Best Software Rolls Out BusinessWorks Gold 3.0; New Modules and Enhancements Mark Completion of Mid-Market Division's BusinessWorks Line.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 17, 2002

Best Software Mid-Market Division has announced the release of BusinessWorks Gold(TM) Version 3.0, the most comprehensive and enhanced version to date of the top-selling accounting software program for smaller companies.

Scheduled to ship in September, the release's new modules and enhancements put a comprehensive, powerful business management system within reach of companies with 50 or fewer employees.

BusinessWorks Gold 3.0 completes the 32-bit upgrade of the BusinessWorks product line with the conversion of the Job Cost module from Version 12 to the Gold platform. The new release also includes several enhancements throughout the system, including Job Cost, Payroll, Order Entry, Inventory Control, Accounts Receivable, General Ledger and overall system-wide improvements.

BusinessWorks Gold offers the same ease of use and full-featured capability that existed in prior BusinessWorks(TM) versions, bolstered by support for the latest Microsoft operating systems (i.e. Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP) on a 32-bit, open architecture platform. The product is designed for standalone use and peer-to-peer networks, and offers a client/server option for larger networks seeking increased performance.

The current release includes enhancements and additions to four key areas of the product:

E-Business Readiness

"Where other software products have built and tried to market pure e-commerce functionalities into their core products and failed, the e-commerce capabilities BusinessWorks Gold 3.0 offers is more attuned to what customers really want," said Ray Jimison, general manager, BusinessWorks.

BusinessWorks Gold can link to electronic commerce providers that are already offering proven solutions in the market. More importantly, to better meet the needs of BusinessWorks customers, Best has developed a suite of capabilities designed for electronic access and information exchange.

Designed to accurately meet pre-existing business needs of Best customers, BusinessWorks Gold allows for remote access via Terminal Services and Citrix, providing the ability to e-mail forms such as purchase orders, invoices, sales orders and other documents. Enhancements also include expanded import and export capabilities, such as sales orders that can be sent from a remote location by a traveling sales person.

Usability Improvements

Best has incorporated suggestions from customers into a number of improvements designed to simplify everyday use of the product. Items such as streamlined lookups, user definable fields, added forms filters, the ability to e-mail registration and more, will make BusinessWorks Gold v3.0 easier to use and more closely aligned with customers' business processes.

Core Enhancements

High-impact features designed to increase core module efficiency and profitability include: increased deductions and other payments in Payroll; improved unit of measure options in Order Entry; customer refund checks in Accounts Receivable; customized packing lists and pick tickets in Order Entry, and others.

Job Cost

The Job Cost module has been converted to the BusinessWorks Gold's 32-bit platform, completing the full conversion of the BusinessWorks v12 product. All of the original modules from the earlier package are now available with BusinessWorks Gold v3.0.

"BusinessWorks Gold v3.0 represents a major step forward for the product line and a significant increase in stability, functionality and return on investment for our customers," said David Butler, president and chief operating officer, Best Software Mid-Market Division. "Any customer that has updated hardware or operating systems, or has been looking forward to the expanded capabilities of this release, will want to upgrade to Version 3.0 right away."

Nearly 30,000 customers use BusinessWorks every day.

Pricing

BusinessWorks Gold 2.4 customers with a current ClientCare support plan will receive a free upgrade to version 3.0. Version 2.4 customers and new version 3.0 buyers who maintain an annual ClientCare support plan will receive free future upgrades as they become available.

BusinessWorks Gold Version 3.0 is available through authorized BusinessWorks resellers. Prices start at $1,995 for a single-user, bundled system including the System Manager, General Ledger, Cash Management, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable (or Payroll) modules, and a one-year ClientCare Subscription (basic) support plan. Additional modules for Payroll, Inventory Control, Order Entry, and Custom Office modules are available for $595 each. Actual prices vary based upon the number of modules and user licenses purchased.

For further information, call 800/854-3415 or visit www.bestsoftware.com.

About Best Software

Best Software offers leading business management products and services that give more than 1.6 million small- and mid-sized customers in North America the insight for success throughout the life of their business. Its parent company, The Sage Group, plc (London:SGE.L), supports nearly three million customers worldwide and has revenue of nearly $700 million.

For more than 25 years, Best has delivered easy-to-use, scalable and customizable applications through its portfolio of leading brands, including Abra, MAS 90, FAS, MIP Nonprofit Series, SalesLogix, Peachtree and ACT!, among many others. For further information call 800/811-0961 or visit the company's Web site at www.bestsoftware.com/moreinfo.

Note to Editors: BusinessWorks is a trademark of Best Software. BusinessWorks Gold is a registered trademark of Best Software.

For a box photo contact Gerry Ansel at 949/754-3503, or [e-mail].