Sage Software Joins Global Initiative in Launching XBRL; a New Specification That Exchanges Financial Reports Across All Technologies Including the Internet.

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

IRVINE, Calif..--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 4, 2000

United Effort Brings Financial, Accounting, Software and Governmental

Communities Together for First Standardized Specification Developed

for Financial Statements

Sage Software Thursday announced that through its membership on the international XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) Project Committee, it is helping to develop and launch XBRL.

XBRL, formerly code named XFRML, is a free, new XML-based specification that uses accepted financial reporting standards and practices to exchange financial reports across all software and technologies, including the Internet.

Members of the XBRL Project Committee represent the financial, accounting, software and governmental communities from around the world. XBRL for financial statements, developed by the Committee as the first product in a future family of XBRL-based products, is currently under review for comments by the accounting profession and is anticipated to reach the market in July 2000. XBRL streamlines the financial information supply chain that includes public and private companies, the accounting profession, data aggregators, the investment community and all other users of financial statements.

"We're excited to be a part of the accounting industry's efforts to adopt XBRL which will allow individuals and companies obtain more accurate and universally interchangeable financial reports," said Taylor Macdonald, vice president of partner development for Sage Software. "We're committed to guiding this effort to adopt XBRL, and our financial and accounting software will be updated to incorporate this revolutionary technology."

XBRL offers several key benefits: technology independence, full interoperability, efficient preparation of financial statements and reliable extraction of financial information. Information is entered only once, allowing that same information to be rendered in any form, such as a printed financial statement, an HTML document for the company's Web site, an EDGAR filing document with the SEC, a raw XML file or other specialized reporting formats such as credit reports or loan documents.

More than 80 percent of major US public companies provide some type of financial disclosure on the Internet. Investors and users of the Internet need accurate and reliable financial information that can be delivered promptly to help them make informed financial decisions. XBRL meets these needs and is particularly important in delivering financial information via the Internet, including at a company's Web site. XBRL leverages efficiencies of Internet as today's primary source of financial information by making Web browser searches more accurate and relevant for all users of financial information.

Initially, Sage will implement XBRL through its affiliate, Best Software Inc. and through its strategic partnership with FRx Software. Best Software produces leading-edge HR/payroll, fixed asset, and planning and budgeting solutions. Best's products already utilize XML technologies and will implement XBRL to broaden the scope of their comprehensive analytic solutions.

"XBRL allows companies, analysts, investors and other audiences to make better informed financial and management decisions and to leverage the capabilities of the Internet to facilitate the exchange of financial information," said Barry Melancon, president and chief executive officer of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. "XBRL does not change existing accounting standards, it merely provides an efficient and reliable means for the exchange. Based upon standardized, underlying data tags, XBRL does not require a company to disclose any additional information beyond that which they normally disclose in their current financial statements."

Sage Software joins over 30 other companies and organizations on the XBRL Project Committee. Participants include: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; Arthur Andersen LLP; Best Software; CaseWare International; Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants; Cohen Computer Consulting; Crowe, Chizek and Co., LLP; Deloitte & Touche, LLP; e-content, a division of Interleaf Inc.; EDGAR Online Inc.; Epicor Software Corp.; Ernst & Young, LLP; FRx Software Corp.; Grant Thornton LLP; Great Plains; Hyperion; International Accounting Standards Committee; IBM; Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia; Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales; Institute of Management Accountants; KPMG, LLP; Lawson Software; Microsoft Corp.; Morgan Stanley Dean Witter; Navision Software; Oracle Corp.; PPA GmbH; PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP; Reuters Group LP; SAP AG; Standard & Poor's; Texsys RD and The Woodburn Group. For more information about XBRL, visit http://www.XBRL.org.

About Sage Software Inc.

With headquarters in Irvine, Sage Software Inc. (www.us.sage.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Sage Group plc, the world's leading PC-based accounting software company with more than two million customers. Sage markets five major accounting software packages. Peachtree(R), DacEasy(R) and BusinessWorks are easy to use and provide the full accounting features needed by most small businesses of up to 50 employees.

MAS 90 is the leading accounting software for medium-sized businesses with up to 500 employees, and is recommended by more CPAs than any other mid-range accounting product. Acuity is perfect for larger businesses or business units of up to 1,000 employees, and for three consecutive years it has won Microsoft's Industry Solution Award for Best Technology Integration.