In The News:
MISys SAE V5.5 Training. Here are the dates for the next training workshops for MISys SAE:
Basic Training: February 2 - 6, 2009
Advanced Training: February 16 – 20, 2009
If you have staff members who could benefit from a refresher on the in’s and out’s of MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP (including the new features in version 5.5), don’t miss this opportunity. Seating is limited, so please register for one, or both, of these workshops by contacting MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600.

MISys SAE Technical Support. Since announcing the end of technical support for MISys SAE version 5.3 in the last issue of this newsletter, we have received a number of inquiries from users of older “legacy” versions of the software asking how they can obtain support now that version 5.5 has been released. The answer is that the ONLY support for these previous versions comes from other users who may see your posting on the MISys Community Forums and offer free assistance.

Last Call - Christmas Holiday Upgrade Sale. Here is the last reminder to take advantage of our special upgrade promotion before the end of the year.
Purchase the upgrade to MISys SAE version 5.5 and renew your Upgrade Subscription Plan at the normal price, and get 50% off the published upgrade price.
This offer ends at the end of our business day on December 31, 2008, so don’t delay. Get in touch with your MISys Business Partner today to order your upgrade to version 5.5, or contact MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600.

Free MISys SBM Crossgrade Program. With increasing interest in the terrific new features built into MISys Small Business Manufacturing (MISys SBM), MISys has just announced a special crossgrade program for users of MISys SAE who wish to “get modern” by moving to MISys SBM. If you are using MISys SAE 5.4 or 5.5 Level 1 or Level 2, you may qualify for a FREE UPGRADE to MISys SBM version 3.0, including conversion of your MISys SAE data. For details of this program and a list of featured highlights. Remember, there is NO COST to qualified participants, so please visit the Crossgrade Program web page today!

MISys Holiday Schedule. Please note that the MISys offices (including Sales, Customer Service, and Technical Support) will be closed on Friday afternoon, December 19, for our annual family bash. We will close again on Thursday, December 25, in observance of Christmas Day. We will also be closed on Friday, December 26, in observance of The Day After Christmas. We will look forward to serving you again on Monday, December 29. Our offices will close again on January 1st (only) for New Years Parade and Football Day.

MISys SAE User Group Meeting. This week's MISys SAE User Group Meeting will convene on-line this Thursday at 1:30pm Eastern. There is no charge for this meeting, but you must pre-register by contacting MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600 for the required password.

Dateline Woodstock:

Last week’s House and Garden TV special spotlighting Woodstock, Vermont as one of the best places in the United States to spend Christmas has brought a flood of tourists to our town. Even without the extra publicity, this is a very special time of year when visitors from neighboring states join the locals in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space on Main Street. They traditionally do this by driving up and down the street until they see a shopper emerge from one of our many gift shops and art galleries, then they follow them in much the same manner as did the Three Wise Men, who 2000+ years ago, followed a star until, finally, it led them to a parking space. The tourists follow emerging shoppers closely, hunching over the steering wheel, whistling “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” until they arrive at their car which is often parked several time zones away from Woodstock Town Hall. Sometimes a shopper will try to indicate that they were just planning to drop off some packages and go back to shopping, but apparently New York and New Jersey drivers have developed a technique of revving their engines in a festive fashion which is reported to drive up to 58% of holiday shoppers back into their automobiles. We do not mean to suggest that the true meaning of the holiday season is finding a parking space. Woodstock resident Jim Dashbury says, for him the true meaning of the season is finding a sales clerk – and Jim has developed a fool-proof method that he demonstrated to us earlier today. Once inside a store, Jim looks for one of those doors marked “Employees Only” then bursts through it without warning. More often than not, Jim will scare up 8 or more clerks who will, of course, as soon as they see him, a shopper, bolt for the sales floor where they can be easily corralled towards a cash register. If you can’t make it to Woodstock during the holiday season, Jim suggests you try out his technique at your local K-Mart or Home Depot. Try it – it really works!

MISys SAE Technical Support. With the release of MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP (MISys SAE) version 5.5, technical support is now available only to users of the current version – and one previous version, 5.4! If you are running an older version of MISys SAE, you should be asking yourself “And why in the world am I using this old version that doesn’t have all the improvements MISys has added since I bought it -- and for which technical support is no longer available?” Doesn’t make much sense, does it? Current upgrade options and costs are posted online. Check them out or call MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600!

Christmas Holiday Upgrade Sale. You probably didn’t know that they use MISys SAE in the workshop up at the North Pole. Santa Claus just called to say that he looked at our upgrade options and costs online and thought it would be a Really Nice Gift to existing MISys users if we slashed the upgrade costs 50% from what is posted there. Keeping Santa and our customers happy is a Big Deal here at MISys World Headquarters, so here’s our spectacular holiday offer:
Purchase the upgrade to MISys SAE version 5.5 and renew your Upgrade Subscription Plan at the normal price, and get 50% off the published upgrade price.
This offer ends at the end of our business day on December 31, 2008, so don’t delay. Get in touch with your MISys Business Partner today to order your upgrade to version 5.5, or contact MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600.

Simply Manufacturing. Can you believe it? In Canada, Sage owns a huge portion of the mid- to low-end accounting market with its Simply Accounting product. Despite aggressive marketing from “other popular bookkeeping systems” Simply Accounting continues to gain market share year after year. At a recent Simply partner conference in Vancouver, Sage announced that they are bringing Simply to the US market early next year. Unfortunately, relatively few manufacturers use Simply Accounting, preferring other products that have more manufacturing-specific functionality. BUT WAIT! That’s set to change now that MISys Small Business Manufacturing integrates seamlessly with Simply – turning Simply Accounting into an industrial-strength manufacturing system. Judging from the phone calls we're receiving in these uncertain economic times, manufacturers are paying more attention “value-oriented” products such as Simply. If you want to learn more about the Simply manufacturing solution, visit the MISys web site at www.misysinc.com/simply. It's all laid out for you there.

MISys SAE V5.5 Training. We have scheduled our next training workshops for MISys SAE. They are:
Basic Training: February 2 - 6, 2009Advanced Training: February 16 – 20, 2009
If you have staff members who could benefit from a refresher on the in’s and out’s of MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP (including the new features in version 5.5), don’t miss this opportunity. Seating is limited, so please register for one, or both, of these workshops by contacting MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600.

MISys Holiday Schedule. Please note that the MISys offices (including Sales, Customer Service, and Technical Support) will be closed on Thursday, December 25, in observance of Christmas Day. We will also be closed on Friday, December 26, in observance of The Day After Christmas. We will look forward to serving you again on Monday, December 29. Our offices will close again on January 1st (only) for New Years Parade and Football Day.

MISys SAE User Group Meeting. This week's MISys SAE User Group Meeting will convene on-line this Thursday at 1:30pm Eastern. There is no charge for this meeting, but you must pre-register by contacting MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600 for the required password.

MISys SAE 5.5 Released. The much anticipated MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP (aka MISys SAE) version 5.5 was released to all Business Partners and Upgrade Subscription Plan holders last week. If you have a current Upgrade Subscription Plan, you can claim your FREE upgrade to MISys SAE version 5.5 by visiting the MISys website. By filling out and submitting the upgrade request form there, you can speed the process of downloading and installing the new software. A list of the new features in MISys SAE version 5.5 is also posted there – make sure you check it out! If you are running and older version of MISys SAE, you can still benefit from upgrading right away. Since the release of your software, many existing features have been improved and new features added. Check the MISys web site for your upgrade options and costs. Then consult with your MISys Business Partner to set up a plan for getting your entire MISys/Accpac system up to date.

New MISys SAE Stock Movement Function. Over the years, one of the most often requested features for MISys SAE has been the ability to track changes in inventory over some designated period in time. We are pleased to announce that a new function in MISys SAE version 5.5 allows you to take a “snap-shot” of your inventory – manually at any time you choose, or automatically whenever you perform a fiscal period end. Multiple snap-shots (taken manually or automatically) form the basis for an informative Stock Movement Report.
Peachtree Manufacturing. In the United States, Peachtree Accounting enjoys a great reputation as an industrial-strength accounting system with all the core accounting modules a small- to mid-sized business could need -- unless you were involved in manufacturing. Until now, core functionality required in a manufacturing environment has been largely missing from the standard Peachtree product. MISys Small Business Manufacturing version 3.0 now offers seamless integration with Peachtree Accounting, turning Peachtree into an industrial-strength manufacturing system. You can learn all about the MISys manufacturing solution for Peachtree by visiting the MISys website and requesting the demonstration video.

MISys SBM Labor Tracker. Ever since the release of MISys SAE v5.5 and MISys SBM 3.0 earlier this Fall, the MISys engineers have been working diligently on a new add-on for MISys SBM designed to capture actual labor hours and post them to selected Jobs and Manufacturing Orders. When released, Labor Tracker will be available as an extra-cost ($500) option for MISys SBM 3.0. Labor Tracker can be installed on any PC (or multiple PCs) where actual labor capture is required. Labor Tracker communicates directly with the MISys SBM Server module and does not require that the MISys SBM Client module be installed on that same computer. MISys SBM users should watch their InfoCenter starting early next month (yikes, that just a couple of weeks away!) for instructions on how to order Labor Tracker.

MISys Holiday Schedule. Please note that the MISys offices (including Sales, Customer Service, and Technical Support) will be closed on Thursday, November 27, in observance of Thanksgiving Day. We will also be closed on Friday, November 28, in observance of Turkey Sandwich Day. We will look forward to serving you again on Monday, December 1, fed and well-rested.

MISys SAE User Group Meeting. This week's MISys SAE User Group Meeting will convene on-line this Thursday at 1:30pm Eastern. There is no charge for this meeting, but you must pre-register by contacting MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600 for the required password.

Does MISys SBM Outshine MISys SAE? Since announcing the integration of MISys SBM with Sage Accpac ERP last summer, we’ve received a flood of inquiries asking if MISys SBM is “better” than our flagship product MISys for Sage Accpac ERP (MISys SAE).

First, let us be clear, for about 20% of our users, MISys SBM is definitely not better, mainly because the shop floor control functions of MISys SAE Level 3 don’t exist in MISys SBM.

On the other hand, the MISys SBM database has been optimized to perform extremely fast MPS/MRP calculations, so a job that took hours in MISys SAE is accomplished in just minutes in MISys SBM. That’s a huge benefit!

Furthermore, MISys SBM displays its purchasing, production, and master schedules in easy-to-understand and manipulate Gantt charts which just can’t be produced in MISys SAE.

Finally, MISys SBM can be a less expensive solution because it does not require multiple (and relatively expensive) Accpac LanPaks for multi-user operation. Instead, MISys SBM uses just one LanPak to gain access to critical information in the Accpac ERP database.

Sleeter Accounting Software Consulting Conference. On November 10th the MISys Guys are headed off to Phoenix to attend the 5th annual Accounting Software Consulting Conference hosted by The Sleeter Group.

Sleeter is best known for its training and consulting for QuickBooks, but this year representatives from Microsoft and Sage Software have been admitted to this popular conference.

Since MISys SBM integrates with all these products (actually, 3 different Sage products!) this is an incredible opportunity to meet with consultants who are building their practices by recommending right-sized business management solutions for their clients.

MISys Attends Simply Partnership 2008! The Misys guys, Dave and Terry, trekked to Vancouver last week to attend and exhibit at the Sage Simply Partnership 2008 conference. We met many Simply Business Partners at the show and found excellent interest from several who had manufacturing customers using Simply Accounting and needing a manufacturing solution. Now that MISys 3.0 is fully integrated with Simply, they now have an industrial strength manufacturing system available. The MISys booth was busy thoughout the conference. If you have Simply customers, or you are a Simply customer, make sure you check out the MISys Simply product page at: http://www.misysinc.com/misbm/simply/index.php

MISys At Simply Conference. Next week the MISys Guys will be attending the Simply Partnership Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia and demonstrating the terrific new functionality in MISys Small Business Manufacturing that turns Simply Accounting into an industrial-strength manufacturing system. Simply Accounting has a huge installed base in Canada, many of them in manufacturing firms. "With the functionality MISys SBM adds into Simply Accounting, we expect a great interest from Simply business partners who are always looking to expand Simply's market share." commented Dave Brown, MISys President and CEO.

Special Training for Sleeter Consultants. A 2-day training workshop focussed on the Basic Operations of MISys SBM is being held on October 20 and 21. Special $99 pricing is available to qualifiying Sleeter consultants who complete the online registration form.

MISys SBM MRP Training. There are just a couple of seats left for the MISys SBM Material Requirements Planning workshop which begins Thursday (October 23) at 1:00 Eastern time. To learn everything you need to know the capabilities of MRP in MISys SBM, there still may be time to register online if you hurry.

MISys SAE User Group Meeting. This week's MISys SAE User Group Meeting will convene on-line this Thursday at 1:30pm Eastern. There is no charge for this meeting, but you must pre-register by contacting MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600 for the required password.

Dateline Woodstock:

News from Vermont made the national networks last week when it seemed like only a handful of stories dominated the media. In case you missed it, our friends at PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have filed a complaint against Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, cofounders of Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., makers of the Vermont brand of ice cream now famous from coast to coast. PETA is asking that Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc. convert their recipes to use at least 75 percent breast milk procured from human donors who are paid in exchange for their milk. According to a letter from PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman, using cow's milk in Ben & Jerry's ice cream is a hazard to customer health. Reiman claims that dairy products have been linked to juvenile diabetes, allergies, constipation, obesity, and prostate and ovarian cancer. Following the release of this news to the major networks, TV anchor Katie Couric (best know for her riveting interview of vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin) interviewed a number of Vermont dairy farmers for their take on the idea and the practicality of converting their barns to accomodate the needs of 30-50 lactating women. Vermont farmers, like farmers in many small states, struggle to keep their operations afloat and are generally open to new ideas for expanding their businesses. However, Brad Hemant, who was interviewed for the CBS story, expressed some doubt that consumers would continue their entusiasm for ice cream that, until now, has consisted of pure Vermot cow's milk. Brad's neightbor and fellow dairyman Jim Souther was more hopeful such a switch to human breast milk (HBM) could revitalize demand for all Vermont homemade products, including a Ben and Jerry's sub-brand called "Mother's Best" destined to compliment the now-famous "Chubby Hubby." Brad and Jim agreed that, although finding adequate farm labor has been a problem in the past, conversion to HBM could attract a large force of volunteer workers come milking time. Walter Knesome, manager of our local Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop, where customers were interviewed for their reaction to the proposition, appeared nonplussed with the idea of having to convert his signage for 1-scoop, 2-scoops, and 3-scoop sundaes to their A-cup, B-cup, and C-cup equivalents. Editor's note: anyone doubting the veracity of this story can read the original PETA letter here.

MISys SBM 3.0 is released. Late last week we finally released MISys Small Business Manufacturing 3.0. This new version, as discussed in our Wednesday blog, provides for enhanced integration to Sage Simply Accounting, Sage Peachtree Accounting and Sage Accpac Accounting. This gives manufacturers who are using these other accounting systems all the enhanced integration we have had for MISys SBM for QuickBooks and Microsoft Office Accounting. See the details in our last Wednesday's blog. MISys SBM users who have previous versions will automatically receive the 3.0 version as part of their yearly license contract.

MISys Training for Sleeter Consultants - If you are a Sleeter Consultant you can now sign up for the MISys Basic Operations training on October 20 & 21 for just $99. Normally $500 it's a heck of a savings. Seats are limited so if you are interested go to: http://www.misysinc.com/misbm/training.php and click on the Sleeter Group logo in the upper right hand side of the web page.

MISys Readies MISys SBM Version 3.0. As we write, the MISys engineers are putting the final touches on the latest version of MISys Small Business Manufacturing which they expect to release before the week is out. Every existing user of MISys SBM will receive the upgrade to version 3.0 free of charge.

One of the major features of this new release is its seamless integration with three Sage products: Simply Accounting, Peachtree Accounting, and Accpac ERP. There are four points of integration between MISys SBM and these popular accounting products:

1) Sales Orders are read and used to plan purchasing and production activities.

2) Finished goods can be transferred back and forth between the manufacturing inventory and the distribution inventory as needed.

3) Invoicing of Purchase Orders created in MISys SBM produces the appropriate entries in Accounts Payable.

4) Journal entries resulting from stock transfers, purchasing, and production activities are transferred to the General Ledger.

MISys SBM Advanced Production. There are just a couple of seats left for the MISys SBM Advanced Production workshop which begins Thursday (September 25) at 1:00 Eastern time. To learn everything you need to know the capabilities of Manufacturing Orders in MISys SBM, there still may be time to register online if you hurry.

Month-to-month Priority Support. Blame the full moon, but last week we received two requests from users who wanted to purchase a Priority Support contract for just a few months. "I don't need support for a whole year, just for a few months while I get familiar with the product" wrote one user. Perhaps we don't promote it as well as we should, but Priority Support on a month-to-month basis has been available for several years. The good part is that you can purchase support for just a month or two, then drop it whenever you feel confident to go on your own. For more information about this valuable service, contact MISys Customer Support at 802/457-4600.
MISys SAE User Group Meeting. This week's MISys SAE User Group Meeting will convene on-line this Thursday at 1:30pm Eastern. There is no charge for this meeting, but you must pre-register by contacting MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600 for the required password.

Dateline Woodstock:

Following the arrival of Fall and the first few frosty nights here in Woodstock, the maple trees high up on the mountain have taken on a rosy blush and the tour busses have begun to pile up by the side of the road leading to MISys World Headquarters. You know the tourists have arrived because very few locals do their shopping on Main Street wearing those festive tags that read "Hello. My name is ..." Woodchucks (the people who call Woodstock home) appreciate the economic benefit the tourists bring to our town, but every year at this time we have to shift our lifestyles considerably to accommodate them. Forget visiting the Post Office, the Woodstock Bank, the Woodstock Apothecary, the Woodstock Book Store, the Woodstock Mercantile, or any other establishment in the downtown area after 9 in the morning. Until 5pm or so, you'd best not try to drive through Woodstock because apparently the best place to watch the glow of maple trees up on Woodstock Mountain is from the middle of the crosswalk on Main Street. "Isn't that a sight, Marge..." is often heard as a line of traffic backs up just east to the crossing. In just a few short weeks, the leaves will be down, the tour busses will have returned to the Big City with their loads, and Woodchucks will be able to settle in for a few weeks of solitude before the first snows up on Woodstock Mountain lure the tour busses full of excited skiers back to our town.

Back from the wilds of Dallas

The MISys guys made the excursion to downtown Dallas for the 3rd annual QuickBooks Enterpise Users Conference. The trade show and conference lasted three long days. MISys SBM for QuickBooks was on display in the MISys booth and we spoke with many of our business partners and QuickBooks Enterprise users who were manfacturers. We were talked out at the end of the conference but enjoyed speaking with our customers and future customers. As hurricane Ike thrashed the Texas coast we all snuck away heading back north to avoid the rain and wind. It was just in time too as the rain and wind seemed to follow us to the airport.

Intuit showcased new products to add to the QuickBooks Enterprise Suite and discussed their new marketing strategy of Softare as a Service (SaaS). It's going to be an exciting finish to 2008 and well into 2009 to see the new products roll out for customers who wished to have hosted applications. MISys SBM can be used as a SaaS application now for our customers who wish to have the product accessable through the internet to multiple users and locations scattered around the world. If you want more information about MISys SBM as a SaaS product call our office or drop us an email. sales@misysinc.com, 802-457-4600.

QuickBooks Enterprise Users Conference
The MISys Guys will be taking a break from blogging next week to attend and exhibit at the QuickBooks Enterprise Users Conference in Dallas. Look for Terry, Al and Darryl in our booth in the solutions center or galloping around the conference floor somewhere. MISys SBM which works with QuickBooks Enterprise, Pro and Premiere will be demonstrated in our booth. If you are in Dallas come see us! Look for our blog to resume the following week.

More On Manufacturing For Sage. Those of you who frequent the Sage Accpac website may have noticed some subtle (but significant) changes the the Products page in recent weeks. To start, Manufacturing is now included as one of the key vertical markets addressed by Sage Accpac ERP. Clicking the Manufacturing link takes you to a page describing the features of the manufacturing module for Accpac: MISys SAE Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3.
Quick Links to the right allow you to request literature on the Sage Accpac Manufacturing Solution, sign up to view a comprehensive demo of the product, or to download a trial copy of the software that can be installed and used with Accpac System Manager version 5.4 or version 5.5.
Since inviting MISys to become and Endorsed Partner earlier this year, Sage and the management of MISys, Inc. have been busy discovering new ways to jointly promote Sage Accpac ERP as an industrial-strength manufacturing business management system. Commenting on the unprecedented cooperation between companies, MISys President and CEO Dave Brown said "After 20+ years of working with Accpac, it is gratifying to see our lead volume for prospective Accpac users growing vigorously in the past few months. Sage Accpac ERP definitely seems to be developing as a force to recon with when it comes to integrated manufacturing and accounting."
CPA's Guide Offer Extended. An information-packed book entitled An Accountant's Guide To Choosing The Right Manufacturing Software was recently published and is available for $25 per copy. Members of the Sleeter Group Consultant Network, current MISys Business Partners, and practicing accountants can order the book FREE of charge until September 30, 2008.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T
MISys Small Business Manufacturing could be operating in your manufacturing plant tomorrow!
Let us show you how:
Quick Links
Request Product Literature
Request A Video Demonstration
Request A Live Demonstration
Download Trial Software
For Immediate Action
Call1-800-833-1500
Or emailsales@misysinc.com

Dateline Woodstock:
Judging from last week's coverage of the Democratic National Convention and the published agenda for this week's rebuttal by the Republicans, it appears that the nominees are getting revved up to run for President of the United States with record amounts of cash for their political war chests. Vermonters are bracing themselves for a furious battle between now and Election Day. Frankly, we are not looking forward to it. While Vermonters never shy away from taking a political stand when they feel their values are threatened, our values are already under assault by the notion that the US is headed towards it's first Multi-billion Dollar Election. First, Vermonters are proud of their ability to do things on the cheap. Last election season, political candidates running for office in our precinct raised a collective $2,647, over half was spent on classified advertisements placed in the Vermont Standard (Woodstock's weekly newspaper) advocati! ng their positions. Radio and television advertising expense was minimal, mostly owing to the fact that we don't have any local radio or TV stations -- and the ones that do exist in Vermont are on the other side of the Big Mountain. Most of us were brought up with the admonition "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all." Whether they have anything nice to say or not, Vermonters as a whole don't like to talk that much anyway. An editorial in this week's Standard endorses the idea we believe was hatched at Woodstock's local cafe and center for political debate, the Squat and Gobble. The concept is to eliminate the primary election process entirely: cancel the TV contracts, kill the national conventions, forget the televised debates -- focus entirely on fund-raising. Then, which ever self-nominated candidate raised the most amount of money by November 1, 2008 would automatically be elected President. It has also been suggested that the election p! rocess be turned over to the United States Supreme Court, but the Stan dard's editorial reminds us that this idea has already been tried and it didn't work out at all well. The money-raising idea is gaining momentum here in Vermont. If we can't get any traction on a national basis, there's a good chance we'll try it on our next gubernatorial election. But we would need to impose a state-wide spending cap of maybe $8-10,000. What do you think?

MISys Announces Key Promotions. The Board of Directors of MISys, Inc. recently announced the promotion of three key personnel effective September 1, 2008. Maybe you know them:
Scott Beavers to the position of Vice President, Sales and Marketing. In this role, Scott will oversee the marketing of MISys software products throughout the world. In addition to his management of MISys' channel marketing efforts, Scott will be supervising the direct sales force for MISys Small Business Manufacturing. Ultimately Scott will be developing a hybrid sales and marketing team that leverages the strengths of each accounting product with which MISys software integrates.
Dave Halpert to the position of Vice President, Research and Development. Although Dave has been functioning in this role for some time, he and his team will continue to apply the latest software technologies to MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP (MISys ERP) and MISys Small Business Manufacturing (MISys SBM). Dave will be responsible for evaluating wishlist contributions for improving both products, learning about new technology for possible inclusion in future versions, and for maintaining a workforce of capable programmers who will be developing additional functionality demanded by our users.
Mike Kaelin to the position of Vice President, Technical Services. In addition to his previous responsibilities running the MISys Technical Support Department, Mike takes over supervision of the MISys Professional Services Group and the MISys Sure Start Program. Beyond this, Mike and his staff are responsible for software Quality Assurance and our corporate IT needs.
When you next have the opportunity to speak with Scott, Dave, or Mike, please join us in congratulating them for this important promotion!

More Manufacturing For Sage. Also included in the new MISys SBM version 3.0 (scheduled for release in just a few weeks) is seamless integration with Peachtee Accounting by Sage (available in the United States) and Simply Accounting by Sage (available in Canada). Scott Beavers, MISys Channel Manager, commented on the announcement "We've been selling our product through the Accpac VAR channel for over 20 years and based on last year's record sales, the channel is still working well for MISys. By offering our channel partners more product options and flexible pricing levels, we expect to develop our partner channel even further. With our run rate well ahead of last year, we're depending on our partners for record-breaking results." Additional information on MISys SBM for Simply Accounting and MISys SBM for Peachtree A! ccounting is available online.

Partnering With The Sleeter Group. A strategic relationship with the highly regarded Sleeter Group (Pleasanton, CA) is paying off for new and existing Sleeter consultants wishing to expand their practices in lucrative new directions. MISys' agreement with The Sleeter Group allows Sleeter partners to become MISys partners for no additional charge.
Sleeter recently hosted two webinars intended to help consultants sharpen their skills in the world of manufacturing. The first manufacturing webinar, entitled Exploring Manufacturing Market Requirements deals with the general topic of manufacturing and the market-driving forces consultants are bound to encounter. The second webinar, entitled Exploring MISys Small Business Manufacturing, demonstrates how MISys SBM fills the needs of a specific market niche. These and other informative webinars are posted on the Sleeter website. We hope you'll have a look.

CPA's Guide To Manufacturing. An information-packed book entitled An Accountant's Guide To Choosing The Right Manufacturing Software was recently published and is available for $25 per copy. Members of the Sleeter Group Consultant Network, current MISys Business Partners, and practicing accountants can order the book FREE of charge until September 1, 2008.

MISys SBM for Sage Accpac ERP. MISys recently announced the imminent release of a new version of MISys Small Business Manufacturing (MISys SBM) that is compatible with Sage Accpac ERP version 5.4 and 5.5. Announcing the new release, Dave Brown, MISys President, commented "We know we have a great many QuickBooks users turning to MISys SBM as their manufacturing solution. But at the same time, we are hearing from many companies looking to move up to a mid-market accounting solution. Our 20+ years of experience as the de facto Accpac manufacturing system urged is to tie MISys SBM and Accpac ERP together. MISys SBM provides a subset of the functionality in our flagship product MISys SAE, so MISys SBM doesn't replace MISys SAE by any means. It's just that, for a certain class of user, MISys SBM provides a more cost-effective entre into the world of Accpac accounting."

Dateline Woodstock:
A few weeks ago, we wrote to you about Jacob Hammond and his brother Jeb who have been discussing ways to reduce the cost of air travel. It may interest you to knwow that the Hammond boys have decided to join forces and start their own airline. Their inspiration came from a television show on The Discovery Channel describing the vast supply of military aircraft languishing in the desert just outside Phoenix, Arizona. According to the plan, JJ Air (as they plan to call their new venture) will employ a fleet of planes utilizing state-of-the-art US Defense Department technology, thus rendering them -- and this is a critical element to the plan -- invisible to radar. Jake and Jeb figure a stealth airline can perform in ways not even industry-leader Southwest can match. Speaking from a upturned apple crate at Woodstock's Squat and Gobble (our local eatery) Jeb explained that the big problem with commercial aviation today is that conventional planes! can be detected by Air Traffic Control, which if you have watched CBS Sixty Minutes you know is run by severely overstressed people sitting in gloomy rooms drinking coffee from styrofoam cups and staring at little radar dots. Natuiraly, air traffic controllers get grumpy, which is why they routinely order the daily Burlington VT to Boston MA flight to circle Mexico City just out of spite. They won't be able to do that stuff with JJ Air. They won't even be aware that a JJ Air flight is in the vicinity until one comes screaming past the control tower at Mach 2, requesting an emergency landing. Jake and Jeb plan to remove the restrooms from each plane to make room for an expanded wet-bar, so they figure that over 93% of all JJ Air flights will require an emergency landing. According to their initial press release, the details of the new air service will be revealed on CNN's Larry King Live show, or in case of a scheduling conflict with the Democratic National Convention, Wood! stock Community Cablevision. If you can't catch WCC on your cable TV s ystem, let us know and we'll report the results to you in a future issue.

See the MISys Guys at any of these trade shows and exhibits. The MISys Guys are off to the trade shows the next three months. To start you can visit us now at TPAC at the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver this week. September 9-12 we will be exhibiting at the QuickBooks Enterprise Users Conference in Dallas at the Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion. On October 16-18 you will find us back in Vancouver for the Simply Partner Conference at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver. Finally on November 10-13 we will be exhnibiting at the Sleeter Group's 2008 Accounting Software Consulting Conference at the Renaissance Hotel and Spa in Glendale, Arizona. So come by and see us and all the features of MISys Small Business Manufacturing or MISys SAE for Sage/Accpac accounting. If you can't wait browse back to our web page for free demos, trial copies or product literature. See you on the road!

Accountant's Guide Now Available. Confused by the terminology and unfamiliar topics manufacturers use? A new Accountant's Guide To Choosing The Right Manufacturing Software is available that sheds light on many previously obscure topics. This 75-page reference guide is available free of charge to practicing accountants and consultants who visit the MISys web site at www.misysinc.com/cpaguide.

MISys To Exhibit At TPAC 2008. Next month's TPAC 2008 conference in Vancouver BC will host all the major 3rd-party developers for Sage Accpac ERP. Among them will be MISys, showing the newest version of MISys SBM product which integrates seamlessly with Sage Accpac ERP and Sage Simply Accounting. If you are planning to attend this year's TPAC, make sure you stop by the MISys booth to learn all about the future of MISys Small Business Manufacturing.

New Training Workshops Scheduled. A new series of online training workshops on MISys Small Business Manufacturing has been scheduled at MISys University. These workshops are open to current users of MISys SBM and those who are just considering the purchase of the software (we often have prospects who sit in on training as a means to completing their due diligence). All you need is a major credit card to register online.
Discounted tuition rates are available to current MISys Business Partners. For more information, or to register as a Business Partner, please contact Scott Beavers, MISys Channel Manager, at 802/457-4600 x286.

MISys SBM Reviews Urgently Needed. Now that MISys Small Business Manufacturing has become one of the preferred 3rd-party solutions for QuickBooks, we urgently need experienced users to write a brief review suitable for posting on the QuickBooks web site. This is neither the route to fame nor fortune, but by doing so you will win the enduring appreciation of everyone here at MISys World Headquarters who works so hard to make the software as powerful and reliable as can be. If you've got 50 kind and insightful words about our product to share, please click here.

Dateline Woodstock:
Here in Vermont, you can't turn on the radio or television without hearing about spiraling fuel costs and the affect they are having on everyday life. It's probably not that much different where you live. Vermonters have a long history of living with a light footprint and turning to their own devices when other resources come into short supply. After all, every October for the past several millennia, the ground in Woodstock freezes solid, everything growing suddenly stops, and our world goes into a mild state of hibernation. So we're quite used to spending at least part of our lives in energy conservation mode. A surprising number of Vermonters are actively pursuing ways to reduce their carbon footprint, whether for themselves, or for society at large. Around town, woodpiles are growing daily. According to the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, our state leads the nation for the most number of hybrid vehicles per capita. At a local country fair last weekend, the space allocated to "Hybrids Park Here" was almost as large as "Everyone Else Park Here." From their offices at the Woodstock Squat and Gobble (our local diner), Jacob Hammond and his brother Jeb have been discussing ways to reduce the cost of air travel. Jacob says he's been in touch with some "major airlines" about his plan to have every airliner fly 10,000 feet higher. Besides reducing wind resistance at that altitude, Jacob figures that the average plane will save 18% on fuel consumption by simply gliding the last hour of every flight. Jeb disagrees. According to his detailed calculations, flying at 40,000 feet is equivalent to hugging the outside of every curve at the NASCAR finals, and Jake's idea will have planes actually flying a longer distance of 28%. So Jeb favors a flight path that stays as close to the ground as possible, thus reducing the actual distance traveled. He figures this could be about 6 feet in places like Kansas and Oklahoma, but agrees that a "safe height" would be considerably greater in places like Vermont, Montana, and Wyoming. We're not sure that either Jacob or Jeb have found the secret to reducing aviation fuel consumption. You will have to agree that, as fuel costs increase, there is a remarkable (and gratifying) interest in developing alternative ways of getting by -- just like Vermonters do every October.

Sleeter Schedules Manufacturing Primer. The first in a series of webinars designed to explore manufacturing as the basis for a profitable consulting practice has been scheduled for Monday, July 21st. This webinar is open to existing members of the Sleeter Consultants Network and those who are interested in becoming Sleeter consultants. There is no charge for the workshop, but seating is limited so you must pre-register on-line.

MISys Is Endorsed Development Partner. Manufacturing Information Systems, Inc. (MISys®) has been named a Sage Software Business Management Division (BMD) Endorsed Development Partner. MISys developed the MISys Manufacturing System which has been marketed to Sage Accpac ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) clients for more than 25 years. An Endorsed Development Partner is the highest achievable designation in the Sage Software BMD Development Partner Program. Sage Software is the North American operating company of The Sage Group, plc.
As an Endorsed Development Partner, Sage Software recognizes MISys’ manufacturing software as a preferred manufacturing software solution to Sage Accpac ERP clients. In the next month, MISys and Sage will jointly develop a go-to-market strategy designed to position Sage Accpac as a provider of integrated solutions for mid-sized manufacturing firms. This endorsement provides the sales, marketing, and development departments of the two companies an opportunity to offer the Sage Accpac partner channel reliable product integration and consistent messaging.
“MISys has been at the forefront of manufacturing software in the mid-market for many years. Being named a BMD Endorsed Development Partner by Sage Software shows that Sage understands the importance of the manufacturing vertical market and the strength of manufacturing ERP as a key value-add for many Sage Accpac ERP clients,” said Dave Brown, President of MISys Inc. “With more than 8,000 installed MISys/Sage Accpac customers in 38 countries, it’s rewarding to receive this recognition from Sage Software.”
MISys turns Sage Accpac ERP into an industrial-strength manufacturing system by adding enhanced inventory control, advanced purchasing, material requirements planning (MRP), master production scheduling (MPS), work in process (WIP) tracking, serial/lot tracking, manufacturing orders, job costing, and tracking of shop operations all integrated with Sage Accpac ERP.(more...)

Dateline Woodstock:
Last Friday, the good people of Woodstock, Vermont celebrated U.S. Independence Day (the 4th of July) with a slate of events starting with a noontime band concert on the Town Green, followed by a chicken barbeque at the Woodstock Fire Station, to a gala picnic and fireworks display at dusk. As is our custom, townspeople gathered at the Woodstock Athletic Field (aka the Football Field) for the annual Tableau du Pavillon (Flag Table). We believe the original idea for this event came from far, far away in China where an array of local citizens are pressed into service holding colored cards over their heads to create an image observable from the Moon. When it comes to creating human display panels, our Chinese friends (with an estimated population of 1,321,851,888) have a distinct edge over Woodstockers when it comes to creating High Definition displays. But our enthusiasm prevails and this year a record 1,841 people registered for the event. This is not to say that we can create an image with 1,841 pixels because half to two-thirds of these people are "designated alternates." In China they don't have any designated alternates. In Woodstock, we like to create a big image of the American flag in honor of the occasion. When everyone is properly aligned to create the stars and stripes of the American flag, their designated alternates are invited to hike up Woodstock Mountain to see how it looks. When the alternates hike back down and return to the Football Field, the question they are most often asked is "So, how does it look?" This is where the designated alternates come into play: they are free to ask anyone currently holding a card if they would like to be relieved to see how it looks. So starts the shuffle of colored cards and new people hiking up Woodstock Mountain just to see how it looks. Because of the large turn-out this year, the Tableau du Pavill on event took over three hours to complete, but everyone enjoyed the view and the camaraderie. Next month, when you are watching the Olympic events featuring at least one 1080p image of the Olympic Emblem, stop for a moment to contemplate what it might look like from the top of Woodstock Mountain.

Dateline Woodstock:
During a recent visit to Los Angeles, where a few hundred software developers spent three days contemplating new marketing innovations, we wandered into the men's department of an upscale department store, the kind of store where all the salespeople have sharp haircuts and perfectly tailored suits that are far fancier than anything we own. Due to an unfortunate oversight on the part of one MISys staff member, we were skulking around, looking for the underwear section when we ran across the Ralph Lauren Exhibit which, in addition to clothes, featured an old saddle, croquet mallets, and various other props associated with rich people. Ralph uses these to create a fashion look that has made him several zillion dollars. This got us thinking that it may be time to revamp the image we are trying to project in our MISys manufacturing software ads. Imagine a MISys advertisement featuring Lauren-clad people with their hair slicked back, standing around in a huge croquet mallet manufacturing plant, looking grim, as if they had just received the tragic news that one of their key polo ponies had just injured itself trampling a servant. Obviously the look has worked very well for Ralph and conventional wisdom suggests it could work just as well for MISys. Our advertising agency, Baton Barton Dan and Oliver (BBD&O), is already at work on a new campaign they describe as "Pretend Cowboy" featuring a number of rugged male models, wearing designer cowboy outfits, fixin' to ride their tastefully color-coordinated ponies down to the Old Trading Post to purchase MISys Basic Manufacturing, Material Requirements Planning, and three User Licenses. This isn't the kind of advertising Vermonters are entirely comfortable with, but it has worked so well for Ralph Lauren, we feel we just have to give it a spin.

MISys Inks Deal With Sleeter Group. The Sleeter Group and Manufacturing Information Systems Inc. (MISys) recently announced that they have formed an alliance intended to increase MISys’ penetration into the small- to medium-sized accounting software market, where right-sized manufacturing solutions are in high demand. The new relationship enhances the existing business partner programs of both organizations by bringing existing MISysBusiness Partners who sell MISys Small Business Manufacturing (MISys SBM) into The Sleeter Group Consultant’s Network (SGCN). The nationwide network includes over 600 accounting firms and business software consultants with expertise in QuickBooks financial software and other products, will operate as a Value Added Reseller channel for MISys to handle sales, installation, integration, and business process consulting for MISys clients.

MISys Sure Start Expanded. Following a hugely successful trial period, the Sure Start program for users of MISys Small Business Manufacturing has been expanded to encompass three technical support options. New MISys SBM users will choose one of the following: Sure Start Bronze ($400), Sure Start Silver ($900), or Sure Start Gold ($1500). Each plan starts off with 60 days of implementation assistance from our Sure Start Coach. The Bronze plan adds 6 months of Standard Technical Support. The Silver plan adds 6 months of Priority Technical Support, and the Gold plan adds 12 months of Priority Technical Support.
When you select one of these options, your MISys Sales Advisor will contact you to introduce your Sure Start Coach, who will serve as your personal implementation manager to guide you through the installation and initial setup of the software. During your first 60 days as a user of MISys SBM, your Coach will be checking with you on a regular basis by telephone and web conference to make sure your installation is going smoothly and that you are making good progress setting up the program, establishing the required master files, performing your initial physical inventory, and posting your first inventory transactions successfully. At the end of 60 days, your Coach will review the Technical Support option you have selected and make certain that you ! know how to contact the MISys experts whenever the need arises.
Should you desire additional consulting services from our team of experts, your Sure Start Coach can help you make arrangements with our MISys Professional Services Group. Beyond the length of your chosen option, we will continue to offer Priority Support at either $225 per month or $2500 per year, or Standard Support for either $90 per month or $1000 per year.

MISys Development Roadmap. Last month at Insights we spoke to many of our Business Partners about our development roadmap and how it affects all of us. We discussed integration with Accpac v5.5 and other accounting packages, the future of MISys SAE and MISys SBM and more.Since we were not able to spend time with all of you and feel it's critical that you are aware of our plans for the future, we've scheduled two Webinars in which we'll explain where MISys is headed and what you can expect from our products. The first webinar will be held this Thursday, June 5th. The second will be on Monday, June 7th. Both webinars start at 1:00pm Eastern Time and should last about a half an hour.
If you are a MISys/Accpac Business Partner and would like to attend, please email Scott Beavers, MISys Channel Manager, or telephone 802/457-4600 x286 for the login information. We hope you'll join us.

Dateline Woodstock:
Regardless of where you live or work, there's a good chance that your evening news is dominated by two topics: 1) who is really the Democratic nominee for the US Presidency and 2) how much gas and oil costs in your neck of the woods. Since everyone (except one) knows the answer to the first question, Vermonters spend most of their time contemplating the impact the answer to the second question will have on our rural lives. On a recent trip to Florida (a state where the maximum elevation is measured in inches) we counted 3 sightings of Toyota Prius' and 8,457 Lincoln Navigators, Ford Explorers, Chevy Suburbans, and other gas guzzlers. Here in Woodstock, the Prius' are more common than mosquitoes. Gas may be hovering around $4/gallon but Woodchucks take great delight in 1) staying home and 2) traveling over 500 miles on one 10-gallon fill-up. Local businesses are adjusting for what may be a slow tourist season. Jake and Irv Samuels, the brothers who run the local RV park, have announced what they think is an innovative idea. The Samuels boys own 26 motor homes that they customarily rent to tourists who wish to visit various geographic and historic sites around the state. Problem is, the RVs average 8-10 miles per gallon. So the boys have announced their "Stay At Home Vermont Plan." The idea is that, for a yet undisclosed price, you get to stay in one of their "deluxe motor homes" and experience what Real Vermonters do most every day -- you go absolutely nowhere. Cleverly, Jake and Irv have contracted with Vermont Outdoor Sign Company to produce 26 large-format pictures of the Top Tourist Sites in Vermont. To entice prospective customers and make their visit to Vermont all the more authentic, the boys plan to position one of these pictures on each side of their units. According to Jake, "We'll move the pictures each night so that, in the course of a week, ou! r people will feel like they have seen the entire state." All without burning a gallon of gasoline!

MISys SAE Compatibility. There are no known compatibility issues between MISys SAE version 5.4 and Sage Accpac ERP version 5.5. The integration of Accpac Serialized Inventory and Lot Tracking and MISys SAE Serial/Lot Tracking has not been tested.
MISys SAE Development Roadmap. Historically, MISys has released a new version of its manufacturing software within 4 to 6 months following the release of the new Sage Accpac ERP version. We anticipate the release of MISys SAE version 5.5 within this time-frame, including all previous Service Packs, and any new functionality that may be feasible to implement.

Sage Endorses MISys SAE. Sage Software, Inc. has endorsed MISys Manufacturing as the official manufacturing solution for its Sage Accpac ERP accounting line. The announcement of his endorsement was made by Laurie Schultz, Accpac's Senior Vice President and General Manager, at the Annual Sage Insights Conference in Washington, D.C. last week.
Since it's original release nearly 20 years ago, the Sage Accpac ERP system has been missing a key manufacturing component which was believed to be critical to a large segment of the Accpac target market. MISys has been selling its product (without any official endorsement) into this space since 1985.
For Manufacturing Information Systems, this official endorsement by Sage opens up a huge opportunity estimated at 20% of its total market. "This new relationship with Sage is a real shot in the arm for MISys because it makes a bold statement that our business partners have been wanting to hear for many years. What Sage is saying is that Accpac ERP now has a manufacturing component that is every bit as reliable as the rest of the Accpac suite. It gives our prospective customers and business partners substantial confidence in our product" commented David Brown, MISys' VP of Marketing.
MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP is distributed exclusively through Sage Accpac business partners in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and beyond. Additional information about the product can be obtained from the MISys website at www.misysinc.com/accpac.

Dateline Woodstock:
People joke about small towns and how at around five pm they roll up the sidewalks. Here in Woodstock this week, there is so little happening (read no tourists, no nothing) that the state has contracted with FW Whitcomb & Co. (a local highway construction contractor) to roll up not only our sidewalks but also our streets. Mind you that most of the streets in the town of Woodstock are actually dirt roads, which works out extremely well. If you live in a place where winter temperatures dip down to 20 below zero or more like they do here, and there isn't that much traffic, you are actually better off with a dirt road than you are with a paved road. The boys from the Woodstock Highway Department make a couple of passes each year with the Town Grader and our many miles of dirt roads are kept in A1 condition. But the main roads, like the one running through the middle of Woodstock, are paved ! and they take quite a beating from the trucks, and busses, and all the tourist traffic that flows through our town. So the push is on for Whitcomb to grind up the existing asphalt and replace it with new, smooth pavement. All this commotion has driven the Wild Animals out of the hills and down into the center of town. John Chisholm, the State Wildlife expert tells us that moose and black bears are actually attracted to the smell of diesel exhaust, which may explain why 2 moose were spotted on the front steps of the Woodstock Library this week, and a family of black bears has been hanging around the ATM machine at the Woodstock Bank. Woodchucks are quite accustomed to sharing their backyards with moose, bear, and other furry things, but when the tourists come back next month we are hoping that FW Whitcomb will be done and the mooses and bears will have followed them on to their next job.

The MISys guys have been busy the last two weeks with two road trips. First, it was off to Tucson and a visit to the Intuit sales and support group where approximately 5,000 QuickBooks sales, service and support folks work under the roof of a three football-sized stadium building. The MISys guys spent two days talking about and demonstrating MISys SBM to folks who spend their working days talking to QuickBooks customers about accounting and 3rd party add-on products. No sooner had the MISys guys returned to Vermont than they were on the road again to attend and exhibit at the Sage Insights show in Maryland. They manned the booth and conducted sessions taking and meeting with many MISys business partners and Sage staff demostrating the new integration between MISys SBM and Sage Accpac ERP. The road weary guys have retuned to the wilds of Vermont getting a breather before the start of the Summer trade shows.

Accpac Releases Sage Accpac ERP Version 5.5. In case you didn't hear about it, Accpac has just released a new version of its ERP system. Predictably, we are receiving a number of inquiries asking whether MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP (aka MISys SAE) is compatible with the new version of Accpac accounting. Currently the MISys Engineering Department is having its first look at Accpac ERP v5.5, paying particular attention to any changes that may have been made that could materially impact the points of integration we have with the product. We believe that we can have a definitive statement for our end users and business partners about the compatibility of MISys SAE version 5.4 with Accpac version 5.5 before May 15th. Stay tuned!
We will be seeing many of our business partners at the Sage Insights Conference which opens on May 12th. If you are at the show, please stop by the MISys booth for the latest information about compatibility and the future direction of MISys SAE version 5.x. We've got some great news to share with you!

MISys Expands Sure Start Program for MISys SBM. Our efforts to establish a reliable start-up service for brand new users of MISys Small Business Manufacturing has been so enthusiastically received that we have expanded our original program into a new 3-tier Sure Start Program which couples installation support, implementation support, and on-going technical support.
Users who desire additional services beyond those included in the standard plan may contract with MISys on an a-la-carte basis. Please contact MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600 for details.

Dateline Woodstock:
We don't have any statistical evidence to submit, but we believe Vermonters as a whole (and Woodchucks in particilar) are behaving as proactively as anyone to curb our individual carbon footprints. We believe that, should the polar ice caps really melt at the rate those scientists are predicting, we have as good a chance as any of waking up one morning and finding ourselves festooned with kelp. Those of us who have traded our 100 watt bulbs for high-efficiency fluorescent bulbs and our Jeep Grand Cherokees for Toyota Priuses were dealt a significant setback this week when the Woodstock Athletic Committee unveiled the new night lighting for the WBD (Woodstock Baseball Diamond). The Diamond is now surrounded by six 80-foot stainless steel poles -- each topped with 25 gleaming 4,000 watt high-intensity flood lights. The design for the WBD looked good on paper, but it has had a few unexpected side effects. First of all, by the third inning of last night's game, the Woodstock Ice Arena noticed a big wet puddle in center ice. So they were forced to crank up their cooling plant to HIGH (requiring an additional 800 kilowatts per hour). Fortunately, they were able to refreeze the rink just in time for the Woodstock PeeWee hockey game to begin. On the saving side of the equation, new numbers coming out of the Woodstock Highway Department indicate that the Town can save $540 per night by dousing all streetlights while games are being played at the WBD. Last week the State of Vermont sent its highway inspectors down to Woodstock with their high-tech multi-array photovoltaic sensors to confirm that, during a baseball game, the light level on every sidewalk, street, and corner exceeded 1800 lumens -- a level deemed by the Vermont Department of Fishing to be sufficent for tying flies outdoors at midnight. Although there are many of us who still believe new lighting at the WBD has upset the balance of our carbon offsets, we were beginning to think that cooperation between the Woodstock Athletic Committee and the Woodstock Highway Department just might work out. Unfortunately, the local chapter of the American Cancer Society has weighed in on the matter, arguing that the Town must agree to provide each player, coach, and spectator with a free bottle of sun block (SPF 45 or higher) before the next game is played.

Advanced Training on MISys SBM. We are hearing from more and more users of MISys SBM who would like to participate in an on-line training course covering Manufacturing Orders, Master Production Scheduling, and Material Requirements Planning. If you are among these users but haven't put your name of our wait-list, please contact MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600 to register your interest. We have not yet picked a date for Advanced Training on MISys SBM, but your interest could spirit us on. There is no cost or obligation to be on our wait-list, so call 802/457-4600 today!
Training on MISys SAE. Speaking of training, users who can benefit from additional training on MISys SAE should not miss the Basic Training and Advanced Training workshops scheduled for the week of May 19th and June 2nd respectively. Click here for more information or contact MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600.

MISys SBM Update Released. A new update for MISys Small Business Manufacturing was released earlier this week. This update fixes a number of little bugs which have been discovered recently. A list of the changes in version 2.8.0.2 is posted in the Public Notices area of the MISys Community Forums. When you next log in to MISys SBM, watch for the pop-up message urging you to update your software. This process is quick and easy, so we hope you click the OK button and update your software today.

Dateline Woodstock:
There are two groups of people who live here in Woodstock: those who want Spring to come as soon as possible, and those who want Winter to linger on as long as possible. You might be surprised to learn that, despite their apparently disparate points of view, these people get along quite well. Those of you who live in parts of the United States (or the world for that matter) where the snow has already melted can sympathize with Vermonters who still have 1 to 2 feet of the white stuff in their dooryards. Many of us haven't seen bare ground since the beginning of October, so we can't wait for the last remnant of the winter to disappear and for green grass and real flowers to appear. On the other side are all the maple sugar makers who are tending their fires hoping that the sap will keep flowing a few more days, even a week or so, so they can get a good c! rop of sweet maple syrup in. Here in Vermont a good maple crop is an economic necessity. Or tiny state is the top maple syrup producer in the United States, and many Vermont farmers depend on it for their livelihood. Starting about mid-March, maple syrup makers (called "sugarmakers") start drilling small holes (called "taps") in large stands of sugar maple trees. All up the side of a Vermont hill you can see hundreds of trees connected to each other with plastic tubing, with 2 or 3 taps per tree each contributing a steady but slow drip, drip, drip of clear and tasteless sap. At the bottom of the hill, each drip has turned into a gusher of sap which collects in a 200-500 gallon tank. The contents of the tank is pumped out quickly and transported to the "sugarhouse" where it is heated to 217'F and about 39 gallons of water out of every 40 gallons of sap are boiled away as sweet-smelling steam. What is left is bottled and used by Vermonters on blueberry pancakes (the official ! state breakfast). What we don't use ourselves is sold to tourists (cal led "people from away"). Our neighbor Mary, over at Top Acres Farm, is just finishing a great crop of Fancy and Grade A syrup which she can ship anywhere in the US in quart cans. If you'd like to sample some of Vermont's finest, give Mary a call at 802/457-3779 with your particulars. You won't be disappointed.

Training on MISys SAE. Speaking of training, users who can benefit from additional training on MISys SAE should not miss the Basic Training and Advanced Training workshops scheduled for the week of May 19th and June 2nd respectively. Click here for more information or contact MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600.
New Service Pack For MISys SAE. A new Service Pack for MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP (MISys SAE) version 5.4 was released last week. All users of MISys SAE v5.4 should download and install this update as soon as possible. The best way to get this Service Pack is to click the CHECK FOR UPDATES button when you next log in. This will take you directly to the file you need to download. You can also download the file from the MISys Web site.
The details of this and other Service Packs for MISys SAE are posted in the Public Notices area of the MISys SAE Community Forums. If you don't currently have access to these forums, it takes just a moment to register. Once registered and your registration is confirmed, you will have regular access to a world of information about MISys Manufacturing software.

MISys Manufacturing Satisfaction Survey. The recently completed survey of users running various versions of MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP (MISys SAE) has yielded some very valuable insights into how our customers are using the software, what they find most valuable, and what functionality (if any) they would like to see in future versions of the product.
Clearly, seamless integration with Sage Accpac integration is still a very important reason why manufacturers buy Accpac in the first place -- and why they stick with Accpac. By and large, users are exercising the full range of integration with Accpac; integrating with General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Inventory Control, and Order Entry. On the other hand, the majority of users reported that they did not feel they were using the full pallet of features available to them, and that additional training would help alleviate this.
Each user who completed the survey received a $1000 reward, issued as a credit toward the purchase of selected products. This credit expires on May 1, 2008 so, if you are one of those who completed the survey, don't forget to make your purchase (either through your business partner or directly with MISys) before the end of this month. For more information, or to claim your reward, contact MISys Sales at 802/457-4600.

Dateline Woodstock:
About this time every year, Vermonters start thinking about Spring. Not that Spring will be sprung anytime soon, but we find no small comfort in just thinking about it. One of the major events of Spring, one that you may not have heard about, is the Joe’s Pond Ice-Out Contest. The contest came about as a result of cabin fever. In the mid 1980’s, Jules Chatot, a Joe’s Pond summer resident for many years, regularly visited his camp in the winter. He and his family and friends would hang out together to party, snowmobile, play cards—it was like “deer camp” in the dead of winter, or “spring break” in deep snow with howling winds and muddy roads. The weather is always a favorite topic of conversation among Vermonters, and by late February or March people in the area of Joe’s Pond invariably expand it! to “when do you think the ice will go out?”
Jules and his friends had been making wagers for years about when the ice would be gone. They’d go into West Danville every day for coffee at the Joe’s Pond Country Store or for supplies at Hasting’s store, and naturally local folks had strong opinions and took up the challenge. Jules kept track for everyone in a little notebook he kept in his pocket.
Jules was president of the Joe’s Pond Association and sometime in late 1987, he and his buddies decided to turn the rapidly expanding friendly game into a real contest. They decided “a buck a guess” was fair, but then they needed some foolproof way to determine the actual time the ice was out. They put their heads together and came up with the hi-tech, sophisticated control system that is still in use now, twenty-one years later. They placed an old electric clock (now estimated to be at least 40 years old) on Homer and Elsie Fitts’ deck, tethered it to a cinder block wired to a wooden pallet placed 50 feet or more out on the ice just off the fishing access by the Fitts’ camp, and there it was—the perfect solution to inevitable arguments about when the ice was actually out of all the nooks and crannies and coves of the pond. When the block went down, the clock stopped, and that w! as it—the “official” ice-out time. Whoever guessed closest to the date and time the clock stopped won the contest.
That first year, April of 1988, there were a few hundred people in the game. By 1990, there were 1500 tickets sold, and to keep track of all the names, times, and dates, Jules’ daughter, Judy, set up a database. In 1994, Manuel “Chico” Carcoba took over the database and logged in 2,500 tickets. The game has grown steadily over the years, and in 2007, “Chico” logged in over 9,000 tickets. People all over the United States and some from overseas play the game.
The Joe’s Pond Ice-Out Contest isn’t as much about winning (although last year the winner got $4,216!!), it is more about playing the game and shaking off some of the effects of a long, cold Vermont winter and muddy spring—and it’s about having fun. We aren’t sure why so many folks from other states like to get into the game, but it sure makes it more interesting for everyone.
After expenses, proceeds are split between the Joe's Pond Association and the contest winner. The Ice-Out Contest is the biggest fundraiser the Association has. Joe's Pond Association's share of the proceeds is used for its free public July Fourth Fireworks display.

MISys SBM Currency. One of the lesser-known features of MISys SBM, but of critical importance to companies operating in a global economy, is the ability to create multi-currency purchase orders. MISys SBM maintains a table of foreign (aka source) currencies and the current exchange rate to your home (aka functional) currency. When the multi-currency capability of the program is enabled, you can create a purchase order for any of the available currencies. The program will print the PO in the selected currency, but it can display the PO in either the functional or source currency. The applicable exchange rate is stored within the purchase order, so subsequent changes to the exchange rate do not affect an order once it is issued. Maintaining accurate exchange rates is easy, too. Because MISys SBM is a Microsoft .Net-based product, it can update its table of currency! exchange rates automatically from those published by the US Federal Reserve Bank. Cool!

Dateline: Woodstock - Like much of the country, Vermonters are breathing a sigh of relief that the transition of government in neighboring New York seems to have been completed on Monday without event. Rumors had circulated at the end of last week that New Jersey would take advantage of the fact that New York had no sitting Governor and was preparing to stage a coup which would expand New Jersey's influence north and east. Vermonters have a heathy respect for people from New Jersey (their SUV's are responsible for 28% of the gasoline sold in Vermont) but, frankly, we are not that excited about having them as neighbors. Since Ethan Allen began his fight against the Province of New York in 1777, Vermonters have been wary of flatlanders invading the Green Mountains of the Vermont Republic. Over the years we have become quite comforatble with our neighbors to the west, resting in the certain knowledge that managing ! the largest city in the United States would keep the power-mongers well occupied and away from people who just wanted to be left alone. Today, you will notice very little change as you travel west from Rutland, Vermont to Glenns Falls, New York except, curiously, that Cabot cheddar cheese sold in New York is colored bright orange, while the identical cheese sold in Vermont is its natural yellowish white. We're not quite sure why such cultural differences still remain after 230 years of peaceful coexistence. We can only image the cultural clash resulting from an unfriendly takeover by New Jesey. Good thing Ethan Allen didn't feel he needed to take up the fight over the proper color of cheese.

Network Server Selection. Whether you run MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP or MISys Small Business Manufacturing, you have a number of deployment options. Both products are multi-tiered client-server applications, meaning that a significant amount of the "heavy lifting" is done by program code residing on a common network-accessed computer. Over the years, computer hardware suppliers have introduced "server" computers specially geared to such a task. At the same time, computer software suppliers have introduced "server operating systems" specially designed to handle the tasks associated with feeding data to many "clients." From time to time we hear of users who have decided to deploy their MISys software on a local desktop computer, or on a computer that is accessible to multiple users over a local area network. Such a deployment places a huge load on computer hardware and software least able to handle it. The result is frustratingly slow operation. If you intend to install MISys SAE or MISys SBM for a number of people to share, we strongly urge that you invest in 1) a dedicated network server (meaning that you are not running other applications on it, and 2) you run a network operating system on it (meaning not Windows XP, most likely Microsoft Windows Server 2003 <http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/> or Windows Server 2008 <http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/> ).

Caribbean Adventure 2008. Plans are now being made for our Caribbean Adventure <http://www.misysinc.com/sail/> which will take us back to the British Virgin Islands in the sunny Caribbean later this year. Currently 3 cabins are available in our 50-foot yacht in which we will explore Sir Francis Drake Passage and the surrounding islands the first week of December. Those who have been on previous adventures report that our customary agenda of 1-hour of intensive training on MISys manufacturing software followed by up to 23 hours of recuperation fit perfectly their desire to read, swim, snorkel, and relax. If you are more comfortable squinshing your toes in the white sand of a sun-drenched beach that you are starring at your computer screen for hours on end, consider coming along. Read the FAQ online or email dave@misys! inc.com <mailto:dave@misysinc.com> for more details.

MISys SAE Satisfaction Survey. Many users of MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP (aka MISys SAE) in the US and Canada have already completed our new Satisfaction Survey. Information derived from this survey will help our system designers and software engineers in their development of the next version of MISys SAE. As a reward for devoting a few minutes of their time, MISys SAE users who complete the survey will receive a $1000 credit toward the purchase of selected products. If you haven't completed the survey, time is running out. Complete the survey and claim your reward by going to www.misysinc.com/$1000 right now.

Dateline - WOODSTOCK
Many people around the world have their eyes set on Texas and Ohio today as American voters go to the polls in those states to help determine the next President of the United States. Occassional news reports mention the fact that the state of Vermont is doing the same thing. The difference of course is that Vermont has so few delegate votes that the system used by the Republican and Democratic parties doesn't afford Vermont residents much opportunity to actually influence the outcome of the election. Not that Vermonters are daunted by the hand they have been dealt in national elections. As a percentage of the population, Vermonters are more enthusiastic, more opinionated, and more committed to the candidate of their choice than those in any other state in the Union. Political positions are fiercely debated all over the state, and locally at the Woodstock Squat and Goobble, where townies are! known to gather around the woodstove to discuss all manner of subjects ranging from how to sex a chick to the impact of Ralph Nader running from President, again. Even though Vermonters are resigned to taking a back seat in the national political scene, they are not unfamiliar with participation politics. Last Saturday, a couple hundred Woodchucks gathered at Woodstock Town Hall for Town Meeting. While it is not manditory that one wear a plaid shirt and suspenders, those who don't mark themselves as "people from away" otherwise known as "flatlanders." Town Meeting this year was well attended, but slow going. Several residents had asked that we close debate on an Article that would have approved a new set of tools for the Highway Superintendent. Debate had raged for almost an hour over the relative merit of box wrenches versus open-end wrenches when 8 people requested a paper ballot (legally, it takes only 7 people to request a paper ballot). So off we went to the checklist! and the ballot box. The good news is that 45 minutes later, the voter s of Woodstock, Vermont had decided to purchase the Highway Superintendent a brand new set of 38 box-end wrenches, worth $349 at the local Sears store. Sure, it wasn't a lot of money, but somehow the whole exercise feels a lot more satifying than arguing over who is really going to be the Master of Change.

Version 2.8 Upgrade. A great many users of MISys Small Business Manufacturing have now successfully upgraded to version 2.8. We are working to have everyone upgraded by the end of the month. If you are using MISys SBM and you have not yet upgraded, please do so soon. It is extremely easy to do and totally inexpensive. Detailed upgrade instructions are posted on the MISys website. If you have questions about the process, please contact MISys Customer Service.

Sure Start Program Revamped. The MISys Sure Start Program, which provides startup services to new users of MISys Small Business Manufacturing, has recently been revamped to include technical support options. As before, every MISys SBM user is automatically paired up with their own Sure Start Consultant, a personal implementation manager who will coach them through the process of installing and setting up the software. Under the new program, users will also choose one of three different support plans which will provide easy access to our support technicians once they are up and running on MISys SBM. For more information about the new Sure Start Program and the available options, check the MISys website.

Dateline - WOODSTOCK
Many of our readers are getting excited about the prospects of Winter ending and Spring coming. Even though February brings longer days and warming sun, we don't indulge in even contemplating Spring until well into April. Here in Woodstock, we are deep into Pothole Season, which comes before Mud Season in late March. The cycle of sub-zero temperatures followed by a relatively warm rain yesterday has torn up large chunks of Main Street. There are three holes in front of the Woodstock Bank each able to swallow large dogs. The water-filled pit in front of the Woodstock Hardware Store already has one large truck tire in it -- torn off when Elmer Brashaw hit the hole in his F-150 in the early morning light. You might expect the highway department in your town to dash right out and fix such problems as this. But in Woodstock, our version of the Traffic Report tells us where the potholes are and h! ow to avoid the worst of them. In a few a few weeks, Mud Season will arrive and warming temperatures will cause mud to ooze up through every imaginable orifice, conveniently filling potholes that we not previously filled with miscellaneous auto parts. Because the Woodstock Highway Department knows this cycle and can count on it year after year, they save an average of $1,500 per year on unnecessary repair work. Each year when the Highway Superintendent gives his report to the residents attending Town Meeting, the news that we have saved more than last year on unnecessary highway repair work seems to trump the fact that Elmer Brashaw and others spent a total of $82,350 on repair work and wheel alignment. Fortunately, Town Meeting is always scheduled just before the opening of Maple Sugar Season -- when no one wants to think about sub-zero temperatures, potholes, torn of tires, and bent rims. When Maple Sugar Season comes, we're busy and looking forward to Spring.

MISys SAE Satisfaction Survey. All users of MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP (aka MISys SAE) in the US and Canada should be on the lookout for an invitation to complete our new Satisfaction Survey. This survey is intended to find out what our existing users like about our software, what they don't like, and how they would like it to change. As an incentive for devoting a few minutes of their time, MISys SAE users who complete the survey will receive a $1000 credit toward the purchase of selected products. If you haven't received your invitation, you can claim your reward today by going to www.misysinc.com/$1000 right now.

MISys To Exhibit At Sage Insights 2008. With the snow knee deep and temperatures hovering near zero, green grass and flowering shrubs may seem far off, but weeks are counting down rapidly to the annual Sage Insights Conference which will be held in Washington DC starting on May 12th. MISys will be exhibiting its products at this impo! rtant conference and the MISys executive team will be on hand to answer any questions and to discuss our product roadmap with our valued business partners. We hope to see you there!

K2 Enterprises Endorses MISys SBM. K2 Enterprises, an organization consisting of business consultants and technology evangelists that provides program content to professional accountants throughout the United States and Canada, has recently endorsed MISys Small Business Manufacturing for its 2008 programs.
Randy Johnston, K2's Executive Vice President says "MISys has decades of experience in manufacturing and they bring that to the QuickBooks market with the depth of knowledge, experience and completeness in their product. Integrating MISys SBM into QuickBooks is an excellent value, and solves inventory and manufacturing issues elegantly. This product should cost hundreds if not thousands more than it does, and it should be considered whenever a client has manufacturing operations."

MISys Small Business Manufacturing Version 2.8 Available Now! The worker bees at MISys, Inc. are pleased to announce that version 2.8 of MISys SBM was released earlier this week. All current users of MISys SBM will be notified of the available upgrade when they next log in to the product. This new software includes many enhancements and bug fixes, plus a powerful new Serial/Lot Tracking module. You can review a comprehensive list of the changes in version 2.8 by visiting the MISys SBM Community Forums.
If you would like to see exactly how MISys SBM's Serial/Lot Tracking module works, contact the MISys Sales Office at 802/457-4600 or register online the view the MISys SBM Demos which include a section of Serial/Lot Tracking.

It's been awhile since we blogged along on anything MISys but we have exciting news in that MISys Serial/Lot Tracking (MISys SLT) for MISys Small Business Manufacturing (MISys SBM) is ready for general release at the end of the month. If you need to track serial numbers or lot numbers for raw material items or finished goods then take a look at MISys SLT here: http://www.misysinc.com/misbm/mislt.php. If you are a mnaufacturer, then ask yourself these four questions:
1.) How much of a serial or lot tracked item do I have in stock
2.) Which assembly contains these tracked items as components
3.) Which tracked items were used as components in this assembly
4.) Where did the finsihed good I assembled go

If any of these are what you need to know then you need MISys SLT.

In order to implement MISys SLT you must have at least the MISys SBM Basic Manufacturing module installed. Also remember that MISys SBM works with QuickBooks (Pro, Premiere, and Enterprise), Simply Accounting, Peactree Accounting, Microsoft Office Accounting, and Adagio. We have deeper integration with QuickBooks and MS Office Accounting. For sales call our office at 802/457-4600.