Fitzgerald Group advises Massachusetts MAS90 users of August 1 sales tax changes
July 30, 2009
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Massachusetts Sales Tax Changes Take Affect August 1, 2009
Mike Fitzgerald of The Fitzgerald Group just sent me this information about an upcoming change in Massachusetts sales tax. According to his notice the state is increasing the sales tax rate effective August 1, 2009.
Please consult with your tax advisor prior to making any changes.
Here are the instructions for those Massachusetts MAS 90 or MAS 200 users who need to update their sales tax rates for the upcoming changes.
Massachusetts sales tax is changing from 5% to 6.25% effective August 1, 2009. If you collect sales tax on Massachusetts sales (and do not use an add-on sales tax program) you must manually change the sales tax rate before starting August invoicing.
Follow these steps in order to update the MAS90 or MAS200 sales tax rate:
Before you begin:
* You’ll want to change the sales tax rate after all July invoicing is complete, and before printing August invoices.
* Make sure there are no users entering invoices or sales orders while you perform these steps.
Change the rate in the sales tax table:
* In Library Master/Setup/Sales Tax Code Maintenance, select your Massachusetts tax code.
* On the taxable line in the table, change the rate from 5.00 percent to 6.25 percent.
* Click Accept.
Update your in-process sales orders and/or invoices:
* In Accounts Receivable/Utilities, select Sales Tax Calculation.
* Make sure all the boxes are checked, and select “recalculate sales tax for all records.”
* Click Proceed.
If you track sales taxes in Accounts Payable/Purchase Order:
* In Accounts Payable/Utilities, select Sales Tax Calculation.
* Make sure all the boxes are checked, and select “recalculate sales tax for all records.”
* Click Proceed.
More information – The Fitzgerald Group – Sharon MA
How to show country names on forms using older MAS 90 and MAS 200 versions
July 30, 2009
To create country code on MAS90 and MAS 200 forms:
Earlier versions of MAS 90 and MAS 200 (typically prior to version 4.10 or 4.20) did not allow for easy linking of the country code name to the code itself.
While the country code could be placed on forms (Sales Orders, Purchase Orders, Checks) – the name of the country was not as easy to place for a few reasons –mainly that the data file required to pull the name from was not readily linkable.
Below is a workaround solution that you may find useful. It is primarily for MAS90 or MAS200 (it works on both) versions prior to 4.1 – so if you are using a later version you probably don’t need this procedure because Sage has wisely added country name to the tables that your forms are using.
All steps below require using Crystal Report Writer – which is included with your Sage MAS90 or MAS 200 product disks.
These are not beginner instructions – and assume some intermediate level comfort with Crystal Reports. Backup all your
For this example, assume that we are going to create a form for the ship to and bill to codes. The same logic here with slight modification can apply to any form with a bill/ship field.
Note: Technical information on creating a Crystal Sub report that shares variables is available from:
NOTE: Unfortunately links below to Crystal Reports technical documents appear to have been broken since Business Objects was acquired by SAP.
http://support.businessobjects.com/library/kbase/articles/c2007600.asp
1. Create a page header A that is above the main details (Note: It is important that this comes at the top of the page so that the shared variable calculates before the body of the report. If you do not put it at the top the whole thing doesn’t work). You will need to create a new header (Right click in the HEADER section area and select Insert Section Below. Once that section is created, right click on the section area again on the left side and select MOVE – then you can move it up).
2. Create a sub report for each Bill-To/Ship-To code. These will be placed into the page header created above.
a. Cty_ship
b. Cty_bill
c. Note: Link these back to the main table on the report. You’ll probably want to look in the Database – Visual Linking Expert to see what table is being used to hold your address information.
3. Within each of these subreports:
a. Create a formula as follows (Note: Vary the variable name depending on whether you are creating a bill to or ship to)
b. Place the above formula in the body of the subreport in the details section. Once on the report, right click the formula, select format field, then font, change the font to WHITE (or any shade that won’t show on the report)
c. Place the SY_Country.CountryName in the body of the subreport in the details section. Change the font to white so it doesn’t print on the final report.
d. Leave the Details section viewable – all other sections should be suppressed – ie headers/footers. (Note: If you suppress the details section this won’t work – so be sure to leave it viewable. The way to get around seeing the data on the report is to later change the font to white and make the field very tiny).
e. Make sure your subreport is linked from the SO1_SOEntryHeader.ShipToCountry to the SY_Country.CountryCode
f. When you’ve placed both sub reports into the header section you created above, right click on each subreport and de-select the “can grow” checkbox. (Note: If you do not remove the check you may get a “page size exceeded” message)
4. Within the main report create two variables
a. Country_bill
b. Country_ship
5. Now you can put this variable into your main report formula and the value from the subreport is carried over. The following is the example of it being worked into the @ship to address formula which is standard in the Sage SO Order and Invoice form.
6. Sample formula which has been modified with the new variable.
7. Important: Place the new variables onto the report in the main header section (NOT the sub report) – you can make the white fonts so they don’t print. You must make them viewable (Cannot suppress or this does not work).
BACKGROUND NOTES ON THIS ISSUE:
Q: Client wants to display the Country Code in the forms (SO Orders, Invoices, Purchase Orders, Checks).
A: (Prior to version 4.1 and 4.2) There is no simple way to do this in MAS90/MAS200 — though there are two standard approaches.
The first approach to adding MAS90 country names on forms
Use Alias Tables — this would allow for a table to be used in a report more than once. You give each table an “alias” and it would then allow you to link it to separate fields. This would be needed for the Country Code field because it is potentially a different result for either the Bill To or Ship To.
The problem in MAS90 4.x+ with the Alias Tables is that there is a bug of some sort preventing them from linking to the SY_Country field. This is documented in the Sage KB with the workaround to use a subreport (an ok solution but the country name is impossible to properly line up since it is a free floating field).
The better solution is to use shared variables within the report. Basically this involves creating a new section (header) at the top of the report (important because the variable has to be created before the rest of the report). Then you declare the variables as shared and they can be read from the header on down to the main body.
I did this through the SO and it seemed to work.
Here is the link to the Crystal KB article showing how to create shared variables:
http://support.businessobjects.com/library/kbase/articles/c2007600.asp
On the subreport, you have to create a main subreport, a formula (put this on the subreport) and a shared variable (reference this on the main report).
In the main report you have to create a formula, call up the shared variable (see the Crystal KB for syntax) and then use it in the address formula. Do not forget to put the formula itself onto the form or the value won’t compute.
You want to make the font be white on white. Do NOT suppress and printing or the calculation does not work. If you make it very small you can hide it on the form.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This information is being made available “AS-IS”. Prior to making any changes on your system be sure you have a backup of all forms being modified.
Subsequent upgrades to MAS 90 or MAS 200 table structures may render some (or all) of these instructions obsolete. Sage may also fix bugs that we’ve referred to above. These instructions are meant to serve as a starting point for your own use – and not as a detailed step by step guide to resolving any particular issue. We take no responsibility for updating these instructions. We are not able to provide support (except for our own MAS 90 support clients) on implementing these instructions.
Microsoft goes on permanent diet as result of sales slump – may relocate customer support to countries with cheaper labor
July 29, 2009
As a result of Microsoft’s latest 29% earnings decline (Microsoft Profit Falls 29% as Software Demand Wanes) which was reported July 23, 2009 the company’s Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddel has stated that frugality will be a new way of life.
Speaking to Bloomberg in an article dated July 29, 2009 the company’s finance chief further stated that “this is a new diet regime where you slim down and stay down” adding “this is not a crash diet where you stop eating for a couple of quarters”.
Microsoft is coming off their first ever revenue decrease since the company went public. Revenue fell 17% last quarter and missed the average estimate of analysts in a Bloomberg survey by more than $1 billion.
As part of the cost cutting the article stated that Microsoft may relocate some customer support to countries with cheaper labor. There was no indicate what impact, if any, these cost cutting measures would have on Microsoft research and development efforts.
MAS 90 & MAS 200 Virtualization Guide Published
July 29, 2009
Virtualization allows you to allocate hardware resources among multiple virtual environments running on the same machine. Application virtualization is the use of software to allow multiple application images (such as Sage MAS) to run on the same hardware at the same time.
Sage has just issued their officially supported Virtualization configurations. This one page document (copy below for your convenience – be sure to check for updates as they become available) outlines the various virtualization platforms that may now be used to run both MAS 90 and MAS 200.
Benefits of Server Virtualization:
•Provision additional servers without investing in new hardware
•Run multiple operating systems and applications on the same physical server
•Increase the CPU utilization of an underutilized physical server by running multiple virtual environments
•Move virtual machines from one physical server to another without re-configuration
•Capture the entire state of a virtual machine and roll back to that configuration easily
Benefits of Workstation virtualization:
•Run multiple virtual machines on a single PC
•Quickly provision, deploy and reconfigure physical machines
•Run multiple operating systems and applications on a single PC
•Eliminate risk by creating isolated testing environment
•Built-in Snapshots and easy Restore capabilities
Sage Group reports 9 month results meet management expectations
July 28, 2009
The Sage Group PLC, corporate parent of Sage North America, yesterday reported that earnings for the nine months ending June 30, 2009 will be in line with their management expectations.
Citing challenging market conditions, Sage UK points to solid growth in subscription revenues.
According to Paul Walker, Chief Executive:
There has been no significant change in market conditions during the quarter ended 30 June 2009 and we are planning for markets to remain testing. However, our proven business model and large, geographically diverse, customer base give us confidence that we are well positioned for these conditions and the eventual market recovery. We expect to report results for the year ended 30 September 2009 in-line with market expectations
Sage Group plc Interim Management Statement
Microsoft Reporting 29% Profit Slide
On July 23 Sage’s chief US competition, Microsoft, reported a 29% profit drop and their first ever sales decline since going public.
Sales declined in all of Microsoft’s main business units. Windows software revenue dropped 29 percent after the PC market contracted for three straight quarters. Some customers are holding off purchases until a new version of Windows comes out in October. Demand for Office software and advertising on Microsoft’s Web sites also waned.
“It’s a real disappointment,” said Brendan Barnicle, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities in Portland, Oregon. He has an “outperform” rating on the shares. “It’s a significant miss” in revenue.
Tango Marketing introduces Star Email Drip Marketing Program
July 27, 2009
Are you a Sage VAR representing Sage Accpac EES, Sage Abra, SageCRM, Sage MAS 90 EES, Sage MAS 500 or Sage Timberline and Sage Master Builder?
Tango Marketing introduces Star Email Drip Marketing
If you are looking for a way to keep in close touch with your customers and prospects but find it difficult to constantly think up with new topics for email marketing you may want to talk with the folks at Tango Marketing.
Sometimes it seems almost impossible to come up with fresh interesting topics for newsletters. Surely the first few articles are easy to write. By the 5th or 6th article most people begin to struggle for fresh content.
Tango Marketing offers a series of professionally designed and informational email marketing templates that help you do away with writer’s block.
The bundles of templates are pre-formatted for Switftpage Drip Marketing (email service) as well as eligible for Sage Co-op (60-70% of cost reimbursed depending upon available funds).
A wide range of topics is available to select from. Once you’ve selected your topic you can send the information via email as well as post it to your web site for future reference by your customers and prospects.
For more information give Joan Ciamaga (shown below when she visited CT on a recent trip) a call at (425) 673-5300 ext. 116. Joan is a Sage alumni who now works for Tango Marketing. You can email her at joan@tango-marketing.com.
Here’s a list of Tango Marketing topics available:
Link: Tango Marketing
VMware Fusion 2 – $29.49 on Amazon (after $10 MIR)
July 26, 2009
Run Windows side-by-side with Mac OS X without rebooting. Run Windows applications across multiple screens; instantly launch Windows applications from any Mac file, the Dock and more. Use Exposé to switch between Windows and Mac applications; minimize Windows applications to the Dock. Use Windows-only USB devices on your Mac, including GPS receivers, cell phones, PDAs, and iSight cameras.
OFFER #09-68336 – $10 NEW USER REBATE OFFER: To receive your $10 rebate, the following items must be included: (a) This original coupon completed. (b) The original UPC code cut from the VMware Fusion box (photocopies will not be accepted). (c) The store receipt (or a copy) for the purchase of VMware Fusion with the name, date, and price circled (altered receipts will not be accepted).
OFFER #09-68337 – $30 COMPETITIVE REBATE OFFER: For the $30 competitive rebate, the following items must be included: (a) This completed original coupon. (b) The original UPC code cut from the VMware Fusion 2 box (photocopies will not be accepted). (c) The store receipt (or a copy) for the purchase of VMware Fusion 2 with the name, date, and price circled (altered receipts will not be accepted) (d) proof of previous ownership of qualifying competitive products (Parallels Desktop for Mac 2.5 or later, Virtual PC 7.0 for Mac, or Microsoft Office 2004 Professional Edition for Mac, including Virtual PC 7.0 for Mac) in the form of the front cover of product manual or proof of purchase (receipt, email confirmation, web confirmation), and product serial number.
Posted via web from Wayne Schulz’s Posterous
VMWare, XenApp, Virtual PC 2007, Terminal Services and Hyper-V now officially supported for Sage MAS 90, 200 and 500
July 24, 2009
Sage Software has provided some additional information on how their Sage MAS 90, 200 and 500 product are now officially supported on several virtual platforms.
A virtual platform is a way that computer users might for example run Microsoft Windows while also using an Apple MacBook Pro. These virtual software platforms have evolved from the early days where they were typically very difficult to get working reliably to present day where many companies are able to use virtual computers quite successfully.
We use VMWare internally to run Sage MAS 90 on an Apple MacBook Pro as outlined in this post from May 2008.
We also have several clients using similar technology including one that integrates their iMac computer into the Windows network while running Sage MAS 90.
BlackBerry 9550 (Storm2) Pre-Release Sneak Peek Video
July 22, 2009
Web site Crackberry.com have somehow obtained a pre-release version of the new BlackBerry Storm 2. This upgrade from the first touch screen BlackBerry Storm is expected to include Wi-Fi and also features a slightly redesigned from button layout.
Overall it appears that the operating system is largely the same and functionality of the BlackBerry touch screen is similar to the initial Storm. The device in this video is apparently a pre-release version so you can expect/hope that the screen lag during rotation is fixed by the time the device appears on Verizon in the next few months.
Update: The original video was pulled from YouTube – here’s another that I found online.
Installing Extended Solutions PDF Converter on Windows 2008 64 Bit
July 20, 2009
The information below is unverified (my client is still in the midst of testing the resolution). You should only perform the steps if you’re comfortable “messing around” with operating system level commands. Be sure you have a full backup prior to starting.
One situation that a client encountered recently was an apparent inability to install the MAS 90 Paperless Office PDF Converter to Windows 2008 64 Bit edition. Each time we attempted to run the Extended Solution PDF setup (Library Master – Main – Company Maintenance – Email Tab – Advanced) – we would be greeted with “Unable to initialize PDF viewer”.
Upon closer inspection we could see that the install routine did not appear to place the PDF writer into the printers folder on the server. One theory is that we perhaps needed a 64 bit version of the Amyuni PDF drivers.
Note: We are still testing this solution and still cannot report that this resolves every (or any) case of problems installing the Extended Solutions PDF writer to a 64 bit operating system. The instructions below are meant to only be used with a 64 Bit OS where all other normal installations have been unsuccessful.
We have had one report that downloading this driver and installing it will resolve issues with installing Paperless Office under Windows 7 64-bit.
Again, these solutions are all workarounds people have reported using and not supported by Sage or guaranteed to work in every situation.
Install MAS90 Extended Solutions PDF Writer Manually to Windows 2008 64 Bit
1. Right-click on your Desktop, and select New > Folder. Name the folder ‘Amyuni 64bit Driver’.
2. Click here to download and save the file to the ‘Amyuni 64bit Driver’ folder on your Desktop.
3. Unzip the contents of the zip file into the ‘Amyuni 64bit Driver’ folder.
4. Enter amyuni when prompted for a password.
5. Double-click the Install.exe file located in the ‘Amyuni 64bit Driver’ to begin the driver installation process. An Amyuni Document Converter will open, displaying the current progress.
6. Once the installation is complete, click the OK button in the Amyuni Document Converter window.
7. Verify that the PDF driver was installed correctly:
In Windows XP: Click on Start > Printers and Faxes. You should see a printer called ‘Amyuni Document Converter’.
In Windows Vista: Click the Windows button and select Printers.
8. Right click the ‘Amyuni Document Converter’, select Rename, and rename the printer to Extended Solutions PDF Converter.
If any of the above links do not work – try following the link below to the source of this post.
Note: Sage does not officially endorse or support this solution. Use at your own risk and do not expect that Sage will debug this unless they issue a future updated support position.
MAS90 Purchases Clearing report doesn’t foot in v4.3
July 17, 2009
Just heard about this issue on Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 and thought it may help someone in a similar situation.
MAS90 Purchases Clearing Won’t Foot
A client (version 4.3) reported to me that when the report did not tie to GL,
they manually added up the totals on the Purchases Clearing report. Their total
differs from the report total (and does balance to GL). I verified by exporting
the report to Excel and running a total. Sure enough, client is right.
Workaround
No KBA. Sage knows about it, but because it hasn’t verified by Engineering, it
is not available on the KnowledgeBase. Workaround is to run the Purchases
Clearing by Product Line report, which produces an accurate total.
via: Barbara Goldstein – Quanterasystems – San Jose California MAS 90 Reseller
ARM Dude explains ARM for MAS90
July 17, 2009
Meet Tommy Williams (LinkedIn or visit the ARM Dude’s Blog) – aka ARM Dude. He’s the Channel Manager at BCS Prosoft and has produced a series of quirky (and I think effective) videos to introduce his firm’s ARM software for MAS 90 and MAS 200 (ARM is Automated Rental Management).
I mentioned to Tommy that he should explain what the “ARM” in ARM Dude stands for since not everyone may be familiar with it.
Here’s his explanation and video:
Automated Rental Management (ARM) is rental software designed for a number of rental industries and offers a variety of configurations from a single store to multiple locations.ARM is a multi-user, multi-location Windows based rental software that integrates with the award winning Sage MAS 90 and Sage MAS 200 Accounting Software, forming a comprehensive solution for managing all aspects of your rental business. Robust functionality and abundant features put the tools of success firmly in your hands. ARM offers a complete rental software solution to companies in many facets of the rental industry including: heavy equipment, scaffolding, construction and home owner rentals, party and events, portable sanitation, portable storage and portable buildings.
Via: Tommy Williams – BCS Prosoft – Automated Rental Management Software for Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200
MAS90 4.4 Beta Now Open To All Partners
July 17, 2009
Due to popular demand and your valued feedback, we are opening up the Beta portion of the Program to all Partners.
We have extended the Application deadline to July 20th to accommodate your decision to participate. If you have already applied, please ignore this email.
Please Note: There will be no incentives offered to single Partner participants that do not bring an end-user in to the program. Sorry for the earlier confusion.
Join the Sage MAS 90 and 200 Version 4.4 Beta Program!
We are now recruiting partners to participate in the beta program for Sage MAS 90 version 4.4 and would like you to join today! The scheduled beta release date is August 24, 2009.
BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION
Participating in this beta will give you a chance to familiarize yourself with this new release, and determine which of our joint customers will benefit from the new features and enhancements. It will also give you the opportunity to provide feedback to Sage regarding the enhancements and gain early insight into how well these new features will be received by customers and prospects. Enhancements include:
· Ability to Expand Customer No to 20
· Ability to Expand Item Code to 30
· New Physical Count Functionality
· New Business Framework Abilities in IM, PO and BOM
o Dual Grid Entry
o Batch Manager
o Memo Manager
o Add UDFs to Virtually all Tables
· View Alias Items Throughout System
· Standard Cost Adjustment with Automated GL Account Update
· Standard Cost Items Valued at $0
· Auto-Generate a Single Order for Multiple Items to Same Primary Vendor from a
Sales Order
· Drill Down & Around in Bill of Material & Where Used Inquiries
· Parallel Migration – Migrates Current Data & System Information to New Installation
INCENTIVES
Partners who bring a Controlled Release Customer will receive:
· Access to 4.4 MAS 90 Anytime Learning Courses for 1 year*
· Waive 4.4 MAS 90 Certification Fee
· Entry into drawing for a free Insights 2010 Registration
Customers involved in the Beta Program will receive:
· Access to 4.4 MAS 90 Anytime Learning Courses for 1 year*
* Must register for ATL courses within 90 days of date on beta participation certificate.
PARTNER REQUIREMENTS
All Sage MAS 90 and 200 partners are eligible to apply. Each partner must commit to bringing one customer into the beta program for controlled release participation. Space is limited, and Sage will review all applications and determine which partners and customers to enroll in the beta program. We need participants from a variety of industries. Do you have one or more customers who would like to upgrade and/or need these new features?
Requirements for participation include:
1. Complete and return the beta and/or controlled release application
2. If accepted, sign and return the non-disclosure agreement, attend the beta kick-off webcast, attend Anytime Learning Training prior to the beta start date
3. Advise Sage beta contact, Program Management Team at beta.mas90@sage.com of the scheduled installation date, and when the installation has been completed
4. Spend 5 hours per week during initial two week partner beta to familiarize yourself with the new product features
5. Customer site running live on controlled release build (not applicable to Beta-only Participants)
6. Submit weekly status reports using our online beta reporting tool each Wednesday
CUSTOMER PROFILE
We are looking for customers with a variety of system scenarios to participate in this program. Ideal candidates will meet one or more of the following system test requirements:
· Currently running on any 3.71, 4.x version of Sage MAS 90 and 200 and will migrate to 4.4
· Currently has a large Inventory data set
· Currently uses the Inventory Management, Purchase Order and Bill of Materials modules
· Currently has Lot and/or Serial Items
· Currently uses Average Cost
· Currently uses Standard Cost with Manufacturing
· Currently uses Landed Cost with Allocated Cost
· Uses Drop Ship
Note: We need to know all 3rd party add-ons and customizations that customers have before determining if they are eligible to participate. If a customer has other Sage Software Integrated Solutions or extensive customizations they are not immediately disqualified from the program.
HOW DO I SIGN UP?
Send the completed attached application to beta.mas90@sage.com.
New York City Subway App for iPhone 3GS uses compass to show nearest subway
July 16, 2009
Here’s a cool new upcoming application for iPhone 3GS users. Unfortunately it won’t work on older versions of the iPhone because the application itself makes use of the compass feature that is only available in the latest iPhone model.
You’re probably familiar with Google Maps and how the service can overlay a street view (photographs) of the area that you’re mapping. I’ve found this service to be insanely useful for determining if I’m booking an inexpensive hotel. Prior to finalizing my hotel reservations at a rate that seems “too good to be true” – I use Google Street View to scout the area and see whether it looks safe or if it’s in a ghetto.
Now there’s a new application soon to arrive for iPhone 3GS that lets you display a real time map of New York City subway locations. The key is that as you turn the map changes to display the direction that you’re facing.
In order to do this the programmers have made use of the iPhone 3GS’s built-in compass to orient the screen display so that it shows only what is in front of the direction you’re facing. Check out the preview video below.
Via: Wired
IM+ introduces speech recognition to BlackBerry All-in-One Messenger client
July 15, 2009
A new speech recognition feature is being tested in the BlackBerry version of Shape Service’s IM+ All-in-One Instant Messenger. This handy IM client also supports push services so that you can save your BlackBerry battery by closing out of the program while still remaining available for chat. A free 7 day trial is available which also supports AIM/iChat, MSN/Windows LIve Messenger, Yahoo!, ICQ, Jabber, Google Talk, MySpaceIM, Facebook, Skype and Twitter.
IM+ Version 8.1.0 with Speech Recognition
Google Voice applications for BlackBerry and Android phones due today
July 15, 2009
Google is scheduled to release a pair of native applications today for BlackBerry and Android phone users that will make working with Google Voice much easer.
Google Voice lets users assign a single number to all of their phones. The service also integrate voice mail, text messages and voice mail transcription.
Download: http://m.google.com/voice – via CNET
If you can get me back up and running extremely quickly I want to pay nothing (fallacy of the quick support question)
July 14, 2009
Whether you’re receiving phone support from Schulz Consulting, another consultant or Sage – I believe the worst thing you can do is cancel your MAS90 or MAS 200 phone support contract and pray nothing goes wrong.
I’ll take our own support plan as an example.
Enrollment in an unlimited phone and remote support plan costs you $2,800 per year.
That’s about $250 per month.
We don’t offer pay as you go telephone/remote support (read below for the primary reason).
Shortly we believe you will also have trouble finding a competent consultant who provides support on a pay as you go plan (see below for reason).
The most common argument that we hear against paying for a support plan is the old standby:
We don’t call that much
Ok. I’ll buy that.
When you DO call – how fast do you want expect the response?
Is it helpful that the person can also log in immediately to control your desktop and make changes (with your permission)?
Is one, two or even three day response time acceptable? That’s our estimate of the average “pay as you go” response time.
That’s one, two or three days of your staff staring at blank computer screens. Your staff sitting idle not able to process any computer transactions.
Most consulting firms (Schulz included) reserve their fastest response times for those customers enrolled in a prepaid plan. The reasoning for this is simply – they reserve this time for the clients who’ve prepaid and have indicated a future need for services.
The other common argument we hear against support is:
That was a quick question – don’t bill me
I’m paraphrasing the above but when we used to offer hourly telephone support (which we don’t any longer because all of our clients are on prepaid fixed cost plans) a huge number of clients would call expecting that if their question could be answered quickly that they would not receive a bill.
How insane is that logic?
Let me rephrase the logic of the quick question from a consultant’s perspective:
“If you can get me back up and running extremely quickly I want to pay you nothing”
Just this morning I received a call from a former support customer. Their normal internal staff person who supports their MAS 90 is out sick. They have 5 people unable to process any transactions until a MAS 90 issue is corrected.
Guess why they had cancelled support?
Correct! — they hardly ever needed to call.
Now the owner’s in a situation where his entire staff has to stop working until they can get a MAS 90 error condition corrected.
We are increasingly seeing these types of support issues where a company has cancelled their support due to perceived lack of need.
Guess what they’re discovering?
It’s only a lack of need — until you need it.
At a future point – they suddenly have a need again. And they’re stuck waiting in line for a consultant who offers lower priority hourly support.
We urge you – think twice before giving up your support. If having MAS 90 or MAS 200 shut down in the middle of the day would be a hardship for your company – then you need to be on a support plan with a qualified consulting firm. It’s important to establish these relationships ahead of time because shortly as the market contracts you will see more consulting firms that do not accept “quick question” type support for which they ultimately won’t be compensated.
Quicken for Mac announced for February 2010 – pre-orders start October 2009
July 9, 2009
Intuit in a blog posting today announced the long awaited Quicken for Mac would be available for pre-order in October 2009 with final delivery scheduled for February 2010.
First due out in 2008 as Quicken Financial Life for Mac, the software release schedule has gradually slipped. Intuit spent the time working with beta testers and when they found areas that needed improvement rather than release the Mac product they continued to refine it.
Feedback from Mac customers led us to rethink our approach to developing Quicken for Mac. We went back to the drawing board and are making changes to everything from what the program does to how it looks. We spent extra time building a reconcile mode for the new register, a robust Windows-to-Mac transfer function for new Mac users (and existing customers running Quicken on a Windows virtual machine), and redesigned the experience to make it look and feel like a native Mac application should.
We understand our loyal Mac customers are disappointed that the product won’t be in stores until after the first of the year. For that, we apologize. We think taking our time to get it right will be well worth it and will make Mac customers even more excited when they use the new Quicken for Mac early next year.
Sage official statement and email regarding MIS Group
July 8, 2009
Sage just contacted us with an official statement on the July 6, 2009 closing of Dallas Texas based MIS Group:
“Our number one priority at Sage is that all of our customers are taken care of. First, we’re working to ensure that our customers continue to receive the full benefits of the software solutions they have purchased and implemented. Sage also will be working with MIS Group customers to provide them with options for continued support as required, and to help them identify a new business partner that can support their business needs.” – Dennis Frahmann EVP Corporate Marketing
Sage is # 3 and Microsoft #7 Enterprise Application Vendor according to recent AMR Research Report
July 8, 2009
According to a report ranking Enterprise Application Vendors by Revenue released today by AMR Research, Sage is ranked # 3 behind SAP (#1) and Oracle (#2) in terms of revenue. Microsoft ranked at #7 with $1.308 B of revenues and Salesforce rounds out the top 10 with a little over $1 Billion in revenues.
The full listing is below:
1. SAP ($15.801B)
2. Oracle ($8.559B)
3. Sage Group ($2.408B)
4. Infor ($2.208B)
5. Dassault Systemes ($1.958B)
6. Siemens PLM ($1.405B)
7. Microsoft ($1.308B)
8. Cadence ($1.038B)
9. PTC ($1.037B)
10. salesforce.com ($1.023B)
AMR Research Report Ranks Top 50 Enterprise Application Vendors by Revenue
SAP, Oracle, Sage Group, Infor, and Dassault Systemes Are the Top 5
BOSTON, July 8 /PRNewswire/ — AMR Research, the leading research firm focused on the global supply chain and its supporting technologies, released a report today that sizes the global enterprise applications market. The report lists the top 50 global enterprise application vendors by 2008 revenue. SAP is at the top of the list with $15.8B in application revenue, with Oracle, Sage Group, Infor, and Dassault Systemes completing the top 5.
The top of the list of enterprise application vendors includes:
1. SAP ($15.801B)
2. Oracle ($8.559B)
3. Sage Group ($2.408B)
4. Infor ($2.208B)
5. Dassault Systemes ($1.958B)
6. Siemens PLM ($1.405B)
7. Microsoft ($1.308B)
8. Cadence ($1.038B)
9. PTC ($1.037B)
10. salesforce.com ($1.023B)
The complete of the top 50 enterprise applications vendors is available on AMR Research’s website.
Interestingly, Oracle’s acquisition of Sun, and Java, could wreak havoc on enterprise applications vendors in the future. AMR Research estimates over 60% of enterprise software vendors have applications that rely on Java, including many Oracle competitors, large and small. Of the 50 largest enterprise application companies, 33 offer applications that rely on Java. These companies represent over $38.5 billion, or 77% of the top 50′s 2008 revenue.
“Given the weak macro economic backdrop, the enterprise applications market had a surprisingly solid year in 2008. 2009, however, will be a whole different story,” said Dennis Gaughan, vice president at AMR Research. “Not only will vendors be impacted by the fragile economy, but 33 out of the top 50 vendors will have to reevaluate their commitment to the Java programming language.”
Methodology
To be included in AMR Research’s study, vendors must develop and sell application software products, provide implementation services, and provide software applications in at least one of the following segments: enterprise resource planning, supply chain management, sourcing and procurement (supply management), product lifecycle management, human capital management, and customer relationship management.
Please visit www.amrresearch.com for a full copy of “The Global Enterprise Market Sizing Report, 2008-2013.” If you are a member of the media and are interested in learning more about the report, please contact amrresearch@famapr.com.
About AMR Research:
AMR Research is the world’s leading independent research firm focused on the global supply chain and its supporting technologies. Founded in 1986 and privately held, AMR Research provides subscription advisory services and peer networking opportunities to supply chain, sustainability, and IT executives in the consumer products, life sciences, manufacturing, and retail sectors. To learn more the company’s research and services, visit www.amrresearch.com.
Press Contact:
Kevin Reilly
amrresearch@famapr.com
617-758-4153
MicroAccounting Chicago announces name change to xKZero
July 8, 2009
I just received the following notice from Paul Ziliak that his firm, MicroAccounting Chicago has changed their name to xKZero. You’ll have to read down a little to see how they came up with the name (if you can’t stand the suspense then let’s just say it’s largely the partners’ initials plus ERO for Enterprise Resource Optimization).
Paul’s active on LinkedIn and while his firm is not the same MicrAccounting that was merged into MIS Group, they did have some informal agreements that allowed them to share the name and some of the resources.
Effective immediately MicroAccounting Solutions – Chicago begins doing business under a new name: xKZero.
We are tremendously excited about the rebranding of our company and we expect that as friends and colleagues of ours you will see how the xKZero name reflects more clearly who we are.
The most immediate impact of the name change is reaching us via email. Effective today please update all of your microaccounting.com (or misgroupusa.com) email addresses with xkzero.com email addresses. Our email address schema remains the same as before – first initial/lastname @xkzero.com, so Kathy Potter is now at kpotter@xkzero.com, Paul Ziliak is pziliak@xkzero.com and so on.
Our main phone number remains 847.292.4466 and our address remains the same except for the name change: xKZero, 5600 N. River Road, Suite 800, Rosemont, Illinois 60018. Our website www.xkzero.com is under development by American Eagle of Park Ridge, Illinois. A temporary site is currently up pending final development.
OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE RAVING FANS FOR CLIENTS!
Why the name change? The services we provide moved far beyond accounting solutions long ago. Enterprise Resource Optimization is our real specialty (that’s the ‘ero’ part of the name. The partners in the company, Emre Karaca and Paul Ziliak provide the “KZ” and our clients provide the variable “x”. So there you have it – xKZero – We Solve for X.
xKZero provides Enterprise Resource Optimization services for organizations using Sage MAS 90, Sage MAS 200 and Sage MAS 500 throughout Chicago and the Midwest. With uncommon attention to detail and design, we provide the highest quality service in our industry. Our clients know our staff as the finest talent – creating with them refined and increasingly automated processes to meet manufacturing, distribution, service management, and financial information needs. Our target clients range from small businesses to some of the most recognizable mid-enterprise companies in the Midwest.
Our name change marks the beginning of a new era for us. The vision, goals and bottom line improvement for all of our clients guide everything that we do. In the near future we will roll out new client programs and offerings that reflect this commitment to you.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.
Best regards,
Paul Ziliak
pziliak@xkzero.com
cell 773.842.0662
Emre Karaca
ekaraca@xkzero.com
cell 847.754.1269
p.s. The microaccounting.com email addresses will still be received by us for a short time longer, but the misgroupusa.com emails will not reach us.
Google Chrome to become operating system by second half of 2010
July 8, 2009
Yesterday Google dropped a bomb that many people have been expecting for quite some time. For several years we’ve been talking and reading about how a web browser might eventually become an operating system. I remember hearing this initially discussed when Netscape became popular and started to take on Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. Until recently the thought of browser as OS has largely remained a distant but ever more believable dream. The dream may become reality if Google has their way.
MIS Group Customers Should Contact Sage For Assistance
July 7, 2009
If you’re a customer of the recently closed MIS Group you should contact Sage for additional assistance with support or any questions on your next steps for finding a consultant. Sage’s phone number is 866-996-7243.
According to a report by Computer Reseller News Sage is offering 30 days of free support to any customer who did not already have a Sage support agreement.
Here’s What We Know or Have Heard
Over the July 4th holiday we received information that MIS Group was going to close on Monday. At first we thought that meant each of the management level employees would leave with their respective customers. Instead what happened is the MIS Group itself closed for good. The doors were locked and phones were placed on auto-attendant with a message that callers should contact Sage for assistance.
The MIS Group was a big reseller. And they were well respected too. So far I have found nobody to tell me a bad thing about any of the people that work there – and that’s rare.
The last estimates of their revenue that we’d seen was approximately $30 million. They had been twice awarded (2007 and 2008) Sage’s Business Partner of The Year. This means they sold the most product of anyone in the Sage NA channel. They were also number 6 on the Source Media VAR 100 with estimated 2007 revenues of $30 million.
If They Sold So Much Software Then Why’d MIS Group Close Their Doors?
Based on discussions with several different people it seems there had been ongoing issues with financing. This much was also confirmed on the company’s own web site when they closed July 6, 2009. At the recent IT Alliance conference in Atlanta the group was notably absent and rumors where openly swirling that there may be some type of cost cutbacks or financial issues.
Some estimates place MIS Group’s share of the entire Timberline installed base at 40% (a number we’d happily update is someone had better information). If this number is accurate, then the firm had a large exposure to the declining construction market in the United States. To a large part it seems the demise of MIS Group was due in large part to the economy.
Why Not Reorganize Under Bankruptcy?
Good question and we don’t have the answer. Though we can speculate that one possible reason they did not choose to reorganize under bankruptcy may have had more to do with large debts owed to software and hardware vendors.
Let’s just assume that a large debt was owed which a bankruptcy was able to erase. That debt erasure would not assure that a newly re-organized entity would be re-authorized for software or hardware products they formerly represented. Especially not if the vendors lost a great deal of money in a potential bankruptcy.
So, again hypothetically, what could happen is that the parts (individual consultants) becomes greater than the whole (a potentially bankrupt entity that possibly has trouble becoming re-authorized for products they used to sell).
Individual consultants (the real assets of any consulting firm) could take their existing “book of business” with them to a new consulting firm and start anew. An option that might not have existed for a reseller emerging from bankruptcy with a potentially bruised relationship with key suppliers.
What’s Sage’s Reaction?
Sage is in the process of emailing impacted customers and promising that within 30 days they will have some options as to who they obtain as a business partner to manage their accounts. (Update: Read the statement Sage provided to us here).
At Schulz Consulting we’ve reached out twice to Sage offering to help spread the word on what customers of MIS Group can do. If Sage takes us up on our offer we’ll have more to post on our site.
If you’ve been in contact with a former MIS Group consultant then chances are good that you may form a new relationship with that person for support or ongoing consulting. We’ve heard that the consulting staff were invited to contact former clients of MIS Group so long as they do not mis-represent themselves as being from MIS Group.
How Do You Prevent Signing Up With “Another MIS Group”?
One question that we think will arise from the ashes of the MIS Group is how a company can prevent signing on with another reseller only to have them go away without notice.
Short answer is that you can’t.
What we think will evolve from the ruins of MIS Group is that bigger isn’t always better. Simply signing up with the biggest reseller has been demonstrated not to be a safeguard against that reseller unexpectedly going out of business.
Instead we think it makes more sense to select consultants by:
-Industry reputation
-Skill level
-Years of experience in the business
-Responsiveness
Place less emphasis on fancy offices, pretty brochures, extravagant user group meetings, etc.
Will Sage Re-Assign All of MIS Group’s Customers To Another Consulting Firm?
As of now nobody knows. We hope that MIS Group’s customers will be offered a fast response and the ability to select whatever consulting firm they would like. As we learn more we’ll update our web site.
UPDATE: Sage has provided us an official statement on how they are managing the notification and assignment of MIS Group clients. You can read the full text of it here – including the email message that was sent to all known customers.
Based on conversations within LinkedIn we expect within 30 days most of the customers will have been contacted (or have already arranged) to work with the same consultants that they had a relationship with at the former MIS Group. Many of these consultants appear to be in the process of either setting up their own consulting firms or joining already established organizations.
Does This Mean Sage Or Their Products Are In Trouble, Not Selling Well, Etc?
Not from what we’ve seen or heard. The closing of MIS Group seems to be a case of a company with heavy exposure to construction clients and what appears to have been a high overhead that drained their financial resources. We’re sure that in the coming days more information will come about regarding the firm. For now we see no indication that lack of demand for Sage products specifically played any role in this. A study by AMR actually ranks Sage at #3 world wide in terms of revenues – while Microsoft trails farther behind in #7 place.
Sage Software – 866-996-7243
MIS Group client base under attack on Twitter
July 7, 2009
Social Media to the rescue!
In prior years we might have seen firms take out expensive Google Adwords to solicit the clients of a failed competitor. Right now we’re seeing the free social media service Twitter being used by competitors seeking to woo clients of the former Sage Business Partner of The Year The MIS Group.
As you may know, MIS Group suddenly shut their doors on July 6, 2009 leaving their clients and employees to fend for themselves. There was no advance notice given of this shutdown and many of the clients are enrolled in MIS Group support and maintenance plans which they rely on to keep their businesses running.
Here’s a small sample of a few Tweets I noticed openly advertising for MIS Group clients.
New York based Net@Work chimes in:
As well as Microsoft reseller Simcrest out of Texas:
West Reading, PA Keystone Software Solutions:
CRM VAR Harris Technology – Houston Texas
Minimum wage slated to rise to $7.25 on July 24, 2009
July 7, 2009
On July 24, 2009 the federal minimum wage rate is slated to rise from the present $6.55 per hour to $7.25 per hour.
The rate is established by the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) which establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments. Covered nonexempt workers are entitled to a minimum wage of not less than $6.55 per hour effective July 24, 2008; and $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. Overtime pay at a rate not less than one and one-half times the regular rate of pay is required after 40 hours of work in a workweek.
Many states also have minimum wage laws. In cases where an employee is subject to both state and federal minimum wage laws, the employee is generally entitled to the higher minimum wage. In all instances you are advised to consult with a business advisor prior to determine what rules apply to your company.
US Department of Labor via Karen Smart at Smart e-Solutions
Update for Connecticut Employers
This just appeared in my email inbox from my friend Corrine Nadolny who represents Paychex in Connecticut:
Good Morning
Of course Connecticut’s minimum wage is higher $8.00 , waitress minimum wage is $5.52 and $7.12 for bartenders.
Hope all is well!
Corrine
Corrine Nadolny
Paychex
55 Capital Blvd., Suite 302
Rocky Hill, Ct 06067
Office (860)257-0677 Ext. 25012
Fax (866)784-5725
cnadolny@paychex.com
As always – consult your tax or accounting professional prior to taking any action. We are not in the business of providing tax advice and any information given is for general knowledge only and not with the intent of having any person rely on the information for making tax decisions. Tax rates and rules change often – be sure to check with your tax advisor prior to implementing any information you find on the Internet.
MIS Group – Dallas Texas – Sage Business Partner Of The Year 2008 Ceases Business According To Their Web Site
July 6, 2009
According to a post today on the company’s web site, MIS Group (Management Information Services) – Sage North America’s 2007 and 2008 Business Partner of The Year – is ceasing all business operations.
Callers to the company’s phone number are greeted with an announcement stating that “the company regrets it’s no longer able to conduct ongoing business operations” and refers callers to the MIS Group web site and encourages customers to call Sage support at 866-996-7243.
This is a rather unexpected and surprising announcement from a consulting firm that had posted the highest total sales of Sage services and products from October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008 and was the Sage Business Partner of The Year for both 2007 and 2008.
As recently as 2006 former CEO of Sage Ron Verni said in a letter sent by ERG announcing their merger with MIS Group that “MIS Group is a pioneer in defining the next generation of Sage business partner.”
With their main office in Dallas, MIS Group also had offices in Denver, Houston and Phoenix. MIS Group used to resell several Sage products, including: Sage MAS 90 ERP, Sage MAS 200 ERP (including the Sage MAS Extended Enterprise Suite), Sage MAS 500 ERP, Sage Timberline Office, Sage Master Builder, Sage SalesLogix, SageCRM, Sage Abra HRMS, Sage FAS Fixed Assets, and Sage TimeSheet.
Here’s the announcement from the company’s web site that “effective July 6, 2009 it will cease all business operations“.
This action appears unprecedented in North America – especially from such an award winning, and by all appearances successful, consulting firm.
Their company had been formed in part by a series of mergers with several well regarded Sage Business Partners . Their product offerings included Sage Timberline Office , SageCRM, Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200, Sage Master Builder, Sage SalesLogix, Sage MAS 500 and other products. Their web site also claimed they were one of the largest North America Dell VARS.
The web announcement (posted below) appears to signify that creditors have taken control of the MIS Group. It is unknown what arrangements are in place for their client base or how those customers are obtaining support. Several inquiries to Sage have produced replies that indicate that Sage is still formulating a plan to address affected customers.
At the time of their closing the MIS Group leadership team consisted of:
Robert Muir – CEO
Greg Boyd – President
Bill Harris – Executive VP of Services
Lee Hagen – Executive VP of Sales
Mar Rossouw – CFO
Tom Cofer – VP Sales – CRE
Chuck Reeves – VP Technical Services & Marketing
Chris Spivey – VP of Business Process & Project Leadership Services
James Rikkick – VP of Professional Services – CRE
Dennis Stejskal – VP of Software Services
Don Zelezny – VP of Strategic Alliances
Keith Stone – VP of Service – BMD
Here’s a video from the firm’s YouTube channel that describes the types of services the group offered:
We’d been tipped that this was in the works over the weekend. At least one person Tweeted the rumor over the July 4th holiday.
However the official word did not arrive until July 6th when the official MIS Group Web Site posted a press release which announced the following.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 6, 2009
Management Information Services, Inc./MIS Group
5310 Harvest Hill Rd., Suite 200
Dallas, TX 75230
www.misgroupusa.com
July 6, 2009-Management Information Services, Inc./MIS Group announced today that effective July 6, 2009 it will cease all business operations. “As a result of the current economic crisis, the lack of available credit and market circumstances beyond our control, we unfortunately are not able to be viable as a business and continue to service our customers”, stated Robert Muir, Chief Executive Officer. “Although the company has attempted to manage and restructure itself to remain solvent, regrettably after considering all available alternatives, the company determined this as the only course of action. We appreciate the long-term relationships with our employees, customers and partners and are saddened by the outcome and hardship on all parties involved. We also want to recognize everyone’s efforts in working through this difficult period”, said Muir.
MIS’ senior secured lender will assume control and responsibility over the assets of the company.
MIS Group provides business process services, data management services and business applications published by Sage® Software including Sage MAS 90 ERP, Sage MAS 200 ERP, Sage MAS 500 ERP, Sage Timberline Office, Sage Master Builder, SageCRM, Sage SalesLogix and Sage Abra HRMS. In order to provide continuity to its customer base, MIS is advising all Sage customers to initially contact Sage directly at
866-996-7243 for assistance. Additional customer and vendor information will be provided over the next several days as it becomes available at the MIS website at www.misgroupusa.com.
About MIS Group
MIS Group is a technology services organization that provides a unique blend of business process services, business software applications and data management services, giving you a single source for your technology needs. Based in Dallas, Texas, with offices in Houston, Denver, and Phoenix, MIS Group serves customers throughout the central and western United States as well as Canada and Mexico.
Why I use, love and adore Gmail
July 3, 2009
People look at me funny when I tell them that our entire office runs off Google Apps for Domain. That means we don’t have any Microsoft Office deployed on local workstations. All of our documents and spreadsheets are prepared in Google Docs which means we have no software to load or configure on local workstations in the office.
It also means that when we’re out of the office we can access our documents from ANY Internet connected computer.
We also use GMAIL for all of our email. It’s much less hassle to maintain than a separate Exchange Server (which we’ve done in the past and found to be a huge waste of time and resources for very little benefit).
This morning I received an autoresponder email from one of our email subscribers who is apparently without access to any email for several days due to an internal server problem…. And I am again reminded of exactly why I love GMAIL. It’s the lack of these types of problems that keep me convinced that outsourcing email is the wisest move we’ve ever made.
Suggest a MAS90 feature goes live (Ideascope)
July 3, 2009
If you know the link – then as of today you’re able to submit new ideas and suggestions for Sage MAS 90/200/500 improvements directly to Sage using their new Sage Ideascope system that manages user feedback.
IdeaScope is a hosted feedback management solution for software product development that makes it easy for Sage to gain greater insight from customers about features (or problems) in their software.
By navigating to:
http://ideascopeanywhere.com/sagemas/frmSubmitIdea.aspx
You can submit your own product improvement ideas directly to Sage. How many times have you wondered aloud why a particular feature isn’t in your accounting software? Now instead of wondering to yourself you can suggest the feature directly to the publisher (Sage).
Prior to submitting suggestions, Ideascope allows you to review ideas that others may have submitted (which are similar to yours). This lets you eliminate any duplication and ensure that your submission is unique.
Curious about what you’ve sent to Sage? You’ll be happy to see that you now can review all the ideas you’ve submitted in the past
Watch for this feature to be accessible not only via the web link noted above but directly from within Sage MAS 90, Sage MAS 200 and Sage MAS 500 in the future.
While Sage have always had a suggestion box for new features and enhancements – this is the first time that the suggestion area has been easily accessible via the web and does not require a login behind the Sage product site itself. Hopefully this ease of use will increase the numbers of suggestions that are submitted and in return result in an even greater number of relevant new features to the Sage MAS 90 and 200 product lines.
via: Dawn Anastasi – C&G Consulting – Wisconsin Sage MAS90, MAS200 and MAS500 consultants and resellers
How to spot duplicate or test versions of Sage MAS 90 or 200
July 2, 2009
When installing upgrades to Sage MAS 90 or MAS 200 it is not uncommon for duplicate or backup copies of the program to remain in place on your network hard drive while a new version is installed.
This is often done so that your company has a way to roll back to the earlier version of Sage MAS 90 or 200 should something go wrong during (or after) the upgrade.
Unfortunately what often happens is that old copies of MAS 90 are left behind and never erased. This can cause confusion down the road if someone attempts to setup a workstation connecting to your older (and now innacurate) MAS 90 or MAS 200 data.
How To Safely Remove Test Versions of MAS 90 or MAS 200
First, determine where your LIVE (good) Sage MAS 90 or MAS 200 is installed. You can refer to the instructions in this post which outline how to find the proper folder.
Once you find the PROPER folder — take care NOT to delete that one as it is the location of your live active data.
Instead search your hard drive for any folders other than the one above which contain the \MAS90 structure.
Once you’ve located \MAS90 folders which you believe are older test versions, I strongly suggest that you:
A. Rename the suspected older folder to \MAS90OLDTOBEDELETED
B. Within the \MAS90OLDTOBEDELETED\HOME folder rename pvxwin32.exe to be pvxwin32.old
What you’ve just done in the above steps is disable your old version of Sage MAS 90 from starting up. I like to do this and let the system stay this way for several days so I can see if there are any people accessing the old MAS 90 program (usually not) – but more importantly renaming the folder will expose any third party applications which might be using data within the old MAS 90 folder structure.
If there are programs such as paperless or FRX or F9 that try to access the old MAS 90 folder (which you renamed to \MAS90OLDTOBEDELETED) then you will receive an error message which then lets you know that you have either the wrong folder or you need to contact your Sage business partner about moving data outside that folder.
I strongly recommend you make a backup of any files PRIOR to deleting them.
Once several days have passed and nobody has received error messages related to the old data folder – it is generally ok to first make a copy of that OLD folder and to delete it. IMPORTANT: BE SURE YOU ARE DELETING THE \MAS90TOBEDELETED FOLDER AND NOT YOUR LIVE DATA. MAKE A BACKUP FIRST.
How to backup MAS 90 or MAS 200
July 2, 2009
We’re frequently asked which Sage MAS 90 or MAS 200 data files should be backed up to ensure that to ensure that there is a completely restorable set of program and data files.
While you can attempt to backup files in any number of ways (only those that change or incremental as well as full backup) the only method we recommend is a full backup of all data files.
All versions of Sage MAS 90 and 200 are installed to a folder \MAS90 (note that this folder name is NOT different for Sage MAS 200).
To Find Where MAS 90 Is Installed – All Levels:
To discover the exact path where your Sage MAS 90 is installed (note that this procedure is different for anyone using MAS 200) – start the MAS 90 program and select File and Run from the menu.
In the sample image above your Sage MAS 90 program and data is all stored within the network drive h:\acct\v4.2\mas90.
In order to backup you’d specify that all of the data in the \mas90 folder and all subfolders should be saved.
While you technically may be able to only back up files that have changed we recommend that you take the entire folder (and all subfolders).
This will back up the core MAS 90 program and data files.
If you are using third party programs such as FRX you also should be sure to backup the SYSDATA folder (locatable via the FRX – Administration panel).
Be sure to backup any paperless office files (PDF) – the location of which can be stored nearly anywhere on your network (review the Paperless Office setup menu for Journals and Registers, Period End, Report, and Form in order to see where you’ve specified the Paperless documents should be stored. These are NOT automatically inside the \MAS90 folder so you should take care to locate their custom location).
To Find Where MAS 200 Is Installed – All Levels:
The procedure for MAS 200 backup is essentially the same as above except you cannot normally use the *INFO solution to find where MAS 200 is installed because it provides the location of your local workstation configuration file — when what you want is the location of the network data.
One way to discover where MAS 200 is installed on the server is to work directly on the server and look under the Administrative options and check the MAS 200 service which should display the location that MAS 200 is installed on the server.
TIPS:
Have everyone out of Sage MAS 90 or 200 when you backup. If there is someone in the system you run the chance of a data file (or files) not transferring properly because they are in use.
Before finalizing a backup policy – double check that you have located the correct folder containing current Sage MAS 90 or MAS 200 data. It is a good idea to check the data file dates to be sure they are current and display the date of the last time you performed data entry in the system. Your MAS 90 and MAS 200 data files are stored in the MAS90\MAS_xxx folder where xxx is your 3 character Sage MAS 90 or 200 company code.
Always test your backups to be sure that you can restore the data. After you’ve made a test restore – go into the data and be sure it is current and complete. Test your restore to a separate server so as not to over-write existing data.
Keep as many copies of your backups as you have space for. At a minimum we recommend two weeks of daily backups and 12 monthly and 1 yearly backup. Where backups are concerned – always err on the side of having too many.
Remember – proper backup procedures are one of your most important responsibilities to safeguard against loss of data. The information here is general in nature and cannot possibly cover every user situation. You are advised to test all backups by performing a full restore to a test location to verify that your procedure is working.
How To Install Sage MAS 90 Paperless Office On Terminal Server and eliminate “unable to process lockfile” and “unable to initialize PDF viewer” errors
July 1, 2009
If you are setting up MAS 90 or MAS 200 under Terminal Server/Citrix and attempting to use Paperless Office for your forms/reports you may receive one of the following errors:
1. Unable to process lockfile
2. Unable to initialize PDF Viewer
While there may be other resolutions (One possible cure for which is described in the Schulz Consulting Knowledgebase and involves registry entry changes which you should be extremely careful with), we’ve seen the following steps work to eliminate both of the above error conditions:
Unable to initialize PDF Viewer by selecting “run as administrator” for the MAS200 installation. It appears that this only must be done once and that after the initial time of starting the MAS 200 workstation that the proper DLL (we think cdintf.dll) is then registered.
In order to overcome the “unable to process lockfile” try temporarily adding the user to the “power users” group on the Terminal Server. Re-run the setup of paperless office (this is in Company Maintenance – Email – Advanced).
It appears that both issues are user rights related.
Once the above is done you may be able to successfully test the PDF viewer with no errors.
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Custom SearchAbout Schulz Consulting, LLC
We are a Glastonbury CT consulting firm specializing in Sage MAS90, MAS200 and related software (FRX, Crystal Reports, Starship, F9, SQL Mirroring, etc).
We provide nationwide consulting services via on-site, telephone or remote connection. Our clients range in size from start-up to $200 million and are located as far away as Alaska, Hawaii, California, Florida, Texas, Montana, Michigan and many other states.
Since 1986 we've provided support for all versions of Sage MAS 90 or MAS 200 under an unlimited client support agreement.
You may contact us via email or review our full support agreement here.
Our phone number is 860-657-8544
If you'd prefer that someone contact you - please review this information.
