Sage 500 End of Life Statement Clarified

Product Support Extended To At Least 2020

Following Sage Summit 2012, many interpreted the messaging and announcement around Sage 500 ERP as an end-of-life statement. However, Sage has recently clarified its statements much sooner than the targeted “2017 re-evaluation date” and clearly defined a vibrant Road Ahead for Sage 500 customers.

Last week at Sage Summit 2014, Sage announced renewed commitment and continued investments in Sage 500 ERP for years to come.  In summary Sage will:

• Invest in future of Sage 500 ERP with a published Roadmap release schedule through 2017 covering multiple releases and extending support to at least 2020.

Editor’s Note: While some may still infer that Sage 500 ERP will terminate in 2017, it’s not uncommon for a software publisher to limit shared roadmap strategies to three (3) years or less because of the unpredictable nature of rapid technological change.

• Deliver new functionality in the core application with annual releases and service packs.

• Leverage new Sage products including Sage Data Cloud, Sage Inventory Advisor, Sage Enterprise Intelligence, Sage Mobility, Avalara Sales Tax, and others.

• Design a logical migration path and utilities to other Sage ERP products. This new strategy  objective leverages the strength of the Sage ERP portfolio and affords customers the opportunity to choose the best solution based on the organizational requirements.

What does this mean for Sage 500 customers?

Simply stated, Sage is committed to supporting Sage 500 ERP and will continue to add value to Sage 500 customers who remain loyal to the product and want to continue leveraging their existing technology investment.

For those who prefer to evaluate a replacement ERP solution, a logical migration path will provide customers ample time to explore all options among the Sage ERP portfolio and plan – when ready – the project timing. Data conversion utilities will allow customers to migrate to other Sage ERP products more easily with a proven tool which will reduce implementation costs.

Together, we can evaluate your individual business requirements to help you determine your next steps without the pressure of imposed deadlines. RKL eSolutions is in full support of this strategy from Sage and remains committed to providing technology solutions that make sense for our clients.

What has RKL eSolutions done since 2012 to complement this strategy?

At RKL eSolutions, we've reinforced our commitment to Sage 500 ERP by investing in our team to add value to our Sage 500 clients. We have reorganized our functional, technical, and development resources by product and added Russ Griffith to lead our Sage 500 ERP practice.

We've also added to our Sage 500 ERP customer base by acquiring other Sage partner organizations that no longer wish (or have the resources) to support the product. At the same time, we've strengthened alliances to extend support to Sage 500 ERP customers nationwide with a growing list of offices and resources across the U.S.

Additionally, RKL has added Sage 100 ERP and JobOps to our portfolio solutions and appointed Tim Efinger to lead the Sage 100 ERP practice. Sage 100 ERP, along with Sage X3 ERP, provides our customers options to choose which Sage product aligns best with its organizational requirements. RKL continues to be exclusive to Sage to remain in alignment with Sage’s portfolio strategy in the best interests of our clients and their investments.