FRX Service Pack 11 (R11670) for MAS 90 (Download)
February 3, 2011
You may have tried recently to download the latest FRX service pack 11 from Sage. Unfortunately as of January 31, 2011 Sage is no longer able to distribute service packs due to Microsoft (who publishes FRX) discontinuing sales of FRX (support however extends to December 2012).
If you need to download FRX 6.7 Service Pack 11 (aka R11670) you can navigate directly to the Microsoft Knowledgebase via the link below.
Download FRX Service Packs For MAS 90 and MAS 200:
FRX Service Pack 10
FRX Service Pack 11
Can we assist you further ? Provide your name and contact information so we can contact you:
[wp-highrise-contact]
How To Convert FRX to Sage MAS Intelligence (SMI)
January 25, 2011
Struggling to convert your FRX financial reports to Sage MAS Intelligence (SMI)?
As you probably are aware, FRX was the reporting tool bundled with all versions of Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200. Starting in January 2011 Microsoft has stopped selling FRX. As of the end of 2012 FRX support will no longer be available. In response Sage have pledged to keep version 4.5 of Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 backward compatible with FRX.
Beyond version 4.5 it’s anyone’s guess whether FRX will continue working with Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200. For this reason Sage have introduced a re-badged version of Alchemex (an Excel based report writer) as their FRX replacement. Marketed as Sage MAS Intelligence this reporting tool is being provided to every user of MAS.
Users of FRX have questioned whether their existing reports will migrate automatically to SMI. Unfortunately the answer ultimately is no. However Craig Juta from bxintelligence has posted this short 5 minute video that could give you an idea of the ease with which a person skilled with Excel can convert FRX reports.
FRX to Sage MAS Intelligence Conversion in 6 Steps (5 minute video)
Sage MAS 90 and 200 Business Intelligence Comparison
May 12, 2010
Sage just released a pretty helpful chart which shows the main differences between some of the most popular Business Intelligence products that companies have been using with MAS 90 and MAS 200.
As you may know Sage is preparing to release a new universal Business Intelligence product which will be used on the Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 product line.
Their current release plans indicate that this will ship in Summer 2010 as outlined in a recent announcement:
Sage MAS Intelligence will soon be introduced as the ideal FRx replacement product for Sage MAS ERP. On target to be released this summer, Sage MAS Intelligence offers powerful and easy to use graphical financial reporting capabilities to access business-critical information, and makes complex reporting easy using a new report designer. Going beyond General Ledger reporting needs, Sage MAS Intelligence will provide Business Intelligence across the entire Sage MAS ERP system, including CRM and Abra.
The products compared are:
Sage MAS Intelligence (Sage’s NEW offering scheduled for Summmer 2010)
Sage MAS 90 and 200 Business Insights Dashboard
Sage MAS 90 and 200 Business Insights Reporter
FRX
BizNet
Crystal Reports
F9
The comparisons provide for ranking a wide range of features under the categories of Data Access, Report Security, Report Delivery and Distribution, Reporting Capabilities, Sorting, Aggregation and Drill Down, Database Support Provided, Operating Systems Support and MS Office Version Support.
SageMAS Intelligence Comparison- FRX, Biznet, Alchemex, Crystal, F9
FRX to Sage MAS Intelligence Conversion Tool Is In The Works
April 12, 2010
We’ve already discussed that the financial reporting tool used by MAS 90 and MAS 200, Microsoft’s FRX, is reaching the end of it’s life in 2012. Sales of the product will stop in December 2010 and support ceases two years later.
The replacement for FRX is Sage MAS Intelligence. It’s a private labeled version of a spreadsheet based solution from a company named Alchemex which is already in use with Sage’s Accpac product line.>/p>
We had an opportunity in March to take a first look at what was then termed Sage Insights Intelligence (since re-branded Sage MAS Intelligence).
One of the questions at the time was about how FRX reports would be converted. Many customers who are using FRX have created elaborate FRX layouts for their financial reporting. Understandably many users have been concerned about whether all of this data would transfer to the new Sage MAS Intelligence.
While we don’t know exactly what data will be converted (for example it’s unclear whether reporting tree structures will convert), we can report that last night Alchemex shared the following welcome news:
..nothing new other than we most definitely will release a utility that will convert FRx reports in MAS Intelligence format, but are in discussions with Microsoft regarding the password for the FRx database and using this, so may have some delays, but realize how critical this process/function will be and are paying attention to it.
So it looks as if at least some older FRX layout formats have a chance for automatic conversion to the new Sage MAS Intelligence layout. It’s still too early to tell exactly what will convert (and how accurately) however it’s comforting to know that a conversion option remains under active development.
FRX 6.7 Service Pack 11 for MAS90 and MAS200 Available Now From Sage
April 11, 2010
Sage just posted FRX Service Pack 9 (which had been available directly from Microsoft since December of last year).
The changes appears to be mostly bug fixes with tweaks for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 support. Another user reports that this service pack 11 for FRX also fixed a problem with Microsoft Excel 2007 compatibility.
Of course Microsoft is no longer supporting FRX after 12/31/2012 and the sales of the popular financial reporter will stop as of 12/31/2010.
Sage has announced that Alchemex (rebadged as Sage MAS Intelligence) will be their replacement product for most users. Within an as yet undetermined time Sage also has plans to introduce FR (owned by Sage and presently in use on the ACCPAC product line as the Sage Accpac Financial Reporter or FR) as a reporting tool for the Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 product.
In addition to providing MAS customers with one free user license of Sage MAS Intelligence, Sage will have a promotion for customers who have bought additional FRx licenses to obtain the equivalent Sage MAS Intelligence licenses.
In the long run Sage is looking into bundling more basic FR functionality with no restriction to number of users, but this is not planned for the 4.5 release. This will be basic Financial Reporting. Sage MAS Intelligence will provide more advanced features and capabilities, not just to replace FRx features, but to provide a lot more advanced reporting and analysis capabilities as well.MAS90 and MAS200 FRX SP 11 for FRX6.7
Sage MAS90 and MAS200 FRX 6.7 Service Pack 11 (March 2010) and FRX 6.7 service pack 11 release notes
FRX SP 11 for MAS 90 and MAS 200 Available For Download
January 20, 2010
Been looking for the FRX Service Pack 11 for MAS90 and MAS200?
Consultant Alan Niergarth found it right on Microsoft’s own site.
This 52.5 MB download patches FRX for numerous program issues. Although the “whats fixed” doesn’t mention any fixes for Windows 7 compatibility, at least one site claims that FRX Service Update 11 enables FRX to work with Windows 7. Check the What’s New for details.
While Microsoft has this patch available for MAS 90 and MAS 200 users we must point out that Sage has apparently not yet tested it. So install it at your own risk though at least one person says that “it didn’t blow my system up” when they installed it.
YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary). Consult your Sage Business Partner prior to installing – that is unless you are a Sage Business Partner which in that case consult yourself.
Link: FRX Service Pack 11 for MAS 90 and MAS 200
FRX Not Being Updated for 64 Bit OS Compatibility in SP 11
December 29, 2009
I’m unsure whether the feedback on FRX Buzz indicates that FRX will never be updated for a 64 bit OS (that’s my guess) or whether that compatibility just won’t appear in service update 11.
According to a post on FRxBuzz.com the service pack 11 for FRX has been released with these highlights:
Windows 2008 and Windows 7 support
FRX WebPort support for Windows 2008 and Windows 7
NO Office 2010 support (this cycle) – however unofficial limited testing seems to indicate it works with FRX.
64-bit version of Windows will not be supported. Instead customers must make use of Virtual Machines (a kludgy workaround).
Read the full post at FRxBuzz
Via: Bottomline Software, Inc. – Jeff Schwenk
Sage issues statement on FRX support – RIP December 31, 2012?
November 3, 2009
Microsoft has previously announced that they are discontinuing support for their FRX Financial Report Writer which is used as the primary financial reporting tool for both Sage MAS 90 and 200.
Now Sage has confirmed that December 31, 2012 is the last date that FRX will be supported by Microsoft. While Sage’s announcement does not explicitly state that they will stop support for FRX as of that date, it’s likely that their policy will mirror Microsoft’s.
Here’s Sage’s FRX Announcement
Product Update: FRx Reporting Software Beyond Version 6.7
Sage has been advised that Microsoft has made a decision against further enhancement or development of their FRx reporting software beyond version 6.7. Microsoft agreed to continue supporting the current version of FRx through December 31, 2012, thereby enabling Sage adequate opportunity to evaluate suitable alternatives. As a part of the evaluation process, Sage will also assess Microsoft’s Management Reporter; Management Reporter has been described as the next generation FRx and is equipped with full migration capability.
Microsoft’s decision affects not only Sage, but also other competitive ERP solution providers. In response, Sage remains committed to supporting the integrity of our products and your customer’s Sage MAS 90, Sage MAS 200, and Sage MAS 500 ERP, and Sage PFW ERP business software solutions. As a part of our go-forward strategy, we have actively initiated the process of determining what option(s) will provide the most effective solution regarding your customer’s financial report-writing needs. We will inform you of our progress as updates are available. A copy of this notification will be posted on the Partner File Center under the Product Information & Tools category.
[Sage]
FRX Support Plans – FAQ
May 28, 2009
Microsoft have announced that on 12/31/2010 their FRX Financial Report Writer will no longer be sold to those requiring a new license.
As of 12/31/2012 all Microsoft official support will terminate.
These are the latest dates that we have regarding the future of FRX support and availability. Since we expect some vendors to “self support” the report writer (including possibly Sage) you should check with your financial software supplier to see what their plans are for the product.
FRX Support Options – Post 2012
The question that we’ve been asked more frequently by both Sage and non-Sage users of FRX is what will happen after 2012. Will the FRX software stop working or are there alternate means by which users who are happy with their financial reporting can obtain support?
We provide support for FRX via our unlimited phone agreement (copy here). Other consultants will likely offer the same thing. When we spoke with Sage they were leaning toward (but not committing to supporting the FRX program beyond the 2012 end of life date).
You should consider that FRX (at least on the Sage MAS 90 level) has not been significantly upgraded since the last MAS 90 level service pack for FRX was issued dated December 2008 (Service Pack 10 for FRX v6.7).
Your Options
A. Self Support
Using internal resources, maintain your own help desk to answer user questions. If you’re already at this level then you probably are already also self-supporting. Remember that no new FRX modules/licenses will be sold after 2010.
B. Vendor Support
We think (though we’re not 100% sure yet) that you’ll see vendors like Sage (and others) offering to carry on the support for FRX during the period of time that they announce a transition to an as-yet unnamed financial report writer.
C. Use Third Party Support
Given that FRX has not had the need for a program patch since December 2008, you’re reasonably safe to continue using the program for at least the immediate future. Your main risk factor will likely be an incompatibility between FRX and a future operating system. However you’d likely know of such incompatibility months or years ahead of the time that you decided to upgrade operating systems.
Conclusion
Most consultants (including the ones you use to maintain your current financial software should be able to support you for the next few years. It would be prudent to begin the process of migrating your financial reporting to a new program just a soon as your vendor announces one.
Prior to 2010 you should plan to acquire any essential programs that you may need from FRX. If you need to acquire more licenses or remote you’ll need to do that before 12/2010.
FRX MAIL SERVER: Email does not appear to be installed on your system – please install email and then try the operation again [solved]
March 26, 2009
Just had a client call with this error message:
FRX MAIL SERVER: Email does not appear to be installed on your system – please install email and then try the operation again
The message was occuring when they tried to email reports from their FRX Report Manager module. According to the Sage and Microsoft knowledgebase the cure is to find and install OLEMSG32.DLL to the \windows\system32 folder.
Both knowledgebases advised finding the file (OLEMSG32.DLL) on a spare workstation. The only issue we had was none of the workstations had that exact DLL file.
We were able to find the DLL by searching Google. The only issue was the DLL was listed on sites that we weren’t sure hosted the original. Not wanting to get a virus, we decided to look for a more authoritative download.
It appears Microsoft (beginning with Exchange 2007) has begun delivering the MAPI client libraries and CDO 1.2.1 as a web only downoad.
If you’re wondering where to find it — look here:
Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaboration Data Objects 1.2.1
FRX Report Writer for MAS 90 Still Alive
February 15, 2009
FRX Financial Reporting for MAS 90 appears to have gained a new lease on life. According to Mark Chinsky of Client’s First Business Solutions – New Jersey, the FRX Report Writer is back under development (or at least is being promoted as a solution by Microsoft) after being slated for discontinuation in favor of PerformancePoint Server.
Mark spotted an article in Network Computing that states in part:
Microsoft made a surprise announcement that presents good news and bad news for customers and partners who were developing on the PerformancePoint Server product. The good news is that the dashboarding, scorecarding and analytic capabilities of PerformancePoint are now being made available as free services to customers with an enterprise license of SharePoint Server. The bad news is that PerformancePoint and its planning functionality will no longer be offered as a separate product, though there will be a final “Service Pack3″ upgrade to the planning functionality released this summer. Translation? Microsoft’s BI team is backing away from deep financial and operational performance management, ceding those opportunities to the Microsoft Dynamics unit and stranding some customers and partners in the process.
Microsoft says it is bundling high-demand PerformancePoint functionality like dashboarding, scorecarding and advanced analytics with SharePoint to better fulfill its longstanding goal of spreading business intelligence to the broadest possible base of users.
“By putting this functionality into SharePoint, it makes it available to exponentially more users,” said Kristina Kerr, Lead Product Manager, Microsoft Business Intelligence, in an interview with Intelligent Enterprise. Share “As for the financial budgeting and planning piece, we found that it involves very different buying behaviors, different people and different deployment scenarios, so we’re very deliberately splitting those two areas.”
A final upgrade of PerformancePoint may buy planning-focused customers and partners some time, but nobody wants to make long-range plans around a product without a road map. Thus, one of two paths forward Microsoft points to exploits what Kerr describes as “broad planning capabilities” it can offer with the combination of SQL Server, SharePoint Server and Excel.
“For example, we have an Excel add-in that exposes the analytic capabilities of SQL Server Analysis Services,” Kerr explained. “Analysis Services offers a function called Forecast, which is really predictive analytics based on historical trends. [That's the kind of functionality] that’s suitable for scenarios that aren’t specific to the office of finance but that call for broad planning and forecasting capabilities.”
A second path forward for partners and customers interesting in planning is to work with the Microsoft Dynamics ERP and applications unit, which will continue to develop its Forecaster and FRX products for forecasting, budgeting and financial reporting.
via: 90Minds
-
Custom Search
