You may have heard by now that the retirement of Sage Abra Suite is looming sometime in the near future. While the product hasn’t been officially retired yet, now is the time to start planning your migration before potential problems crop up. Let’s take a look at why Sage Abra Suite is going away and what you should consider doing about it.
In January 2015, Microsoft ended support for Visual FoxPro – the underlying programming language and technology architecture that runs Sage Abra Suite. With FoxPro now retired, Microsoft will no longer test it for compatibility with new releases of Windows.
If you are running Sage Abra Suite version 9.1x or 9.2x, the retirement of FoxPro does not stop your current system from functioning. However, you’re entering an area of higher risk and potential conflict with each new Windows update or technology upgrade. And while Sage will continue to support the software (not the technology) and release bug fixes and quarterly tax updates, continued product improvements and new features are unlikely going forward.
NOTE: Quarter 3, 2015 will be the final product update for Sage Abra Suite Version 9.1.
For most Sage Abra Suite customers, the next logical step is a migration to the sister product Sage HRMS. Sage HRMS is HR and payroll software that runs on modern technology including the Microsoft SQL Database.
Beyond the underlying technology, there are functional benefits of migrating to Sage HRMS as well. Because both products are owned by Sage, the interface is very similar. That means Sage Abra Suite customers are up and running with the HR suite in Sage HRMS with a very short learning curve using features, functions, and an environment they’re already very familiar with.
But the Sage HRMS Payroll Module is where Abra Suite customers see the most significant changes. In particular because of the SQL database, there’s no need to have users exit the system while running payroll or database backup. There’s also a wide range of payroll features and streamlined processes in Sage HRMS that simply don’t exist in Abra Suite.
Because each company has unique payroll processes and HR requirements, it’s important to create a detailed migration plan. It’s more than just a typical product update or version upgrade. But rest assured that as your technology partner, we’re here to help guide the process, migrate your historical data, and provide training as needed to ensure the smoothest possible transition.
Sage has recently announced two new promotions for customers who migrate before September 30, 2015:
Contact your BCS ProSoft Account Manager if you have questions about Sage HRMS, want to discuss a migration, or would like to see a demo.