How Cloudhouse works with Sage
In this blog we take a look at Sage, one of the best-known software names on the planet. If your organisation uses Sage software, read on to find out how our compatibility packaging Alchemy allows older applications to run with no need for upgrade, replacement, or retraining.
Founded in 1981, Newcastle upon Tyne-based powerhouse Sage is a global leader in financial and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, with offices in 24 countries. It’s estimated that Sage software is used by more than six million customers. After Oracle and SAP, Sage is the world’s third-largest supplier of ERP software.
It’s a household name for many, not least because the company is also the patron of the Sage Gateshead music venue in Tyne and Wear!
The company is particularly well known for two products: Sage Accounting and Sage Payroll. These are critical components for many businesses, performing all key financial functions including invoicing, payroll, and sales. They’re used by businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to multinationals.
As a long-established supplier, some customers have been using Sage software for many years. It’s a trusted and respected brand with significant levels of loyalty, not least because it offers tailored solutions allowing it to be carefully customised for a client’s individual requirements.
Falling behind on upgrades
Long-standing Sage customers have a system that is working well and carefully tuned to their needs, but upgrades can cause headaches. The computer system requirements needed to install and use Sage X3 have changed over time – for example, version 8 was the last which fully supported Windows 2008.
Completing an upgrade may require complex reimplementation of tailored services, which is not only time-consuming but can feel like a risk for clients: what if this doesn’t go to plan? What if we are left without the functionality we had – at least in the short term? The alternative, installing new software, will not only incur up-front costs but may also mean that additional time must be spent retraining staff.
Understandably, some customers fall behind on upgrades and updates. Eventually, this can mean that, although the software itself is still perfectly functional for their needs, an older operating system may be required to support it. This can force a company to keep a legacy operating system simply to continue using their core business applications.
As time goes by, these older operating systems receive fewer security patches and ultimately may stop being supported at all, leaving customers facing compliance and security risks.
We can help
If this is the situation facing your company, Cloudhouse can help. Our compatibility packaging, Alchemy, allows you to retain your current version of Sage software exactly as it is, with no need for upgrade, replacement, or retraining.
Alchemy provides compatibility for older applications that have become incompatible with current operating systems. Alchemy provides complete compatibility so your older application runs with no changes on any modern OS version, minimising security and compliance risk, while protecting business-critical software.
We have worked with several happy Sage customers and successfully packaged multiple versions of Sage software to allow it to run effectively on the latest versions of Windows. Contact us to find out more and for a no-obligation conversation. And don’t forget, we offer a 100% Promise to all new clients who purchase a license agreement with us: you will be able to run your legacy Windows app on the latest version of Windows or your money back.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Commercials
Cloudhouse costs are split into two elements – the licensing required to deploy application compatibility packages, and the professional services needed to create the application compatibility packages.
Licensing is offered on a per user basis for desktop applications and a per server basis for server applications. There are discounts available based on volumes.
Professional Services costs are dependent on the nature and complexity of the application. We quote a cost for packaging once we have been able to see the application, or portfolio of applications.
Contact us here with your requirements and we will provide you with a quote.
Packaging and Maintaining Applications
Cloudhouse provide the Professional Services to package applications.
Cloudhouse recommend packaged applications are tested in the standard UAT environments used for natively installed applications, or applications packaged in App-V. The more representative the test environment is of the live environment, the greater the chance of finding any issues prior to go-live.
Service packs and updates can be applied to the applications in a package using the Editor, refer to Updating, Editing and Maintaining Containers which describes how a new snapshot is created for the update, and how it is then applied to the package.
Operations
Cloudhouse recommends the same team who manage the operations of native apps.
Applications running in Application Compatibility Packages can be deployed, and managed with same tools, or scripts used to deploy natively installed applications e.g. SCCM, InTune, LAN Desk. Please refer to Supported 3rd Party Products and Versions for details.
Support
The Cloudhouse Package does not include OS components, it only contains the packaged application plus Cloudhouse components. Cloudhouse recommend the same team that is responsible for supporting applications packaged with App-V, or delivered as natively installed applications, support Cloudhouse Application Compatibility Containers.
Full documentation is made available to Cloudhouse partners and customers as required.
Training
Cloudhouse offers a full packaging service that can scale to meet any requirement. In the event, however, that a partner wishes to offer application compatibility packaging as part of a wider solution, Cloudhouse will work with that partner. Please contact us here for details.