Rapid growth & increasingly significant GDP contribution driving demand for custom technology in manufacturing sector

Dubai, UAE, 13 June 2007: A surge in the region's manufacturing sector is driving a need for technology solutions made to serve the very specific demands of that sector, says Sage Software Middle East as it launches its leading ERP product for medium and large manufacturing and distribution companies, Sage X3 Enterprise. Sage Software Middle East has put in significant investment to bring this product to the region, having recruited and trained several staff members focused entirely on this product. The company is also planning channel training programs for the product. The Sage X3 Enterprise ERP System is broad enough to support all of the planning, scheduling and production control activities of a manufacturer, yet flexible enough to adapt to different manufacturing modes.

"The region's booming economy is experiencing a significant contribution from the manufacturing sector. Development projects such as Dubai Industrial City is set to contribute almost US$10 billion to Dubai's GDP. This sector in Bahrain makes up over 10 per cent of the kingdom's GDP. What this means is that players entering the sector need vendors and suppliers that understand their business," said Marc Van der Ven, managing director, Sage Software Middle East. "It's no secret however those businesses still face constraints when it comes to IT budgets. But having a reliable, responsive and flexible ERP system has become a necessity, not a luxury. But until now, manufacturers have had to make do with expensive and complicated applications from the world's leading vendors, but today Sage is introducing one of its flagship manufacturing systems designed to address the needs of medium sized manufacturers who are growing aggressively, and looking for flexible solutions that are affordable with a rapid return on investment. "

Sage X3 Enterprise ERP can address the demand for quick and easy customization without bearing the steep costs charged by integrators for a tailor-made product. According to Sage, customization of the Sage X3 Enterprise takes significantly less time than any other ERP system for medium to large organisations.

In mid-2006 respondents to the Sage ERP Survey were asked what steps vendors could take to improve their experience with ERP. 44% of respondents demanded cost-effective extended functionality from vendors. Van der Ven comments: "Businesses want more from their ERP. They should be able to share all information required to operate more efficiently, preferably in a single application and in a single database. Sage X3 Enterprise allows businesses to manage every aspect of their operations concurrently, in real time."

Sage X3 Enterprise ERP supports the specific needs of most process manufacturers. The system effectively meets the challenges faced by formula-based manufacturers by providing them with an industry-compatible set of integrated functions and features. The system's Discrete Manufacturing ERP version is ideally suited for hard goods manufacturers and consumer goods manufacturers requiring a broad and deep level of functionality across manufacturing, distribution and accounting.

"There are clear regional business trends driving the need for a product like Sage X3 and we expect a very positive response to it from the market. Together with our partners, we are already speaking to a number of organisations, and look forward to announcing those implementations in the future," Van der Ven added.

Sage Software Middle East today has over 1500 customers, 10,000 software users and 45 highly skilled partners in the region.

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About Sage Software ME:
Sage Software offers leading business management software and services that support the needs and challenges of medium sized organisations. Its parent company, The Sage Group plc (London: SGE.L), supports 5 million customers worldwide. For more than 25 years, Sage Software has delivered easy-to-use, scalable and customizable software for enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management and human resources. Its products are used by a range of industries including Manufacturing, Wholesale Distribution, Trading, Banking & Financial Services, Transportation & Logistics, Telecommunications, Oil & Gas, Healthcare, Chemicals, Consumer Products, Defense & Security, High Tech, Government / Non-profit, Services, Retail, Utilities, Construction/ Real Estate and Education.

For more information, please visit the Web site at: me.sage.com

© Press Release 2007