Sage Software, Palo Alto Software Partner for SMB Tools

Sage Software and Palo Alto Software are working together to provide business tools to help small enterprises manage their operations.

Palo Alto Software announced the partnership Jan. 9. Under the alliance, businesses purchasing Palo Altos Business Plan Pro 2007 or Marketing Plan Pro 2007 can receive a discount on Peachtree by Sage Pro Accounting 2007 and ACT by Sage 2007.

Small businesses that buy Peachtree by Sage Complete Accounting 2007 at selected retail stores and resellers through March are eligible to receive Business Plan Pro for free. In addition, those that purchase Business Plan Pro are eligible for a free copy of Peachtree by Sage First Accounting 2007.

“Business Plan Pro is the leading business plan software on the market, and Sage Software is a world leader in the [SMB] business management software market,” Sabrina Parsons, director of marketing communications at Palo Alto Software, in Eugene, Ore., said in a statement. “We are excited to partner with Sage Software to help small businesses pull together all of the necessary tools to make the right start.”

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Sage officials said small and midsize businesses need strong business and marketing plans, the tools to manage their new customer bases, and a strong back-end accounting system to manage their finances and payroll. This new partnership will make all of those tools available to small businesses at an affordable price, officials said.

“Accounting software is just as critical to a new business as their business plan; contact management can be the catalyst that pushes a new business to success and assists with the implementation of the marketing plan,” Kevin Thornton, Sages senior vice president of channel sales, said in the statement. “Small businesses need all of these things, which is why we are working with Palo Alto to bring these bundled capabilities to up-and-coming small businesses.”

The bundles are available directly from Palo Alto Software through the Palo Alto e-store and select Sage Software/Palo Alto resellers. Free Business Plan Pro and Peachtree First Accounting products are offered to qualifying buyers after mail-in rebate, Sage officials said.

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