Sage Software has announced that it is discontinuing its Extended Solution program effective with the release of version 4.4, due out sometime in the 2^nd quarter of 2010. Extended Solutions are enhancements that Sage Software sells separately from MAS90 and MAS200 to add functionality that may not exist in the core MAS90 or MAS200 product.  Many of our clients own one or more Extended Solutions for MAS90 or MAS200.

Examples of some Extended Solutions include:

• Back Orders allowed by Customer
• Electronic Payment for A/P
• Enhanced Sales Order Integration with Job Cost
• Sliding Scale Commissions by Items
• Bank Reconciliation Import

While about 55 of the most popular Extended Solutions will be rolled into future releases of MAS90 and MAS200, the remaining several hundred Extended Solutions will no longer be supported by Sage Software after version 4.4 is released.

Support for the Extended Solutions that are going to be retired by Sage should be available from authorized Sage developers for future releases. However this cannot be guaranteed by Sage Software or Nims & Associates.

What does this mean for your company?

There is a possibility you may use one or more Extended Solutions that will no longer be supported by Sage beyond version 4.3. We recommend that where possible, all companies that use MAS90 / MAS200 Extended Solutions upgrade to at least version 4.3 by the end of Q1 of 2010 so that you have the last supported version of your Extended Solutions before it is discontinued.

We also recommend that you schedule a telephone call with your Nims & Associates consultant to review your particular installation to check for the following conditions:

• Do you have any Extended Solutions that are scheduled for retirement and will no longer be supported by Sage Software?
• If you do have any retired Extended Solutions, can they be replaced using new features within MAS90 or MAS200?
• Do any of the 55 or so Extended Solutions that will added to MAS90 and MAS200 beginning with version 4.4 present an opportunity for your company to improve its processes, service or efficiency? 

If you use any of the Extended Solutions that are going to be retired and their functionally is vital to your business, we can help determine the best options for your company. It is likely that we can identify an independent MAS90 / MAS200 developer to maintain the enhancements in future versions.

To help you through this process, Nims & Associates will not charge for the initial consulting time needed to help your company know its current solution and best options for the future.  We will work with you and your staff to identify any installed Extended Solutions and determine if they are going to be included in future releases of MAS90 or MAS200.  This initial effort is designed to chart your company’s way forward and does not cover any costs related to upgrading MAS or the implementation of any Extended Solution replacements.

We know that this situation may cause some concern. We urge you to contact your Nims & Associates consultant to discuss your situation and your options.  For your convenience I have included contact information for our Sage MAS90 and MAS200 consultants. Please feel free to contact us at any point with any questions you have.