnership 2007

RICHMOND, BC--(Marketwire - October 17, 2007) - Sage Software announced today that it will preview the new Simply Accounting by Sage Enterprise 2008 to its more than 300 Simply Accounting partners expected to attend the company's annual Simply Partnership event that kicks off on Friday, October 19th in Ottawa, Ontario.

The new Simply Accounting Enterprise will be available across Canada in early November 2007, and it extends the Simply Accounting product line further to serve growing small businesses that are not ready to migrate to more robust, sophisticated systems such as Sage BusinessVision 50 Accounting or Sage Accpac ERP (enterprise resource planning). The new Simply Accounting Enterprise brings to market a comprehensive, yet cost-efficient accounting package, which offers growing small businesses more advanced inventory management, enhanced security and expanded multi-user capability.

According to a survey conducted by Sage Software in 2006, many small businesses expect to outgrow their current accounting software within the next few years, and interest in a higher-end accounting solution increases as companies surpass five concurrent users.(1)

"We have more than half a million Canadian small businesses successfully managing their companies on Simply Accounting, but some are experiencing growing pains with their current accounting system as their operations continue to grow," said Laurie Schultz, senior vice president and general manager, Simply and Accpac, N.A. "These businesses are not quite ready for, nor need a more sophisticated accounting system or typical mid-market ERP application in terms of features, sophistication and functionality, but they definitely have outgrown their current small business accounting package. Our new Simply Accounting Enterprise provides us with a great opportunity to continue to meet the growing needs of these types of small businesses, while ensuring they can continue to grow comfortably within the Sage Software family."

Simply Accounting Enterprise offers growing small businesses:

--  Five or ten concurrent user capacity - for the increased capacity
    needs of growing companies;
--  More advanced inventory management - with the ability to track
    inventory at the item level using serialized inventory;
--  Improved performance - for managing the increase in concurrent users,
    and
--  Enhanced role-based security - to allow multiple users to access the
    data safely.
    

Additionally, the purchase of Simply Accounting Enterprise includes the SimplyCARE with Payroll and Support service plan, which provides unlimited access to customer support, automatic product upgrades, and access to payroll tax updates for twelve months. For businesses not currently using a Simply Accounting product, Sage Software offers conversion tools from other accounting software packages including QuickBooks®, MYOB® and Quicken®.

Accountants and bookkeepers attending Simply Partnership will have an opportunity to learn more about Simply Accounting Enterprise and receive demonstrations of the new product line. The annual event offers several general sessions and an array of breakouts designed to provide partners with practical product knowledge for improving their productivity with clients.

"With the expanded business management software portfolio now available in Canada, our partners can better assist their small business clients with choosing the appropriate next step accounting package from a Sage Canada product portfolio that offers more options to help businesses with managing growth," added Schultz.

Simply Accounting is the #1 recommended accounting software in Canada, according to a recent survey of Canadian accountants conducted by an independent consultant.(2) Simply Accounting is fully bilingual (French and English) and supports multi-currency. Additionally, many accountants prefer the reliability and security provided by Simply Accounting compared to other available small business accounting packages.

Availability

In addition to Simply Accounting Enterprise, Sage Software also offers Canadian small and mid-sized businesses a business software management portfolio that includes Sage BusinessVision 50 Accounting and Sage Accpac ERP. Simply Accounting by Sage Enterprise 2008 will be available for direct purchase from Sage Software starting in early November 2007. Additional feature details and pricing will be available at www.simplyaccounting.com.

Simply Partnership 2007 will also feature an exhibitor area, where attendees can investigate additional solutions and tools to help their own businesses and their clients. Exhibitors include CCH Canadian, UniResMan, TelPay for Business, Davis & Henderson, the Institute of Professional Bookkeepers and the Knowledge Bureau, Inc. To register or learn more about Simply Partnership 2007, go to http://www.simplyaccounting.com/partnership2007/.

About Sage Software

Sage Software supports the needs, challenges and dreams of nearly 2.8 million small and mid-sized business customers in North America through easy-to-use, scalable and customizable software and services. Our products support accounting, operations, customer relationship management, human resources, time tracking, merchant services and the specialized needs of the construction, distribution, healthcare, manufacturing, nonprofit and real estate industries. Sage Software is a subsidiary of The Sage Group plc, a leading international supplier of accounting and business management software solutions and related products and services for small and mid-sized businesses. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and the Group now has 5.4 million customers and employs over 13,000 people worldwide. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.sagesoftware.com/moreinfo or call (866) 308-2378.

©2007 Sage Software, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sources:

(1) Simply Accounting Enterprise Research: December 2006 study, 450 responses. Sage End User Survey: Canada (Sept, 2006)

(2) Information based on an online survey of 574 accountants who work with small business clients, conducted in Canada in August 2007.

Contact Information: Contacts: Marchell Gillis 770-724-4256 marchell.Gillis@sage.com Mark Priscaro 925-931-7048 mark.priscaro@sage.com