Summary of Change |
Detail |
New 10 digit partner ID |
Partners will receive a new 10 digit partner ID and can login to the new Sage Partner Information System using the logon and temporary password that will be provided upon completion of training. |
Phase out of legacy partner sites |
The legacy sites will remain in place with static content from October 31, 2011 through December 31, 2011. On December 31, 2011, old URLs will re-direct to the new system and the old partner sites will no longer be maintained. Relevant existing content will be available on the new systems and new information will be posted as it becomes available. |
Browser support for new Sage Partner Information System |
Browser support for the new Sage Partner Information System is restricted to Internet Explorer (with support of IE 6,7, and 8) as some of the system functionality will not be available through other browsers. |
New security for Sage Partner Information System |
There are three levels of security within the Sage Partner Information System:
- Manager
- Employee with Buy/Sell
- Employee
Upon completion of training, the primary contact for each partner will be assigned as the Manager which is the highest security level. The Manager has administrative rights to make changes and set security levels for other contacts who have completed training. The Employee role can view individual customer information if a reseller of record relationship is established between the partner organization and customer, but does not have access to any range of customers and cannot access customer lists. This will be covered in detail during the training courses available on Sage University in late October. |
Scope of customer conversion |
Sage will be converting customers that have been active during the previous tthree years for Sage Abra HRMS, Sage Abra FAS, Sage TimeSheets, and Sage Analytics. Active is defined as having a transaction with Sage during that three year time period.
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| Account information |
Basic account information is available to partners, including address and contact information, partner contacts, products owned, service contracts, support tickets, and transactions.
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| Lead and opportunity management |
Leads and opportunities can be managed on the Sage Partner Information System to help manage your prospects and pipeline.
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| Online quotes and orders |
Online quote and order functionality is not enabled with this rollout and is being considered for a future release. All channel partner orders should continue to be placed directly with the Sales team.
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| Quote, order, and shipping confirmations |
Automated email confirmations will be sent to the “Bill To” contact each time a quote or order is processed. A shipping confirmation will also be emailed at the time the order is shipped. Activation codes will be included and can also be accessed via the customer account on the Sage Partner Information System provided that a reseller of record relationship has been established, if applicable. Due to the fact that these customer communications are sent via email, it is imperative that customers have accurate email addresses on file with Sage. We would appreciate your help in ensuring that Sage systems are maintained with customer email addresses.
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| Payment options |
eCheck and ACH payment functionality will be available for both partners and customers.
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| Lapsed Partner Care Agreements |
Partners with lapsed Partner Care and Certified Consultant Agreements will not have entitlement to place orders or receive support. It is important to renew all agreements on or prior to the renewal date. With the new business management system, partner renewal reminders will be sent in the form of a reminder. In order to renew you must contact Sage upon receipt of the renewal reminder to renew your plan by credit card or terms if terms are established on your account.
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| Customer online renewal |
Customers will be able to renew their annual plans through an on-line Autogen eStore.
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General requests and support requests |
Partners will now be able to use the new Sage Partner Information System to log general requests and support requests. A general request is a non-technical request and a support request is a technical product inquiry. General requests are automatically routed to the appropriate department and function within Sage based on the type of request. General requests will not be available immediately upon rollout but will be available in the near future.
Please note that partners will only have visibility into Support Tickets for aligned customers if the customer has provided approval to Sage due to legal requirements. Customers can submit the approval via the Customer Portal or by contacting Customer Support. |
| Enhancement requests |
Product Enhancement Requests can be entered in a general request on the Customer Portal and the Sage Partner Information System.
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Visibility into support tickets
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Partners will have the ability to view their support tickets on the Sage Partner Information System whether submitted directly on the Sage Partner Information System or through Technical Support.
Please note that partners will only have visibility into Support Tickets for aligned customers if the customer has provided approval to Sage due to legal requirements. Customers can submit the approval via the Customer Portal or by contacting Customer Support.
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Additional partner forums |
Effective October 31, 2011, partners can access additional forums on the Sage Partner Information System. Access will vary by product line and partner type. |
| Central knowledgebase |
Knowledgebase articles for all Sage products will be accessible in one location as each business unit goes live on our new system. Access to the knowledgebase articles and content will not require an additional logon process.
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Advanced Partner Portal search capability and automatic email updates |
Partners can search the Sage Partner Information System knowledgebase and access to content will be made available based upon their product authorizations. Advanced search capability includes documentation, downloads, price lists, marketing materials, competitive information, sales collateral, etc. Automatic updates are emailed to partners who subscribe to content when that content changes. |
Payroll tax table updates |
Payroll tax table updates can be downloaded from the knowledgebase. Due to the fact that this is a common download, a quick link will be provided on the home page of the Partner Portal. |
Product information downloads |
Current version logos, box shots, and prior version information can be downloaded from the documents section of the knowledgebase. The Partner Marketing Resource Center (PMRC) will continue to be used for Channel Marketing resources.
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| Marketing information and Sales tools |
Marketing information and Sales tools can be downloaded from the documents section of the knowledgebase. The Partner Marketing Resource Center (PMRC) will continue to be used for Channel Marketing resources.
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| Reporting capabilities |
Multiple reporting capabilities exist in the Reporting Center of the Sage Partner Information System, including account activity details, account activity summaries, and more. Only those individuals with the CP Manager role assigned will have access to the Reporting Center. We encourage you to attend one of the training courses offered for the Reporting Center to learn how to take full advantage of these reports.
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| If I have questions who can I contact? |
We encourage you to continue working with your respective Sage partner representative. |
