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var v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_titles = {"visibleOpening":"<div id='zw_titles_8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0'>","visibleClosing":"<\/div>","hiddenOpening":"<div id='zw_titles_8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0' style='display:none'>","hiddenClosing":"<\/div>","contents":"<div id='zwTitle'>Accounting Information Solutions - Payment Solutions News<span class='zwClear' ><\/span><\/div><div><ul class='zwContent'><li id='zw_0_li'><div class='zwContentTitle' id='zw_0_title'><a href='http://sage.ziftsolutions.com/Library.html' onclick=\"zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef2a550709012a583942727731&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fsage.ziftsolutions.com&#037;2FLibrary.html&#039;);try{zwShowDetails('8a7c9fef2a550709012a583942727731','8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0')}catch(err){};return false;\" target='_blank'>Beyond EMR: Digitizing Your Other Paper Records<\/a><\/div><div class='zwContentExtra' id='extra_0'><\/div><div class='zwContentText' id='zw_0'>Whether or not you&#039;ve made the transition to electronic medical records (EMR), you should consider going digital with your other paper records. Electronic record-keeping not only frees up office space for other uses, but also adds layers of ...<span class='zwTextReadMore'><a href='http://sage.ziftsolutions.com/Library.html' onclick=\"zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef2a550709012a583942727731&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fsage.ziftsolutions.com&#037;2FLibrary.html&#039;);try{zwShowDetails('8a7c9fef2a550709012a583942727731','8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0')}catch(err){};return false;\" target='_blank'>[read more]<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/li><li id='zw_1_li'><div class='zwContentTitle' id='zw_1_title'><a href='http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/company/newsroom/press_releases/details?CID=1D76147D-73AE-0001-4B5C-23621ABA1433&amp;CardId=569322&amp;RowIndex=0&amp;Product=*&amp;Year=*' onclick=\"zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.sagenorthamerica.com&#037;2Fcompany&#037;2Fnewsroom&#037;2Fpress_releases&#037;2Fdetails&#037;3FCID&#037;3D1D76147D-73AE-0001-4B5C-23621ABA1433&#037;26CardId&#037;3D569322&#037;26RowIndex&#037;3D0&#037;26Product&#037;3D&#042;&#037;26Year&#037;3D&#042;&#039;);try{zwShowDetails('8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca','8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0')}catch(err){};return false;\" target='_blank'>Sage Payment Solutions President Greg Hammermaster to Present on Merchant Card Services at NAFCU&#039;s 43rd Annual Conference &amp; Exhibition<\/a><\/div><div class='zwContentExtra' id='extra_1'><\/div><div class='zwContentText' id='zw_1'> Sage North America today announced that Greg Hammermaster, president (SVP) of its Sage Payment Solutions division, will present an education session on merchant card and payment services at the National Association of Federal Credit ...<span class='zwTextReadMore'><a href='http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/company/newsroom/press_releases/details?CID=1D76147D-73AE-0001-4B5C-23621ABA1433&amp;CardId=569322&amp;RowIndex=0&amp;Product=*&amp;Year=*' onclick=\"zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.sagenorthamerica.com&#037;2Fcompany&#037;2Fnewsroom&#037;2Fpress_releases&#037;2Fdetails&#037;3FCID&#037;3D1D76147D-73AE-0001-4B5C-23621ABA1433&#037;26CardId&#037;3D569322&#037;26RowIndex&#037;3D0&#037;26Product&#037;3D&#042;&#037;26Year&#037;3D&#042;&#039;);try{zwShowDetails('8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca','8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0')}catch(err){};return false;\" target='_blank'>[read more]<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/li><li id='zw_2_li'><div class='zwContentTitle' id='zw_2_title'><a href='http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/07/05/how-to-accept-credit-cards/' onclick=\"zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fsmallbusiness.aol.com&#037;2F2010&#037;2F07&#037;2F05&#037;2Fhow-to-accept-credit-cards&#037;2F&#039;);try{zwShowDetails('8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca','8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0')}catch(err){};return false;\" target='_blank'>Accepting Credit Cards: 5 Things You Need to Know<\/a><\/div><div class='zwContentExtra' id='extra_2'><\/div><div class='zwContentText' id='zw_2'>Sure, some businesses are cash-only and do just fine -- the local ice cream parlor, the greasy spoon diner down the street, the flea market that&#039;s been around for a century. But these days, in a nation where floating on credit is as ...<span class='zwTextReadMore'><a href='http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/07/05/how-to-accept-credit-cards/' onclick=\"zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fsmallbusiness.aol.com&#037;2F2010&#037;2F07&#037;2F05&#037;2Fhow-to-accept-credit-cards&#037;2F&#039;);try{zwShowDetails('8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca','8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0')}catch(err){};return false;\" target='_blank'>[read more]<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/li><li id='zw_3_li'><div class='zwContentTitle' id='zw_3_title'><a href='http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/company/newsroom/press_releases/details?CID=1D760715-1B6F-0001-2554-17BB19E012A7&amp;CardId=529480&amp;RowIndex=2&amp;Product=*&amp;Year=*' onclick=\"zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.sagenorthamerica.com&#037;2Fcompany&#037;2Fnewsroom&#037;2Fpress_releases&#037;2Fdetails&#037;3FCID&#037;3D1D760715-1B6F-0001-2554-17BB19E012A7&#037;26CardId&#037;3D529480&#037;26RowIndex&#037;3D2&#037;26Product&#037;3D&#042;&#037;26Year&#037;3D&#042;&#039;);try{zwShowDetails('8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca','8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0')}catch(err){};return false;\" target='_blank'>Study Finds Leading Companies are Optimizing Payments Processes to Increase Cash Flow<\/a><\/div><div class='zwContentExtra' id='extra_3'><\/div><div class='zwContentText' id='zw_3'>Sage North America today announced high-level findings from Aberdeen Group&#039;s recently published third annual payments report, titled &quot;Global Payments: Maximizing Cash Flow with Electronic Payments and Process Automation.&quot; ...<span class='zwTextReadMore'><a href='http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/company/newsroom/press_releases/details?CID=1D760715-1B6F-0001-2554-17BB19E012A7&amp;CardId=529480&amp;RowIndex=2&amp;Product=*&amp;Year=*' onclick=\"zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.sagenorthamerica.com&#037;2Fcompany&#037;2Fnewsroom&#037;2Fpress_releases&#037;2Fdetails&#037;3FCID&#037;3D1D760715-1B6F-0001-2554-17BB19E012A7&#037;26CardId&#037;3D529480&#037;26RowIndex&#037;3D2&#037;26Product&#037;3D&#042;&#037;26Year&#037;3D&#042;&#039;);try{zwShowDetails('8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca','8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0')}catch(err){};return false;\" target='_blank'>[read more]<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/li><li id='zw_4_li'><div class='zwContentTitle' id='zw_4_title'><a href='http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/cdn/News.asp?id=57918&amp;PageMem=1' onclick=\"zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.itbusiness.ca&#037;2Fit&#037;2Fclient&#037;2Fen&#037;2Fcdn&#037;2FNews.asp&#037;3Fid&#037;3D57918&#037;26PageMem&#037;3D1&#039;);try{zwShowDetails('8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e','8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0')}catch(err){};return false;\" target='_blank'>Sage&#039;s channel program an evolving work in progress<\/a><\/div><div class='zwContentExtra' id='extra_4'><\/div><div class='zwContentText' id='zw_4'>At its annual Insights conference held in Denver last month, business management software vendor, Sage, announced new partner workshops and resources, as well as enhancements to its existing channel initiatives to help make partners more ...<span class='zwTextReadMore'><a href='http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/cdn/News.asp?id=57918&amp;PageMem=1' onclick=\"zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.itbusiness.ca&#037;2Fit&#037;2Fclient&#037;2Fen&#037;2Fcdn&#037;2FNews.asp&#037;3Fid&#037;3D57918&#037;26PageMem&#037;3D1&#039;);try{zwShowDetails('8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e','8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0')}catch(err){};return false;\" target='_blank'>[read more]<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/li><li id='zwContentFoot' style='clear:both'><a href='http%3A%2F%2Fsage.ziftsolutions.com%2Fchannel%2F8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60e6b8140955' onclick='zwOpenLiteReader8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0(\"http%3A%2F%2Fsage.ziftsolutions.com%2Fchannel%2F8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60e6b8140955\",\"http%3A%2F%2Fsage.ziftsolutions.com%2Fchannel%2F8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60e6b8140955\");return false;' target='_blank'>More Articles...<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>"};
var v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details = {"v8a7c9fef2a550709012a583942727731":{"hiddenOpening":"<div id='zw_details_8a7c9fef2a550709012a583942727731' style='display:none'>","hiddenClosing":"<\/div>","visibleOpening":"<div id='zw_details_8a7c9fef2a550709012a583942727731'>","visibleClosing":"<\/div>","contents":"<div style='padding-top:3px;' align='left' id='full_0'><table id='zwNextPrev' width='100%'><tr><td style='text-align: left;' align='left'>&lt;&lt; Previous Article&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href='http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/company/newsroom/press_releases/details?CID=1D76147D-73AE-0001-4B5C-23621ABA1433&CardId=569322&RowIndex=0&Product=*&Year=*' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.sagenorthamerica.com&#037;2Fcompany&#037;2Fnewsroom&#037;2Fpress_releases&#037;2Fdetails&#037;3FCID&#037;3D1D76147D-73AE-0001-4B5C-23621ABA1433&#037;26CardId&#037;3D569322&#037;26RowIndex&#037;3D0&#037;26Product&#037;3D&#042;&#037;26Year&#037;3D&#042;&#039;);zwShowDetails(\"8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca\",\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Next Article<\/a> &gt;&gt;<\/td><td style='text-align: right;' align='right'><a style='cursor:pointer' onclick='zwShowTitles(\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Return to List<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/table><div id='zwInlineTitle' style='text-align:left;height:auto'><a href='http://sage.ziftsolutions.com/Library.html' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef2a550709012a583942727731&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fsage.ziftsolutions.com&#037;2FLibrary.html&#039;);' target='_blank' >Beyond EMR: Digitizing Your Other Paper Records<\/a><span class='zwClear'><\/span><\/div><div class='zwContentExtra' id='extra_0'><\/div><div class='zwContentText'><span class='zwInline'>Whether or not you&#039;ve made the transition to electronic medical records (EMR), you should consider going digital with your other paper records. Electronic record-keeping not only frees up office space for other uses, but also adds layers of security to your files, makes them more easily accessible to you and your staff, and reduces the risk of filing errors. <br/><br/>Digitizing saves time and helps your practice run more efficiently because you can easily locate information rather than rummaging through paper files, some of which could be incomplete or illegible. <br/><br/>What&#039;s more, going digital can save you money. You&#039;re no longer paying for shredding, disposal or file storage, and you can use former file room space for revenue-generating services. You may even be able to lease a smaller office since you won&#039;t need file space, which could dramatically decrease your rent.<br/><br/>And of course, digitizing helps you go &quot;green&quot; as it dramatically reduces paper usage in your office.<br/><br/><b>What can you make paperless?<\/b><br/><br/>In addition to billing, digital files can be kept for prescriptions, notes, appointment scheduling, employee records, legal documentation, insurance, purchase orders, bank statements - just about anything for which you normally keep paper files or put on paper. <br/><br/>&quot;If I am prescribing a medication that might interact with another medication a patient is taking, the e-prescribing system immediately alerts me,&quot; says S. Mike Neskovic, M.D., a family medicine and geriatrics practitioner in Glendale, Calif. &quot;By going completely paperless, I also have more time to spend with my patients.&quot;<br/><br/>Converting all your paper files to electronic records can be time-consuming and expensive, especially if your practice has been around for a long time, so it&#039;s best to choose which paper makes the most sense to convert. With the advances in electronic record-keeping, there are quite a few systems available, allowing you to choose the one that works best for what you want to digitize.<br/><br/>For example, document management companies like Cintas offer document storage and imaging capabilities that help your practice operate digitally moving forward while making your paper records available in an &quot;on demand&quot; electronic format, explains Jim Johnson, director of document management for Cintas in Mason, Ohio.<b><br/><br/>Choosing the right system<\/b><br/><br/>To choose the right system, you should examine your current situation, the types of documents you have and your workflow requirements. Then, work within your existing processes to assess where you need digitized documents. For example, you may discover that insurance creates the most paper in your office, or billing records, or invoices.<br/><br/>Once you&#039;ve figured out what you want to digitize, explore your technology options. Automatic data-capturing and imaging systems tend to be the most efficient, and web-based systems ensure easy access and portability.<br/><br/>&quot;Look for document capture and management software solutions that are scalable and promote growth and flexibility,&quot; suggests Brian Bagan, director of business development for the document imaging division of Kodak&#039;s Business Solutions and Services Group.<br/><br/>Choose technology that will strengthen your existing office processes and situations, eliminate costs and drive efficiency. Then, work with your technology providers to monitor your results and assess adjustments, changes or the need for additional software.<br/><b><br/>Tackling the challenges<\/b><br/><br/>Experts say one of the biggest challenges to electronic documentation of paper files is the time it takes to convert paper files to digital. <br/><br/>&quot;One of the biggest obstacles the practices we serve encounter is the time required for scanning and indexing the documents into the system,&quot; says Betty Otter-Nickerson, president of Sage Healthcare Division in Tampa, Fla. &quot;While someone must be assigned this role, it is typically the same person who would have file clerk duties.&quot;<br/><br/>You can hire a company to come in and digitize everything over a finite period or time, or use your existing resources and slowly digitize the information on nights and weekends - there are always solutions. <br/><br/>Price is another daunting factor, as initial upfront costs can be expensive. <br/><br/>&quot;But once everything is set up and running, the return on investment is usually achieved within a year,&quot; says Carmela Wong, vice president of marketing for data technology company ABBYY USA in Milpitas, Calif. <br/><br/>Plus you&#039;ll see reduced spending in other areas of running your business, as mentioned above. And, while you will be paying for the technology and services fees, there are ways to increase your return on investment. <br/><br/>If you&#039;re already transitioning patient medical records to EMR, in some cases you can use the same technology system you&#039;re currently using for digitizing other files, according to Richard Lopez del Rincon, executive vice president of Miami-based CareCloud, which offers physicians web-based back-office solutions for billing and collections. <br/><br/>However, most EMR systems require you to adapt to a different method of working and recording information, which may be burdensome to do with all of your paper files, warns Jon Langdon, director of professional services for Westbrook Technologies in Branford, Conn. <br/><br/>If you haven&#039;t yet made the transition to digital medical records, consider a document management system that captures information in its existing form, which can be used for all your documents in addition to patient medical records to maximize your technology dollars. Some EMR systems can be used successfully in conjunction with document management software; assess your needs, your investment in existing IT and your budget to determine what will work best for you. <br/><br/><b>To be safe<br/><\/b><br/>Be sure to digitize your records to more than one medium, which can include hard drives, optical discs, off-site servers and secure Internet repositories.<br/><br/>&quot;Doing so will better insure that medical practices won&#039;t lose their data if one medium becomes corrupted,&quot; says Steve Olson, CEO of Olson DataMax in Bountiful, Utah. &quot;Most importantly, whatever they store needs to be indexed and easily retrievable.<br/><br/>And don&#039;t forget to do your due diligence to make sure you&#039;re dealing with a reputable vendor and getting the best value.<br/><\/span><\/div><table id='zwNextPrev' width='100%'><tr><td style='text-align: left;' align='left'>&lt;&lt; Previous Article&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href='http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/company/newsroom/press_releases/details?CID=1D76147D-73AE-0001-4B5C-23621ABA1433&CardId=569322&RowIndex=0&Product=*&Year=*' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.sagenorthamerica.com&#037;2Fcompany&#037;2Fnewsroom&#037;2Fpress_releases&#037;2Fdetails&#037;3FCID&#037;3D1D76147D-73AE-0001-4B5C-23621ABA1433&#037;26CardId&#037;3D569322&#037;26RowIndex&#037;3D0&#037;26Product&#037;3D&#042;&#037;26Year&#037;3D&#042;&#039;);zwShowDetails(\"8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca\",\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Next Article<\/a> &gt;&gt;<\/td><td style='text-align: right;' align='right'><a style='cursor:pointer' onclick='zwShowTitles(\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Return to List<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/table><\/div>"},"v8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca":{"hiddenOpening":"<div id='zw_details_8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca' style='display:none'>","hiddenClosing":"<\/div>","visibleOpening":"<div id='zw_details_8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca'>","visibleClosing":"<\/div>","contents":"<div style='padding-top:3px;' align='left' id='full_1'><table id='zwNextPrev' width='100%'><tr><td style='text-align: left;' align='left'>&lt;&lt; <a href='http://sage.ziftsolutions.com/Library.html' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef2a550709012a583942727731&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fsage.ziftsolutions.com&#037;2FLibrary.html&#039;);zwShowDetails(\"8a7c9fef2a550709012a583942727731\",\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Previous Article<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href='http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/07/05/how-to-accept-credit-cards/' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fsmallbusiness.aol.com&#037;2F2010&#037;2F07&#037;2F05&#037;2Fhow-to-accept-credit-cards&#037;2F&#039;);zwShowDetails(\"8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca\",\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Next Article<\/a> &gt;&gt;<\/td><td style='text-align: right;' align='right'><a style='cursor:pointer' onclick='zwShowTitles(\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Return to List<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/table><div id='zwInlineTitle' style='text-align:left;height:auto'><a href='http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/company/newsroom/press_releases/details?CID=1D76147D-73AE-0001-4B5C-23621ABA1433&amp;CardId=569322&amp;RowIndex=0&amp;Product=*&amp;Year=*' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.sagenorthamerica.com&#037;2Fcompany&#037;2Fnewsroom&#037;2Fpress_releases&#037;2Fdetails&#037;3FCID&#037;3D1D76147D-73AE-0001-4B5C-23621ABA1433&#037;26CardId&#037;3D569322&#037;26RowIndex&#037;3D0&#037;26Product&#037;3D&#042;&#037;26Year&#037;3D&#042;&#039;);' target='_blank' >Sage Payment Solutions President Greg Hammermaster to Present on Merchant Card Services at NAFCU&#039;s 43rd Annual Conference &amp; Exhibition<\/a><span class='zwClear'><\/span><\/div><div class='zwContentExtra' id='extra_1'><\/div><div class='zwContentText'><span class='zwInline'><br/><div><p><br/> Sage North America today announced that Greg Hammermaster, president (SVP) of its Sage Payment Solutions division, will present an education session on merchant card and payment services at the National Association of Federal Credit Unions&#039; (NAFCU) 43rd Annual Conference &amp; Exhibition, being held this week at Navy Pier in Chicago. Sage Payment Solutions provides a wide range of secure standalone and integrated payment processing solutions to more than 155,000 merchants.<\/p> <p>On Wednesday, July 21, Hammermaster will present &quot;Explore Merchant Card Services for Your Treasury Management Portfolio.&quot; The session will help credit union attendees learn how to build a quality merchant services program that will both attract and effectively service business members.<\/p> <p>Hammermaster has more than 20 years of experience in banking and finance. He was previously with SunTrust Banks, where he served as senior vice president of commercial card and payment services in the Treasury and Payment Solutions Division. His responsibilities have included sales, business development, direction of the vision and execution for commercial card practices, and developing strategic partnerships. Hammermaster has also had experience with a number of online businesses and with Visa International, the world&#039;s largest card network, where he worked with banks in the areas of online merchant services, debit, credit, and commercial payment solutions. Prior to working for Visa, he was instrumental in delivering Visa&#039;s first corporate and purchasing card program.<\/p> <p>In addition to educating NAFCU attendees, Sage Payment Solutions will demonstrate Sage Exchange, its PCI-certified, integrated payments platform, in booth 25 on the conference&#039;s trade show floor.<\/p><\/div><\/span><\/div><table id='zwNextPrev' width='100%'><tr><td style='text-align: left;' align='left'>&lt;&lt; <a href='http://sage.ziftsolutions.com/Library.html' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef2a550709012a583942727731&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fsage.ziftsolutions.com&#037;2FLibrary.html&#039;);zwShowDetails(\"8a7c9fef2a550709012a583942727731\",\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Previous Article<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href='http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/07/05/how-to-accept-credit-cards/' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fsmallbusiness.aol.com&#037;2F2010&#037;2F07&#037;2F05&#037;2Fhow-to-accept-credit-cards&#037;2F&#039;);zwShowDetails(\"8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca\",\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Next Article<\/a> &gt;&gt;<\/td><td style='text-align: right;' align='right'><a style='cursor:pointer' onclick='zwShowTitles(\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Return to List<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/table><\/div>"},"v8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca":{"hiddenOpening":"<div id='zw_details_8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca' style='display:none'>","hiddenClosing":"<\/div>","visibleOpening":"<div id='zw_details_8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca'>","visibleClosing":"<\/div>","contents":"<div style='padding-top:3px;' align='left' id='full_2'><table id='zwNextPrev' width='100%'><tr><td style='text-align: left;' align='left'>&lt;&lt; <a href='http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/company/newsroom/press_releases/details?CID=1D76147D-73AE-0001-4B5C-23621ABA1433&CardId=569322&RowIndex=0&Product=*&Year=*' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.sagenorthamerica.com&#037;2Fcompany&#037;2Fnewsroom&#037;2Fpress_releases&#037;2Fdetails&#037;3FCID&#037;3D1D76147D-73AE-0001-4B5C-23621ABA1433&#037;26CardId&#037;3D569322&#037;26RowIndex&#037;3D0&#037;26Product&#037;3D&#042;&#037;26Year&#037;3D&#042;&#039;);zwShowDetails(\"8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca\",\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Previous Article<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href='http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/company/newsroom/press_releases/details?CID=1D760715-1B6F-0001-2554-17BB19E012A7&CardId=529480&RowIndex=2&Product=*&Year=*' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.sagenorthamerica.com&#037;2Fcompany&#037;2Fnewsroom&#037;2Fpress_releases&#037;2Fdetails&#037;3FCID&#037;3D1D760715-1B6F-0001-2554-17BB19E012A7&#037;26CardId&#037;3D529480&#037;26RowIndex&#037;3D2&#037;26Product&#037;3D&#042;&#037;26Year&#037;3D&#042;&#039;);zwShowDetails(\"8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca\",\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Next Article<\/a> &gt;&gt;<\/td><td style='text-align: right;' align='right'><a style='cursor:pointer' onclick='zwShowTitles(\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Return to List<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/table><div id='zwInlineTitle' style='text-align:left;height:auto'><a href='http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/07/05/how-to-accept-credit-cards/' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fsmallbusiness.aol.com&#037;2F2010&#037;2F07&#037;2F05&#037;2Fhow-to-accept-credit-cards&#037;2F&#039;);' target='_blank' >Accepting Credit Cards: 5 Things You Need to Know<\/a><span class='zwClear'><\/span><\/div><div class='zwContentExtra' id='extra_2'><\/div><div class='zwContentText'><span class='zwInline'>Sure, some businesses are cash-only and do just fine -- the local ice cream parlor, the greasy spoon diner down the street, the flea market that&#039;s been around for a century. But these days, in a nation where floating on credit is as American as apple pie, you&#039;ve got to take plastic.<br/><div> <br/> While they require some infrastructure upgrades and come with annoying fees, it has become increasingly difficult to run a full-fledged business -- especially in <a href=\"http://smallbusiness.aol.com/category/retail/\" class=\"inlinked\">retail<\/a> -- without accepting credit and debit cards. But despite the drawbacks, the added convenience for customers could lead to bigger purchases at the register. &quot;You want to be accessible, and you want to broaden your opportunity to close the sale,&quot; says Greg Hammermaster, president of <a href=\"http://www.sagepayments.com/\">Sage Payment Solutions<\/a>, which helps more than 140,000 businesses and organizations accept electronic payments, including credit and debit cards, electronic checks, gift cards and automatic recurring payments.<br/> <br/> So how can you make <a href=\"http://smallbusiness.aol.com/category/starting-a-business/\" class=\"inlinked\">your business<\/a> credit card-friendly? Here are five things you need to know.<br/> <br/> <div class=\"fiveThings\"> <div class=\"first\"> <div class=\"left\">1<\/div> <div class=\"right\"> <h2>Apply for merchant status.<\/h2> <div class=\"fiveThingText\">What is merchant status? The term means you can be entrusted to allow customers to pay you with a MasterCard, Visa, <a href=\"http://www.dailyfinance.com/quotes/american-express-company/axp/nys\" class=\"inlinked\">American Express<\/a> and the like. So why shouldn&#039;t they trust you? Well, maybe trust isn&#039;t the right word, but credit-card issuers like to see that their merchants are as creditworthy, or more so, than their credit-card users. If, say, an identity thief uses somebody&#039;s card to buy a lot of merchandise, your business is going to be on the receiving end of a chargeback -- a transaction that the <a href=\"http://www.walletpop.com/blog/category/banks/\" class=\"inlinked\">bank<\/a> is going to send back to you. So if the aforementioned identity thief makes off with &#036;532 in merchandise, the bank is going to take that from your company&#039;s checking account. When you apply for merchant status, in many ways you&#039;re proving that you are financially stable. If you&#039;re not sure where to apply, your bank is a good place to start. And even if they don&#039;t offer credit cards to merchants, they can likely point you in the right direction.<\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"clear\"> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"second\"> <div class=\"left\">2<\/div> <div class=\"right\"> <h2>Get your paperwork ready.<\/h2> <div class=\"fiveThingText\">Exactly what documentation you need will be spelled out on any application you fill out, but generally we&#039;re talking about references from anyone you&#039;ve worked with, your financials from the last couple years (if it&#039;s a brand new business, you may have to supply your own checking account information), your business plan, possibly your resume or CV (curriculum vitae) -- just about anything you can think of is likely something the lender has thought of and will want to see.<\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"clear\"> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"third\"> <div class=\"left\">3<\/div> <div class=\"right\"> <h2>Expect fees.<\/h2> <div class=\"fiveThingText\">You probably know this already. Interchange fees, also known as swipe fees, have been in the <a href=\"http://smallbusiness.aol.com/category/news/\" class=\"inlinked\">news<\/a> a lot lately. In a tough economy, some business owners have voiced their objection to the high cost of interchange fees, and <a href=\"http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/07/05/small-businesses-could-see-relief-in-financial-reform-bill/\">Congress has moved to limit<\/a> how much credit-card and debit-card providers can charge. But what you may not know is that having bad credit can affect how much your interchange fees are. &quot;Typically, you&#039;d get 2 percent, but if you have bad credit, your interchange fee might be 2.5 percent or 3 percent of the purchase,&quot; Hammermaster says.<\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"clear\"> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"forth\"> <div class=\"left\">4<\/div> <div class=\"right\"> <h2>Set aside a security deposit.<\/h2> <div class=\"fiveThingText\">Because of the possibility of the aforementioned chargebacks, you&#039;ll likely have to put down a <a href=\"http://smallbusiness.aol.com/category/security/\" class=\"inlinked\">security<\/a> deposit to ensure the credit-card issuer the <a href=\"http://www.luxist.com/category/wealth/\" class=\"inlinked\">money<\/a> is there if you can&#039;t eat the costs of these nefarious charges. If you&#039;re selling <a href=\"http://www.luxist.com/category/decor/dining\" class=\"inlinked\">furniture<\/a> or computer equipment, the deposit may be pretty significant -- like &#036;10,000 or more, suggests Hammermaster. If you&#039;re selling baby <a href=\"http://www.luxist.com/category/apparel\" class=\"inlinked\">clothing<\/a> or some other item that retails for a low price, you may only be looking at several hundred dollars.<\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"clear\"> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"fifth\"> <div class=\"left\">5<\/div> <div class=\"right\"> <h2>Remember the equipment.<\/h2> <div class=\"fiveThingText\">The tools come with a price, and that price can vary quite a bit. If you really want to go cheap, there are some manual card printers -- where you have to place a phone call to the credit-card company and ask for an authorization number in order to accept the charge -- that go for as low as &#036;22. But an electronic terminal can run anywhere from &#036;150 to &#036;600 and more, depending how sophisticated it is. For instance, do you want the transaction to be fast, so your customers aren&#039;t tapping their fingers? Can the printer print custom receipts with your logo and upcoming store <a href=\"http://smallbusiness.aol.com/category/advertising-and-marketing/\" class=\"inlinked\">promotions<\/a>? One thing to keep in mind is that a card swipe is the final step in the customer experience, so it may not be the best place to pinch pennies. A higher upfront cost now could pay dividends in the long run.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><table id='zwNextPrev' width='100%'><tr><td style='text-align: left;' align='left'>&lt;&lt; <a href='http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/company/newsroom/press_releases/details?CID=1D76147D-73AE-0001-4B5C-23621ABA1433&CardId=569322&RowIndex=0&Product=*&Year=*' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.sagenorthamerica.com&#037;2Fcompany&#037;2Fnewsroom&#037;2Fpress_releases&#037;2Fdetails&#037;3FCID&#037;3D1D76147D-73AE-0001-4B5C-23621ABA1433&#037;26CardId&#037;3D569322&#037;26RowIndex&#037;3D0&#037;26Product&#037;3D&#042;&#037;26Year&#037;3D&#042;&#039;);zwShowDetails(\"8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca\",\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Previous Article<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href='http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/company/newsroom/press_releases/details?CID=1D760715-1B6F-0001-2554-17BB19E012A7&CardId=529480&RowIndex=2&Product=*&Year=*' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.sagenorthamerica.com&#037;2Fcompany&#037;2Fnewsroom&#037;2Fpress_releases&#037;2Fdetails&#037;3FCID&#037;3D1D760715-1B6F-0001-2554-17BB19E012A7&#037;26CardId&#037;3D529480&#037;26RowIndex&#037;3D2&#037;26Product&#037;3D&#042;&#037;26Year&#037;3D&#042;&#039;);zwShowDetails(\"8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca\",\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Next Article<\/a> &gt;&gt;<\/td><td style='text-align: right;' align='right'><a style='cursor:pointer' onclick='zwShowTitles(\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Return to List<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/table><\/div>"},"v8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca":{"hiddenOpening":"<div id='zw_details_8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca' style='display:none'>","hiddenClosing":"<\/div>","visibleOpening":"<div id='zw_details_8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca'>","visibleClosing":"<\/div>","contents":"<div style='padding-top:3px;' align='left' id='full_3'><table id='zwNextPrev' width='100%'><tr><td style='text-align: left;' align='left'>&lt;&lt; <a href='http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/07/05/how-to-accept-credit-cards/' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fsmallbusiness.aol.com&#037;2F2010&#037;2F07&#037;2F05&#037;2Fhow-to-accept-credit-cards&#037;2F&#039;);zwShowDetails(\"8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca\",\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Previous Article<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href='http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/cdn/News.asp?id=57918&PageMem=1' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.itbusiness.ca&#037;2Fit&#037;2Fclient&#037;2Fen&#037;2Fcdn&#037;2FNews.asp&#037;3Fid&#037;3D57918&#037;26PageMem&#037;3D1&#039;);zwShowDetails(\"8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e\",\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Next Article<\/a> &gt;&gt;<\/td><td style='text-align: right;' align='right'><a style='cursor:pointer' onclick='zwShowTitles(\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Return to List<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/table><div id='zwInlineTitle' style='text-align:left;height:auto'><a href='http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/company/newsroom/press_releases/details?CID=1D760715-1B6F-0001-2554-17BB19E012A7&amp;CardId=529480&amp;RowIndex=2&amp;Product=*&amp;Year=*' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.sagenorthamerica.com&#037;2Fcompany&#037;2Fnewsroom&#037;2Fpress_releases&#037;2Fdetails&#037;3FCID&#037;3D1D760715-1B6F-0001-2554-17BB19E012A7&#037;26CardId&#037;3D529480&#037;26RowIndex&#037;3D2&#037;26Product&#037;3D&#042;&#037;26Year&#037;3D&#042;&#039;);' target='_blank' >Study Finds Leading Companies are Optimizing Payments Processes to Increase Cash Flow<\/a><span class='zwClear'><\/span><\/div><div class='zwContentExtra' id='extra_3'><\/div><div class='zwContentText'><span class='zwInline'><p>Sage North America today announced high-level findings from Aberdeen Group&#039;s recently published third annual payments report, titled &quot;Global Payments: Maximizing Cash Flow with Electronic Payments and Process Automation.&quot; According to the report, leading companies are employing electronic payments and process automation to streamline and accelerate finance processes, reduce operating costs, and improve visibility, control, and efficiency to provide a foundation for increased profits.<\/p> <p>&quot;Despite the reign of the paper check and manual-based processes in business-to-business transactions in the U.S. and many parts of the world, economic and efficiency gains from automating the financial supply chain-from invoicing through payment settlement-are key motivators for demand and supply to align,&quot; said Nasreen Quibria, senior analyst at Aberdeen and author of the report. &quot;While the adoption of electronic payment vehicles requires businesses to alter their payment behavior and restructure their financial processes, companies that can make the shift will gain competitive advantage.&quot;<\/p> <p>Reflecting the unpredictable economic conditions of the past year, Aberdeen found that companies are focused on maximizing cash flow and taking a holistic approach to transactions-examining the flow of funds into Accounts Receivable (AR), and outflow of funds from Accounts Payable (AP).<\/p> <p>In its survey of more than 160 companies worldwide, Aberdeen found that businesses adopting electronic channels have been able to achieve a 16&#037; decrease in accounts receivable (AR) processing cost, and a 14&#037; decrease in accounts payable (AP) costs year over year.<\/p> <p>&quot;Aberdeen&#039;s report shows the value that systems interoperability with electronic payment networks has for both buyers and suppliers,&quot; said Greg Hammermaster, president of Sage Payment Solutions, the payments division for Sage North America. &quot;We believe this interoperability is critical toward achieving three major payments objectives for every business: improving cash flow, reducing costs, and maximizing the utility of their ERP environment.&quot;<\/p> <p>The Aberdeen survey identified two main pressures creating the need for improved payments processing:<\/p> <ul> <li>Corporate mandate to reduce overall payment transaction costs, such as staff and processing (65&#037;); and<\/li> <li>Stakeholder demand for improved operational efficiency, such as reduced reliance on paper documents (47&#037;).<\/li> <\/ul> <p>Also, according to Aberdeen, 50&#037; of best-in-class companies integrate their electronic payment solutions with their accounting, enterprise resource planning (ERP), or other financial systems. At the same time, 39&#037; of best-in-class companies identify a lack of integration between electronic payments and accounting systems as a barrier to increased electronic payments.<\/p> <p>Last month, Sage introduced Sage Exchange, a new secure, Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) certified payment platform that will allow businesses and organizations to accept all forms and methods of payment, with seamless data integration to a wide range of Sage business management software products and third-party business solutions. Seamless integration between payment applications and back-office software can improve an organization&#039;s cash flow and forecasting, while eliminating manual data entry and the risk of errors.<\/p> <p>&quot;Integrating electronic payment networks with back office ERP systems is a challenge faced by all businesses,&quot; added Hammermaster. &quot;Sage Exchange overcomes this challenge by tightly integrating Sage&#039;s accounting and ERP solutions, on both the AR and AP sides, with the most widely used electronic payment networks, including credit and debit cards, electronic check, ACH, and even private label networks. While electronic payments data integration is the foundation, exponential value will be gained through a suite of connected services focused on streamlining the financial supply chain. Sage Exchange is set to deliver on that value proposition.&quot;<\/p> <p>Aberdeen&#039;s payments study was co-underwritten by Sage Payment Solutions and Syncada. A joint venture between Visa and U.S. Bank, Syncada provides a business-to-business network for financial institutions to enable their clients to increase control over their financial supply chains.<\/p><\/span><\/div><table id='zwNextPrev' width='100%'><tr><td style='text-align: left;' align='left'>&lt;&lt; <a href='http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/07/05/how-to-accept-credit-cards/' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fsmallbusiness.aol.com&#037;2F2010&#037;2F07&#037;2F05&#037;2Fhow-to-accept-credit-cards&#037;2F&#039;);zwShowDetails(\"8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca\",\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Previous Article<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href='http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/cdn/News.asp?id=57918&PageMem=1' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.itbusiness.ca&#037;2Fit&#037;2Fclient&#037;2Fen&#037;2Fcdn&#037;2FNews.asp&#037;3Fid&#037;3D57918&#037;26PageMem&#037;3D1&#039;);zwShowDetails(\"8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e\",\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Next Article<\/a> &gt;&gt;<\/td><td style='text-align: right;' align='right'><a style='cursor:pointer' onclick='zwShowTitles(\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Return to List<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/table><\/div>"},"v8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e":{"hiddenOpening":"<div id='zw_details_8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e' style='display:none'>","hiddenClosing":"<\/div>","visibleOpening":"<div id='zw_details_8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e'>","visibleClosing":"<\/div>","contents":"<div style='padding-top:3px;' align='left' id='full_4'><table id='zwNextPrev' width='100%'><tr><td style='text-align: left;' align='left'>&lt;&lt; <a href='http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/company/newsroom/press_releases/details?CID=1D760715-1B6F-0001-2554-17BB19E012A7&CardId=529480&RowIndex=2&Product=*&Year=*' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.sagenorthamerica.com&#037;2Fcompany&#037;2Fnewsroom&#037;2Fpress_releases&#037;2Fdetails&#037;3FCID&#037;3D1D760715-1B6F-0001-2554-17BB19E012A7&#037;26CardId&#037;3D529480&#037;26RowIndex&#037;3D2&#037;26Product&#037;3D&#042;&#037;26Year&#037;3D&#042;&#039;);zwShowDetails(\"8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca\",\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Previous Article<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;Next Article &gt;&gt;<\/td><td style='text-align: right;' align='right'><a style='cursor:pointer' onclick='zwShowTitles(\"8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0\");zift_pc--;return false;'>Return to List<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/table><div id='zwInlineTitle' style='text-align:left;height:auto'><a href='http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/cdn/News.asp?id=57918&amp;PageMem=1' onclick='zTrkClick(this, &#039;8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0&#039;,&#039;8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e&#039;,&#039;402881e71da6b5e8011da6b634a70028&#039;,&#039;http&#037;3A&#037;2F&#037;2Fwww.itbusiness.ca&#037;2Fit&#037;2Fclient&#037;2Fen&#037;2Fcdn&#037;2FNews.asp&#037;3Fid&#037;3D57918&#037;26PageMem&#037;3D1&#039;);' target='_blank' >Sage&#039;s channel program an evolving work in progress<\/a><span class='zwClear'><\/span><\/div><div class='zwContentExtra' id='extra_4'><\/div><div class='zwContentText'><span class='zwInline'><p>At its annual <a href=\"http://www.sageinsightsconference.com\" target=\"_blank\">Insights conference<\/a> held in Denver last month, business management software vendor, <a href=\"http://www.Sage.com\" target=\"_blank\">Sage<\/a>, announced new partner workshops and resources, as well as enhancements to its existing channel initiatives to help make partners more profitable.<\/p><p>This year&#039;s Insights conference marked the last partner-specific event to be hosted by Sage, because starting next year, the vendor will put on a combined partner and customer conference event, known as Sage Summit. <\/p><p>Tom Miller, vice-president of channel management for Sage North America, has been the company&#039;s channel chief for just over a year now. Prior to Sage, Miller worked at Microsoft for eight years. Reflecting back over year one, Miller said he&#039;s &quot;pleased&quot; with the progress the company&#039;s made with its channel thus far. <\/p><p>&quot;I&#039;m pleased with the progress we&#039;ve made but I think we still have a lot of work to do.&quot; Miller said. &quot;We need to make sure we have the right sets of programs for our partners and help them find new customers and opportunities. We also have to get communications out to our partners and provide training so we&#039;re all partner-ready. I&#039;m confident that we can get there, but it&#039;s an evolving work in progress.&quot; <\/p><p>Among some of the new partner offerings are four workshops around sales, consulting, customer experience and business strategy. <\/p><p>Miller said when he joined Sage last summer and had a look at the existing programs, one of the improvements he wanted to make was increasing the number of partners participating in them. <\/p><p>&quot;We found that some of these programs were too expensive from a time and out-of-pocket standpoint,&quot; Miller explained. &quot;Partners also wanted a more condensed version that was offered closer to home.&quot; <\/p><p>To give partners more of what they wanted, Miller said Sage introduced its sales, consulting and customer experience workshops. The sales workshop is a free, one-day intensive selling workshop to help partners improve on their sales performance. The consulting workshop, which is also free, is designed to help partners further develop their business and consulting skills. 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v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca.hiddenOpening;
}
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca.contents;
if (v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story && v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details['v' + v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story] == 'v8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca') {
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca.visibleClosing;
} else {
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6ec46e209ca.hiddenClosing;
}
if (v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story && v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story == '8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca' && v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details['v' + v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story] ) {
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca.visibleOpening;
} else {
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca.hiddenOpening;
}
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca.contents;
if (v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story && v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details['v' + v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story] == 'v8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca') {
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca.visibleClosing;
} else {
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef2a550709012a5830107674ca.hiddenClosing;
}
if (v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story && v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story == '8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca' && v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details['v' + v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story] ) {
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca.visibleOpening;
} else {
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca.hiddenOpening;
}
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca.contents;
if (v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story && v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details['v' + v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story] == 'v8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca') {
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca.visibleClosing;
} else {
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef28ea589201296bdb6e3c6dca.hiddenClosing;
}
if (v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story && v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story == '8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e' && v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details['v' + v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story] ) {
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e.visibleOpening;
} else {
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e.hiddenOpening;
}
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e.contents;
if (v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story && v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details['v' + v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_story] == 'v8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e') {
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e.visibleClosing;
} else {
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_details.v8a7c9fef29d39a7c0129f6b8a6cd7b0e.hiddenClosing;
}
v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html += v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_main.closing;
if (document.getElementById('zift_html_8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0')) {
document.getElementById('zift_html_8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0').innerHTML = v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html;
} else {
document.write(v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_html);}
document.write(v8a7caa111b1f2d0a011b60f783e309a0_main.tracking);