New Email Service
Starting with this issue of the MISys Update Newsletter, we are using a new broadcast email service which has necesssitated a few changes in the way our newsletter appears and is delivered.

First, our service provider strongly recommends limiting the width of the newsletter to 600px instead of our customary 1000px format. Determined to keep the 2-column format that has worked so well these many years, everything had to shrink, including the type size. We hope in doing so that we won't lose too many middle-aged readers.

In order to conform with the spirit and letter of anti-spamming laws, we had accumulated a list of customers who asked to be unsubscribed. We have painstakenly ported the old list over to the new service so, hopefully, we won't mail to anyone who doesn't wish to hear from us. If we fail anywhere along the line, please accept our sincere apology and click the UNSUBSCRIBE button that appears at the bottom of this page.

Your feedback about the new look and feel of our newsletter is always welcome.

Dateline Woodstock
We know that for many readers, April is a month to enjoy the Spring. Here in Vermont, April is still a winter month with an indication that Spring may be just hiding. Lately signs have indicated that the Solstace is inching its way northward. Last week marked the official Ice Out over at Joe's Pond. In case you didn't hear about this event on the evening news (it probably didn't make the cut) let us remind you that the good folks over at Harry's Hardware in Cabot; Joe's Pond Country Store and Hasting's Store, Dente's Market, Hope Cemetery, Barre Optical, Berg, Carmolli and Kent, and Yankee Clipper Barber Shop sell tickets to people who guess when the ice will melt. Proceeds from the campaign go to local charities. Determining the exact moment of ice melt was always an imprecise science until some clever Vermonters decided to rig an electric clock and an extension cord to a chair placed out on the ice. When the chair plunges through the ice, the cord is pulled out of the electric wall socket, and the clock stops. When the cord is retrieved and the clock raised, the official "ice out" time is announced to the world. When we called Fred Brown to find out how the ice was holding up he told us "There is still ice on the pond, but the rule is the ice out time is determined by the time the clock stops. That occurred in an unusual way this year: the winds were strong enough last night to push the mass of ice north; the flag and the block on which the flag sits moved with the ice and broke the electrical connection, and that stopped the clock. If you pass by the pond, you will see that the flag is still standing! My neighbor Homer said he doesn't think it has ever happened quite this way before."
So, that's the story of Joe's Pond for this year. Tickets will be on sale beginning in July.

Whew! I can't remember when we took so long to post to the MISys blog. Must be because the MISys Guys are so busy putting out great products! There is one item I'd like to remind all our MISys business partners about and that is the upcoming pre-conference training on MISys SBM which occurs on May 10th and 11th in Nashville. If you are going to Sage Insights this year you should take advantage of our pre-conference training which starts just before the Insights conference itself.

Take a moment to review the agenda along with completing the online registration form.

This workshop is being held exclusively for Sage Certified Consultants and Business Partners who wish to learn all about MISys SBM and get a better understanding of what types of manufacturing companies can benefit from MISys SBM and learn how you can get involved in a very lucrative industry. The session will conclude on May 11th with plenty of time to get to the Executive Keynote Address.

We encourage you to attend this training workshop to learn more about this awesome opportunity!

In The News:

MISys SAE Website Has New Home. Most all the content related to MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP has moved to a new web home at http://www.accpacmfg.com/. Since becoming an Endorsed Partner, MISys has been working on several fronts to align its marketing efforts with those of Sage Accpac. Earlier last year, Sage added manufacturing to its Accpac website to tell the overall story of MISys Manufacturing. This new site picks up with all the detail you need to know about Sage Accpac Manufacturing powered by MISys.

Pricing Model for MISys Small Business Manufacturing. To keep initial costs as low as possible for small businesses, MISys has adopted a 2-part pricing model for its SBM product. With the Basic Manufacturing module plus one user license priced at just $2500, MISys SBM is one of the most affordable manufacturing solutions on the market. An annual license renewal fee of 18% is assessed based on the MSRP of the licensed components. There is no charge to currently licensed users for any program updates that may be released. Updates are delivered automatically via the Internet and can be installed whenever convenient. For information about pricing for other MISys SBM configurations, please contact the MISys Sales Department at 802/457-4600.

Dealer Training Comes To Sage Insights 2009. The special 2-day training workshop covering all aspects of MISys Small Business Manufacturing has just a few seats left for Accpac and Peachtree business partners. If you are attending Sage Insights 2009 in May, don't miss this opportunity to learn what you need to sell this state-of-the-art manufacturing solution. MISys SBM integrates seamlessly with Accpac ERP, Peachtree, Simply, QuickBooks, Microsoft Office, and Adagio accounting systems. Check the agenda and register online today!

Professional Sales Assistance Available. Not a manufacturing expert yet? Accpac and Peachtree business partners are reminded that professional assistance is available from the MISys Sales Department to help demonstrate and sell MISys SBM. To claim a prospect as your own, first register the prospect online. While you are at it, be sure to accept or decline professional sales assistance.

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.

In The News:

MISys/Accpac Partners: URGENT NOTICE!Last call on Sage Insights Pre-conference Training Earlybird Special. We are just days away from your last chance you will have to save $100 on the two-day training event scheduled for May 10 and 11 in Nashville, just prior to the opening of the Sage Insights 2009 Conference. This is a must attend event for MISys Business Partners to learn all about MISys Small Business Manufacturing and the future of our integration with Accpac ERP and Peachtree Accounting. Please visit the online agenda and registration form. Again, you can save $100 per attendee by registering before March 15, 2009.

MISys SAE Website Relocates. Information about MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP (aka MISys SAE) is in the process of moving to a beautiful new home at http://www.accpacmfg.com/. If you don't find the information you want on our corporate site at http://www.misysinc.com/, please check http://www.accpacmfg.com/. If you don't find it there, please contact our webmaster@misysinc.com.

MISys Technical Support Price Change. Since announcing the price change for technical support contracts in the last issue of this newsletter, we've fielded a number of inquiries asking whether Standard Support for MISys SAE will still be free. The answer is NO. Effective April 1, 2009 Standard Support (48-hour email support for MISys SAE or MISys SBM) will cost $90/month. Priority Support (unlimited telephone support for MISys SAE or MISys SBM) will cost $180/month. If you already have a Standard or Priority Support contract, the price change will not affect you until your contract expires.

There is no need to renew each month. If you leave a credit card on account, we will charge the appropriate amount to your credit card each month, until you cancel your service.

Current holders of Upgrade Subscription Plans for MISys SAE will receive FREE STANDARD SUPPORT as one of their plan benefits.

If you have any questions about how these adjustments affect you, or to purchase an Upgrade Subscription Plan for MISys SAE, please contact MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600.

MISys SBM User Group. This is a reminder that the MISys SBM User Group meets online every Wednesday afternoon at 2:00pm Eastern Time. To join the meeting, just click the link that appears in the InfoCenter panel whenever you log into MISys SBM. Conference call and VOIP information is also provided.

In The News:

MISys Technical Support Price Change. Effective April 1, 2009 the following price changes will take affect:

Priority Support (unlimited telephone support for MISys SAE or MISys SBM) - $180/month

Standard Support (48-hour email support for MISys SAE or MISys SBM) - $90/month

Peer Support (forum-based technical support for MISys SAE or MISys SBM from other users and Team MISys volunteers) - FREE!

The effect of these changes is to unify the support offering for MISys SAE and MISys SBM.

Current holders of Upgrade Subscription Plans for MISys SAE will receive FREE STANDARD SUPPORT as one of their plan benefits.

If you have any questions about how these adjustments affect you, or to purchase an Upgrade Subscription Plan for MISys SAE, please contact MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600.

MISys Versions Supported. With the recent release of MISys SAE version 5.5 and MISys SBM version 3.0, users are reminded that technical support is provided for the current version and one previous version. If you don't have the current version, don't get left behind. Contact MISys Customer Service at 802/457-4600 for help on choosing the right upgrade path.

Sage Insights Pre-conference Training. This is a reminder of the two-day training event scheduled for May 10 and 11 in Nashville, just prior to the opening of the Sage Insights 2009 Conference. Sage Partners attending Insights 2009 should take advantage of this opportunity to learn all about MISys Small Business Manufacturing and its tight integration with Accpac ERP and Peachtree Accounting. We have posted an online agenda and registration form. Again, this workshop is not open to end users, but is being held exclusively for Accpac and Peachtree business partners. The hotel meeting room has limited capacity and the workshop is expected to sell out early. You can save $100 per attendee by registering before March 15, 2009.
Renewed Appeal for MISys Mini-reviews. We still need some more MISys manufacturing software users and dealers who are willing to take a few moments to write just a few words about their experience with our software. Won't you PLEASE help us out? Click below if you are using (or selling): MISys Manufacturing for Sage Accpac ERP. MISys Small Business Manufacturing for Sage Peachtree (or Peachtree Quantum) Accounting.MISys Small Business Manufacturing for Sage Simply Accounting.
Those of you who grace us with a brief review of our software will earn the enduring appreciation of all the MISys staff, especially those of us who are still making tuition payments for our children.

Dateline Woodstock:

Toward the end of February each year, Vermonters begin to think that in just three or four months, the snow will melt and the trees will bud out. It will be Spring! Depending on where you live, you might think of 3-4 months as a long, long time to wait. But here in Vermont, there is much to be accomplished in such a very short time. For example, next week Vermonters are almost entirely absorbed in Town Government, with the official Town Meeting Day occurring on the first Tuesday of March. Woodchucks (citizens of Woodstock as they are affectionately known) will be meeting on Town Hall next Saturday to hear reports from each department of the Town Government and to consider the proposed budget for the 2009-2010 tax year. In your town you may not know who decided to buy that new fire engine, or the new road grader. But here in Woodstock, when a new piece of equipment shows up, we all know why it was purchased, what it costs, and what it will be used for. That's because, the previous year at Town Meeting, we, the townspeople, haggled over the expenditure, often for several hours. And haggling isn't reserved for large expenditures either. We are equal-opportunity hagglers and, for example, last year spent nearly an hour discussing how funds from the Road Maintenance Sinking Fund could be tapped to purchase a new set of box wrenches for Highway Department. (By the way, we don't actually have any highways in Woodstock, but we call it that just to allow for future expansion. Besides, the Dirt Road Department just doesn't have the same ring of importance.) Woodchucks are keenly aware that every appropriation they approve will have a measurable impact on their tax bill. Fortunately, Bill Jarvis, who made the pitch for the new box wrenches, had prepared and effective PowerPoint presentation and the matter passed handily with a floor vote of nearly 83%. Here in Woodstock, the larger issues, such as approving the multi-million dollar high school budget, is reserved for paper balloting the following Tuesday, the actual Town Meeting Day. They call this an Australian Ballot. Now we have quite a few Australian friends, but we have never figured out what is Australian about making a black mark inside a box on a paper ballot and shoving the whole thing into a machine resembling a backwards Xerox machine. Smaller items, such as an upgrade for the Town's copy of PowerPoint, are usually passed on a show of hands. As you watch the US Congress in action, you may think to yourself "It's a good thing they don't use the Vermont method to hammer things out." But then, we would argue that here in Woodstock, we're nearly as productive.