Sage fights for SME hearts and minds on web

Sage hopes its new offensive will encourage more SMEs to adopt e-commerce systems based on its own accounting software, it revealed at the Softworld Accounting and Finance show last week.

Sage hopes its new offensive will encourage more SMEs to adopt ecommerce systems based on its own accounting software, it revealed at the Softworld Accounting and Finance show last week.

But Sage faces stiff competition from low-end rival Access Accounting which has also launched a low-end business-to-business web creation service.

Sage launched a £99 website design service for SMEs and also released an online linkup for its Line 50 and Line 100 products. The Sage Today tool will enable Sage users to dial into their accounting systems remotely using the internet and view accounts data.

Graham Wylie, managing director at Sage, said SMEs will be offered a basic site for £99. "We know that although small businesses are keen to embrace ecommerce and establish a web presence, they often do not have the time or resources to do so.

"We are giving them affordable access to skilled web designers," said Wylie.

Sage's offer dramatically undercuts the AccessweB2 site creation service launched by rival Access Accounting. Andy Peary, ebusiness sales manager at Sage, said the vendor would continue to extend its internet offerings, and aims to get UK clients using ecommerce.

"We're moving forward with the technologies that Peachtree, and Best with its payroll, offer in the US," he said. Sage's US subsidiaries are already offering fully ecommerce-enabled versions of their software.

Best is also offering its software through an application service provider (ASP) service and Sage is also looking at the potential for such a service in the UK.

Sage has already announced joint development plans with IBM that will deliver accounting products through ASP services.

• Pegasus Software has launched a version of its Mpower client-server accounting system for medium-sized companies.