April 2, 2014 is the official release date for Sage 50 2015 (formerly Peachtree). So based my briefing with Sage as well as a few days of hands-on time with the new version, here is my my roundup of what’s new and changed in Sage 50 2015.

PRODUCT LINEUP CHANGES

  • The Complete edition is being retired and all Complete users will be upgraded to Sage 50 Premium when they install version 2015.
  • Construction, Distribution, Manufacturing, and Nonprofit editions of Sage 50 Premium are also being retired. These users will be upgraded to Sage 50 Quantum when they install version 2015.
  • More user options will be added. Instead of just 1,3, or 5 user options, Sage 50 Premium customers will now be able to choose the exact number of users they need: 1, 2, 3, 4,or 5 users. Quantum users will have those same options, as well as the 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40 user options that were already available.
  • New Monthly Subscription option is being offered for Business Care in addition to the current annual plan. Personally, I recommend staying with the annual plan. As I mentioned last month, the monthly plan is a true subscription model. If you cancel your subscription, your data will become view-only. The annual plan still gives you a perpetual license to use the software. In addition to that, even though the monthly payment option is marketed as more affordable, it is in fact more expensive. I’d like to give a special thanks to my 2nd and 3rd grade teachers who equipped me with the skills needed to figure out the total cost of 12 monthly payments.

COMPATIBILITY UPDATES

  • Microsoft Office 2013 is now supported. Support for Microsoft Office 2003 has been discontinued.
  • Windows server 2012 is now supported.
  • Windows XP is no l