Sage talks up mid-market momentum
Software vendor claims to be seeing strong traction for Sage 200 2010
Sage UK has held up figures showing 465 existing customers have upgraded to Sage 200 2010 as evidence of its progress in the mid-market.
The software vendor ran a high-profile campaign in the summer to raise brand awareness for Sage within mid-sized and large enterprises as it sought to shake off its reputation as a micro-business specialist.
Launched in July, the latest iteration of the mid-market-focused Sage 200 solution features new workspace and flexible report designer functions and business intelligence as standard. A mobile solution is available on the BlackBerry.
Sage said the launch has "accelerated" its position in the mid-market, with 105 partners already on board. On top of the 465 upgrades, almost 200 new customers have adopted Sage 200 2010 in its first five months, it added.
Jo Fulton, sales and marketing director at Sage partner Datel, agreed that the vendor is beginning to give a bloody nose to competitors outside its traditional Sage 50 stronghold and that Sage 200 deal sizes are growing.
"Sage 200 is gaining momentum in the 10- to 30-user space, where it has traditionally been more 5 to 15 users," she said. "The deal sizes have been increasing and it is now beating Access Dimensions, Exchequer and Navision on a regular basis."
She said Sage 200 2010 works particularly well as a mobile app for "MDs and FDs on the golf course on a Friday afternoon".
Steve Precious, managing director of DCS Solutions, said Sage's "Not just small business: all business" marketing campaign had helped to raise mid-market awareness. "People that have been holding back since the recession are deciding to reinvest," he added.
In a statement, Steve Attwell (pictured), general manager of Sage UK's Lower Mid-Market and Channel division, said: "Offering firms a more immediate and holistic view of their business, Sage 200's BI, CRM and financial capabilities are proving to be a huge coup for many growing businesses today."