VAR 500 member Sysix Technologies closes following CEO’s suicide
August 31, 2009
Not what you're looking for? Check out Schulz Consulting Prior MAS90 News Post Archives or send me an email. Thanks for visiting!
Online site CRN (Computer Reseller News) is reporting today that one of the members of their VAR 500 list, Sysix Technologies, has closed following the July 2009 suicide death of CEO John Schaeffer. The company had been on CRN’s VAR 500 list since 2002 and was most recently ranked #286 on the 2009 VAR 500.
From the Sysix LinkedIn page:
For over 20 years, Sysix continues to be your single source provider of broad-based integrated business IT solutions. As a national provider of business technology from leading computer hardware and software manufacturers – we can help you to effectively manage your technology solution by combining industry leading products with innovative consulting services and flexible financing options to meet your technology needs, industry focus and budget requirements. via Sysix LinkedIN Company Page
Sysix’s LinkedIN page claimed revenues of over $94 million and 60 employees.
According to a Hoover’s entry:
Sysix Solutions helps firms get their IT act together. Operating through three units — Sysix Financial, Sysix Consulting, and Sysix Technologies — the company designs, leases, and installs IT systems. The value-added reseller carries products from Cisco, Datatel, Dell, EMC, Hitachi Data Systems, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, PlateSpin, PolyServe, Sun Microsystems, and VERITAS, among other vendors. Customers have included Dana, Goodrich, the Moody Bible Institute, Tenneco, and the law firm of Ungaretti & Harris. Founded in 1988, Sysix has offices across the US. CEO John Sheaffer is the majority shareholder.
CRN is reporting that Sysix closed at the end of July idling over 40 employees. This closing appears to have recently been finalized as noted in a story that CRN did on August 25, 2009.
Why So Little CRN Coverage Of A SuddenVAR 500 Closing?
Surprisingly there is not much (if any) follow-up coverage for the sudden closing of one of CRN’s own VAR 500.
In July 2009 when the MIS Group, Sage’s largest business partner, closed abruptly CRN followed up with several posts that spotlighted the type of problems that they felt were indicated by this sudden closing.
Sysix had been a member of CRN’s VAR 500 for the last consecutive 8 years. Yet aside from a story announcing the sudden demise of the firm, there’s very little (if anything) that I was able to find by searching the CRN site.
While Sysix’s closing appears to only have been finalized recently the site notes that the doors were shut at the end of July 2009. Sage business partner MIS Group closed over the July 4th holiday weekend and CRN first posted on their demise here, then followed up with a scathing post on July 24, 2009 which compared MIS Group (not a VAR 500 member) to AIG.
Will there be a similar feature story from CRN on the sudden closing of one of their VAR 500 members?
Schulz Consulting “wins” Best of Glastonbury 2009
August 31, 2009
Imagine my surprise to wake up this morning to learn that our firm, Schulz Consulting, had won a major award.
If the email is to believe then Schulz Consulting is one of the Best of Glastonbury CT.
In recognition of your achievement, a 2009 Best of Glastonbury Award has been designed for display at your place of business. You may arrange to have your award sent directly to Schulz Consulting by following the simple steps on the 2009 Best of Glastonbury Award order form.
At least I think it’s major. The USCA (United States Commerce Association) apparently plucked Schulz Consulting out of the pool of thousands of Glastonbury CT businesses to bestow this prestigious award.
Before I get out my handkerchief and start writing up an emotional acceptance speech I think I’ll research the USCA and make sure they’re something more than just a company that make’s up issues awards, issues a press release, and then tries to get you to order a copy of the plaque.
Schulz Consulting is honored to receive this award. Unfortunately we won’t be purchasing either plaque – which we’ve saved to the link below for future viewing.
via: Schulz Consulting MAS90 Consulting
Save up to 15% on Sage MAS90 or MAS200 Maintenance With A Multi-Year Renewal
August 28, 2009
Sage is now offering a new Multi-year Policy which applies to renewals of Basic Software Maintenance. The savings are applicable across all their product lines – not just the Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 software products.
In order to take advantage of this deal simply agree to prepay for multiple years’ of software maintenance. You can pay for this in one lump sum or over a series of payments charged to your credit card via Easy-Pay.
Basics:
- Applies across all product lines (I asked if it was MAS only)
- Applies to both Basic and Clientcare (support)
- Does NOT apply to support cases that are purchased individually
The MAS 90 and MAS 200 Basic Maintenance Savings Are:
- 2 years: 5% discount (multiply this year’s 1-year renewal amount by 0.95, then multiply that by 2)
- 3 years: 10% discount (multiply this year’s 1-year renewal amount by 0.90, then multiply that by 3)
- 5 years: 15% discount (multiply this year’s 1-year renewal amount by 0.85, then multiply that by 5)
The Multi-Yr can be paid through the partner or Sage.
Everything is prepaid but the yearly rates are locked into the total price so the pricing can not increase.
Also, the multi-year contract can be paid through the Easy-pay (monthly bank draft or credit card charge) option as well.
Update 9-8-09: Per Sage – multiple year discounts can only be achieved by pre-payment in total and NOT via easy-pay.
For more information contact Wayne Schulz – 860-657-8544 or wayne@s-consult.com
Sage MAS90 and MAS200 Clientcare Reinstatement promotions save you 40%
August 23, 2009
Sage is running a Clientcare reactivation campaign whose stated expiration is 9/30/09 and which is directed at MAS 90 and MAS 200 not on current on a maintenance (Clientcare) plan.
In summary, the details are:
MAS 90 & MAS 200 Version 4.x Clientcare Reinstatements
- Version 4.x clients not on plan can save 40% on lapsed years between end of previous contract and date of reinstatement. Future maintenance or support not included. This offer cannot be combined with any other offer.
Users can also save by re-enrolling on a multi-year agreement, buying new modules, upgrading to EES, buying Applianz.
Full details:
http://www.sagemasinfo.com/4xcc/
MAS 90 & MAS 200 Version 3.x Value Plan
- Version 3.x clients can get on the Value Plan for $1,000 MAS90 or $1,250 MAS 200.
Most clients take advantage of this plan either (a) to become eligible to buy new modules/licenses or (b) obtain the Paperless Office add-ins or (c) obtain three free Sage phone support cases.
Worth noting that Sage is giving THREE FREE SUPPORT CASES with the Value Plan.
Page 6 of Sage’s most current MAS90 & MAS200 Supported Platforms Matrix (2/11/09) lists June 2010 as the last date that version 3.71 will be supported. I’m unsure whether this is a typo or whether you would be purchasing less than a full year of coverage under the Value Plan for 3.71.
I’ve asked Sage to clarify the EOL (end of life) for version 3.71 and have yet to receive a response.
Full details:
http://www.sagemasinfo.com/371cc/
Sage MAS 500 Clientcare Reinstatements
- MAS 500 users can get back on plan for 40% off
Full details:
http://sagemasinfo.com/m500cc/
WAYNE’S NOTES:
Read the appropriate web links above for the details — I’m paraphrasing the offers and quite possibly stated something incorrectly
The three free support cases only seems to apply to 3.x clients who come back on a value plan. The value plan itself ONLY provides for 3.71 with no upgrade rights. Clients would have to negotiate their 3.71 to 4.x upgrade fee with Sage.
Netsuite claims $10,000 average electricity savings – but what about the monthly cost?
August 20, 2009
In an interesting advertising campaign, online software provider Netsuite is claiming that their average customer saves $10,000 annually in electricity costs.
While that may be true (do they work in the dark after purchasing Netsuite?) – no mention is made of the recurring fees associated with Netsuite.
Based on public information you could be spending all of that $10,000 savings — and more (depending upon configuration as shown below).
Some NetSuite Pricing:
—NetSuite license pricing starts at $299 or $499 per month plus $79 or $99 per User
—Advanced Inventory module can be added on to your NetSuite account for $299 per month
—Advanced Financials module can be added on to your NetSuite account for $299 per month
—Advanced Billing module can be added on to your NetSuite account for $399 per month
—Incentive Compensation / Commission module can be added on to your NetSuite account for $299 per month
—Advanced Project Accounting module can be added on to your NetSuite account for $399 per month
—Add the SiteBuilder module to NetSuite for $299 per month (fully customizable Web Design, SEO Optimization, Multi-Currency shopping, Shopping Comparison feeds to Google Base, Shopping.com, Shopzilla, Nextag and more ….)
—Add Advanced Analytics to NetSuite for $299 per month to take advantage of full circle Marketing Campaigns with outbound email promotions tied to Web Store Analytics and ROI per campaign
Source:
http://www.horizonassociates.net/Product-Datasheets
Bob Scott named Executive Editor of The Progressive Accountant
August 18, 2009
Bob Scott, former Editor in Chief of Accounting Technology, was today named as the new Editor of The Progressive Accountant.
According to the press release, Bob will oversee a portfolio of industry specific web sites, podcasts, email newsletters, Web seminars, live events, video and content/reviews. His primary responsibility will be to develop content for http://www.theprogressiveaccountant.com and the email newsletter of the same name.
Bob is well known within the ERP consulting industry for his wildly popular electronic newsletter called “Consulting Insights” which he penned while at Accounting Technology. This publication highlighted insider news and gossip of importance to mid-market VARS and technology companies. Bob also specialized in his coverage of nearly all the accounting software industry trade shows and user conferences.
It’s too early to tell whether the same focus will apply at The Progressive Accountant or whether the slant may become decidedly more consulting focused. 
A new web site, http://www.bobscottsinsights.com appears to be in the process of going live. It carries the copyright notice of Progressive Media Group and may also host much of Bob’s newsletter content going forward.
Bob has also formed a Facebook group which he has been informally updating on a surprisingly regular basis with the type of content that used to appear in his email newsletters. (Access Bob Scott’s Facebook group here). The group is free to join though there is no telling if it will continue to be updated as Bob assumes his new responsibilities.
The press release is below with more details.
Industry Insider, Bob Scott, Joins Progressive Media Group’s Accounting Team as Executive Editor
Clifton, NJ – Progressive Media Group, Inc. (PMG) (http://www.pmgb2b.com) today announced that Bob Scott, has been named as the new Executive Editor of PMG’s, The Progressive Accountant and its portfolio of digital resources including industry-specific Web sites, email newsletters, Web seminars, live events, video, podcasts, and content/reviews.
Scott, previously Editor in Chief of the former Accounting Technology (SourceMedia), is an industry expert and authority on the use of technology in tax and public accounting practices and will serve as the chief content developer for the www.TheProgressiveAccountant.com website and The Progressive Accountant email newsletter. In addition to providing daily content, he will produce podcasts and Web seminars and will provide strategic guidance on developing video content for the tax and public accounting profession.
“In an era in which electronic communication has emerged as a preferred vehicle for delivering information, The Progressive Accountant is leading the way in delivering valuable knowledge to the members of the tax and accounting community,” Said Scott. ”I am proud to be part of The Progressive Accountant and its fresh approach.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Bob to the growing PMG team,” said Kurt Martin, Group Publisher of Progressive Media Group, Inc. “Having worked with Bob in the past, I am excited about the level of professionalism, authority and recognition he brings to The Progressive Accountant. Bob’s connections and respect in the sector will enable us to continue to serve the information needs of our subscribers and visitors in the tax and public accounting profession.”
Scott has provided information to the tax and accounting community since 1991, first as technology editor of Accounting Today, and from 1997 through 2009 as editor of its sister publication, Accounting Technology. He is known throughout the industry for his depth of knowledge and for his high journalistic standards. Scott has made frequent appearances as a speaker, moderator and panelist at events serving tax and accounting professionals. He has a strong background in computer journalism as an editor with two former trade publications, Computer+Software News and MIS Week and spent several years with weekly and daily newspapers in Morris County New Jersey prior to that. A graduate of Indiana University with a degree in journalism, Bob is a native of Madison, Ind.
Scott will be reaching out to the subscribers and many of the vendors serving the tax and public accounting profession in the near future but he can be reached directly at bob.scott@pmgb2b.com.
via: The Progressive Accountant
WordPress password reset flaw patched in 2.8.4
August 12, 2009
Yesterday my friend Robert Wood reset the administrative password on my site. Rather than be upset – I’m delighted. Robert was notifying me of a flaw in the WordPress software that allowed anyone to reset the administrative password of a blog.
While this did not provide access to the administrative account (the password reset was only sent out via email to the registered account holder) – it did expose a weakness. If someone also had access to the email account affiliated with the administrator they could potentially hijack this password reset and gain access to your WordPress site.
Version 2.8.4 of WordPress is available and I recommend you upgrade immediately.
WordPress via Robert Wood- DDF Consulting – Florida MAS 90 Consultant
Hellene Thurston joins SWK Technologies
August 11, 2009
Hellene Thurston has joined SWK Technologies of Livingston NJ as their Senior Channel Sales and Marketing Executive. She’ll work alongside Dane DeSantis, Jeff Roth and Gary Berman to market SWK’s line of Mapadoc EDI products to Sage Business Partners as well as develop and implement other exciting marketing initiatives for the company.
I’ve known Hellene for many years when she worked as my contact at Sage Software. Always responsive, friendly and quick with to respond with needed information – she’s a great addition
What many people don’t know about Hellene is that she’s a wine connoisseur as well as a damned smart accounting software representative. Contact her at 973-758-6137 to chat about her collection of fine wines or via email at hellene.thurston@swktech.com.
I’m sure she’d also love to talk to you about any of SWK’s offerings.
Internet faxing for MAS 90 and MAS 200 Paperless Office
August 6, 2009
If you’ve recently started to use the Paperless Office features of MAS 90 or MAS 200 you may have found that while you could fax documents via Microsoft Fax the capability to fax via Internet based services was omitted.
This internet faxing capability was removed when Paperless Office was included in the latest version of Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200.
Now that capability is back, albeit as an add-on ($795 product + $265 maintenance = $ 1,060 total)
Sage’s Extended Solutions LM-1033 – Enhanced Faxing for Paperless Office adds internet faxing capabilities to Paperless Office by converting faxes to emails for the following providers:
Use this enhancement with paperless forms faxing from within your Sage MAS 90 or MAS 200 system.
Generic faxing has also been added in case you need to configure your fax service to work with one of those that has not been listed above. Sage however does not provide any special support for configuring generic fax services so you’re on your own with any special configurations outside the 4 supported services listed above.
If You’re Not Using Paperless Office – Why Not?
Nearly 20 percent of the typical office space is set aside for storage, in addition to offsite storage. This method is both expensive and wasteful. Sage’s Paperless Office (included at no extra cost in both Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200) allows you to generate forms and registers to an electronic archive (PDF format) on your hard drive.
The software handles all system security (providing the option for only those who printed a document to subsequently access it) as well as the task of naming each document, filing it in the write spot on the hard disk and when desired allowing forms to be sent via email.
MAS 90 and MAS 200 Paperless Office Modules Include:
More Information on Paperless Office for MAS 90 (PDF)
What is SaaS, Cloud Computing, PaaS and IaaS?
August 4, 2009
There’s quite a bit of confusion around the definitions of cloud computing.
Some users and consultants use the term to mean any software program that isn’t stored and used directly on site.
Yet others have latched onto a whole laundry list of acronyms that more accurately describe different types of cloud computing.
For example:
SaaS – Software As A Service
Essentially based on the concept of renting application functionality from a service provider rather than buying, installing and running software yourself. Offerings within this range from services such as Salesforce.com at one end, delivering the equivalent of a complete application suite, to players like MessageLabs at the other, whose services are designed to complement your operational infrastructure.
PaaS – Platform As A Service
Platform as a service (PaaS), which is all about providing, a platform in the cloud, upon which applications can be developed and executed. Players like Google, again Salesforce.com (this time with Force.com), and Microsoft (with Azure) exist in this space. Facilities provided include things like database management, security, workflow management, application serving, and so on.
IaaS – Infrastructure As A Service
Infrastructure as a service (IaaS). The proposition here is the offering of compute power and storage space on demand.
The difference between this and the other two categories of cloud is that the software that executes is essentially yours. In practical terms, the model is based on the same principles of virtualisation that we are all familiar with in the context of server partitioning or flexible storage. Rather than running a virtual image on a partition existing on a physical server in your data centre, you spin it up on a virtual machine that you have created in the cloud. Virtual disks can be created in a similar manner, to deal with the storage side of things.
For more details about cloud computing as well as to read an argument about whether this type of computing poses a danger to Internet Service Providers – read the full story at The Register.
-
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.
