Sage denies VARs are being wooed by rival
Former head of Sage VAR Apex eager to strike up partnerships with SME resellers
Sage has brushed off suggestions that one of its former resellers is making inroads into its partner base with the introduction of a new accounting software brand into the UK market.
Tony Parsonage, ex-boss of Sage VAR Apex, hopes to mount a challenge on his former ally after buying the distribution rights to sell Philippines-based vendor Interprise’s accountancy suite in the EU.
Parsonage told CRN: “The accountancy market is really stale at the minute because the vendors have sat on their hands for so long. Interprise is a truly integrated product with one business logic, one database and one look and feel.
“My goal is to get to 100 resellers and up to 100 developers by the end of 2008. This may seem like a tall order, but now we’re starting to get up a head of steam people are actually coming to us.”
Parsonage said his venture, Interprise Solutions LLP – which is planning a major marketing push in the Autumn – has already recruited 34 resellers from rivals since February.
The firm is particularly keen to partner with SME Sage resellers because it believes there is clear white space between its Line 50 and Sage 200 products.
But David Pinches, head of Sage’s UK software group, said: “We’re not aware of any of our resellers going over to Interprise.”
Luke Mellard, sales consultant at Sage business partner Datel Group, said: “Interprise is not something that we’re looking at because it doesn’t have the credibility or reference-ability of Sage.
“When I came across Interprise a few months back its value-add was how integrated its products were. Sage has now launched a new integrated product so any advantage Interprise had has been snuffed out.”
However, Parsonage added: “Pegasus was the market leader until it was eventually overtaken by Sage. Now it is our turn.”