CMS - Sage Abra HRMS

Introduction to Sage HRMS

2012-01-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

Introduction to Sage HRMS (For Prospective Customers)

Learn how Sage HRMS can make HR more strategic and solve your HR and payroll challenges with integrated solutions including HR, payroll, benefits, training, recruiting, and compliance.

Sage HRMS offers a flexible design and modular features to meet the needs of small and midsized companies.

Attend this free webcast to learn how Sage HRMS can help you more efficiently manage your workforce:

- Simplify benefits administration
- Ensure compliance
- Accurately manage attendance plans
- Streamline the recruiting process
- Allow employees to access personal information and enroll in benefits

Dates Available:

January 25, 2012, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
February 8, 2012, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
February 22, 2012, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
March 7, 2012, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Click here to register for this webinar or call 1-800-517-9099.

CMS Is Hiring A Part Time Inside Sales Representative

2012-01-20T09:41:00.002-05:00

CMS is hiring a part time Internal Sales Representative at our Farmington, CT office responsible for tracking new leads and making follow up calls to set appointments. The sales representative will report to the sales manager, and will have flexible hours.

Responsibilities -

Tracks and logs all new sales leads.
Follows up with phone calls.
Setting appointments.
Assist with Marketing campaigns to prospects.

Requirements -

Telemarketing and/or sales experience
Excellent communication skills

Please click here to apply:
https://www.irecruit-us.com/index.php?OrgID=I20090305

So, what's the deal with HR? Jerry Seinfeld to speak at SHRM's Annual Conference

2012-01-18T12:18:00.002-05:00

Very exciting news for Human Resource Professionals, comedian Jerry Seinfeld is scheduled to perform at the 2012 SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition in Atlanta, GA on June 26th.

The Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning comedian and “Seinfeld” TV star is among an impressive list of celebrities at the four-day conference that include keynote speakers former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, best-selling author Jim Collins and respected journalist Tom Brokaw.

The 64th annual conference takes place June 24-27 includes a vast selection of educational opportunities, workshops and the ability to network with HR professionals.

The keynote speaker for Monday, June 25, 2012, will be announced at a later date.

Read more at the SHRM Website.

http://annual.shrm.org/conference-glance

Webinar: Recent Court Case Rulings and What They Mean for HR

2012-01-12T13:08:00.002-05:00

It's up to HR to ensure that hiring, discipline, and termination practices are compliant with the law. Otherwise, you could put your company at risk of incurring costly fines, penalties, and employee lawsuits. This live one hour webcast will review the 2011 dockets of HR related cases, discussing specific findings and how they relate to day-to-day business operations.

This webcast has been approved for 1.00 (General) recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute.

Register:

January 24, 2012, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
January 25, 2012, 10:00AM - 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Please click here to register or call CMS at 800-517-9099.

This webcast will review the 2011 dockets for HR related court cases. A brief background of each case will be presented along with the outcome and discussion of the specific implications on the administration within the Human Resources function. Focus will be on federal court findings, although specific state findings that are relevant to HR, setting precedence for future findings, will be covered.

Participants will learn:

Which U.S. Supreme court rulings affect human resources and what you should be doing to protect your company.
Which state case rulings are setting precedence for future rulings that might affect your business.
Which cases will be ruled upon in early 2012, so employers and HR departments can be vigilant in following cases specific to their business practices.

Who Should Attend:

Attendees should include Human Resource Managers and business professionals in the U.S. who desire to become more knowledgeable in how business will be affected by legal decisions passed on during 2011.

HR Recertification Credits:
This webcast has been approved for 1.00 (General) recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute (www.hrci.org).

Certificates of completion will be provided upon request only to individually registered attendees. Attendance for the full webcast hour is required to receive recertification credits (partial credits cannot be provided). Groups of people participating in the webcast together must be registered and attend the webcast individually to receive certificates. Certificates will be sent via email to registered attendees in PDF form within 30 days of validated attendance. If you have additional questions, please email us at es_training@sage.com.

Presenter's Biography: Mary Anne Osborne, SPHR

With over 30 years' experience in the HR field, Mary Anne is well prepared to help businesses find solutions to their most troubling HR-related dilemmas. Her HR experiences have elevated her from HR Representative to the VP level in a multi-state healthcare industry leader before beginning her own consulting business. Along the way she spent time honing her skills in Employee Relations, Staffing, EEOC, Organizational Development, Compensation and Training in the telecommunications, financial, automotive, higher education and healthcare industries.

Register:

Please click here to register or call CMS at 800-517-9099.

Introduction to Sage Abra HRMS

2011-10-25T14:25:00.000-04:00

Introduction to Sage Abra HRMS (For Prospective Customers)

Learn how Sage Abra HRMS can make HR more strategic and solve your HR and payroll challenges with integrated solutions including HR, payroll, benefits, training, recruiting, and compliance.

Sage Abra HRMS offers a flexible design and modular features to meet the needs of small and midsized companies. Attend this webcast to learn how Sage Abra can help you more efficiently manage your workforce:

- Simplify benefits administration
- Ensure compliance
- Accurately manage attendance plans
- Streamline the recruiting process
- Allow employees to access personal information and enroll in benefits

November 2, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
November 16, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
November 30, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
December 14, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Click here to register for this webinar or call 1-860-678-4401.

Cost-Effective Compliance: What It Consists Of and How to Achieve It

2011-10-21T10:35:00.000-04:00

Cost-Effective Compliance: What It Consists Of and How to Achieve It

Compliance -- the very thought of implementing an HR "compliance system" typically strikes terror in the minds of HR managers and IT professionals alike. Attend this live webcast and learn what an HR "best practice" compliance system consists of, its benefits to your HR organization, and how to achieve it cost-effectively.

The amount of time and money required for an HR organization to adopt a system of "best practice" HR compliance rules can be considerable. And yet most -- if not all -- HR organizations will readily admit that the concept of compliance and operating by a set of "best business practices" within their HR departments can yield significant benefits.

Attend this live webcast and learn . . .

- Why an HR organization should strive to become compliant (and the resulting benefits).
- Why historical efforts at compliancy are so costly and resource intensive.
- How HR organizations can achieve compliancy in a cost-effective manner.

October 27, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
December 8, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Click here to register for this webinar or call 1-860-678-4401.

What's New in Sage HRMS 2012?

2011-10-12T13:30:00.000-04:00

What's New in Sage HRMS 2012 (formerly Sage Abra SQL HRMS)?

The newest version of Sage Abra SQL not only has a new name -- Sage HRMS 2012 -- but it also delivers some exciting new enhancements and modifications to human resources, benefits, time off, payroll, training, employee self service, benefits open enrollment, and more.

Join us for a sneak peek at what's new.

October 18, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
October 26, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
November 1, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Click here to register for this webinar or call 1-860-678-4401.

Paperless Payroll With the Sage Payroll PayCard

2011-10-11T14:30:00.000-04:00

October 13, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
October 27, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
November 3, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
November 10, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
November 17, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
December 1, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
December 8, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)December 15, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Click here to register for this webinar or call 1-860-678-4401.

The Data-Driven HR Organization: How to Achieve It and How to Benefit from It

2011-10-10T10:00:00.000-04:00

The Data-Driven HR Organization: How to Achieve It and How to Benefit from It

In your daily HR activities, have you ever said, "If only we had known . . . " about such things as excessive overtime, expiring certifications, or employee pay rate changes? If so, you can avoid doing so in the future by becoming a "data driven" HR organization. Attend this live webcast and learn how you can become a data-driven HR organization and provide a higher level of service to your organization.

October 13, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
November 10, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Click here to register for this webinar or call 1-860-678-4401.

Webinar: HR Actions HR Actions - Create, Route, Approve and Save Paperless Web-Based Forms

2011-10-07T14:05:00.001-04:00

HR Actions - Create, Route, Approve and Save Paperless Web-Based Forms

This introduction to HR Actions® for Sage Abra demonstrates how employees, managers, and administrators can easily submit web-based forms for any HR transaction, including performance appraisals. Join us to see how validated forms are routed for approval based upon your business rules and how approved forms update Sage Abra with the click of a mouse. Web self-service has never been easier!

October 12, 2011, 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
November 1, 2011, 11:00AM - 12:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
November 29, 2011, 11:00AM - 12:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
December 7, 2011, 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Click here to register for this webinar or call 1-860-678-4401.

American Jobs Act

2011-09-08T19:51:00.002-04:00

WASHINGTON – President Obama unveiled a surprisingly big $447 billion jobs package Thursday that's intended to spur business hiring and consumer spending in an economy that has sputtered almost to a halt.

Highlights include:

Tax credits for businesses hiring new employees
Tax credits for businesses hiring veterans
Tax credits for businesses hiring the long term unemployed
Reduction in payroll taxes

Continue reading at USA Today.

HR Actions for Sage Abra Webcast

2011-09-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

Attend this free webcast on Thursday, September 8th 2011 at 2:00 pm ET (Click to Register Now)

What is HR Actions for Sage Abra?

HR Actions® lets you streamline the collection and approval of employee data using the web. Now you can easily create paperless forms using any of the fields from Sage Abra HR to process any action from request to hire to termination and everything in between including status changes and performance appraisals.

• Accelerate HR and Payroll transactional processing throughout the employment lifecycle
• Keep employee information available and up to date across the enterprise
• Reduce HR’s dependency on IT Support
• Enforce company policy while minimizing errors
• Eliminate data entry from paper forms into Sage Abra HRMS
• Monitor and control forms throughout the entire routing process

Features at a Glance

• Manager Self-service
• Employee Self-service
• Performance Appraisal
• Easy-to-Use Form Builder
• Flexible Routing Based on Business Rules
• Real-time Monitoring and Control
• Detailed Audit Trail
• Security
• Customization
• Eliminate Data Entry

Register

To register for the HR Actions webcast please call 860-678-4401 or visit:
http://www.cmshris.com/hractions.html

CMS Brian Kelly Featured in Hartford Courant

2011-09-02T14:42:00.004-04:00

CMS's managing partner Brian Kelly was featured in the Hartford Courant earlier this week. He spoke to business reporter Mara Lee after experiencing power outages at our office following Hurricane Irene last weekend.

Click here to read "There Are Winners As Well As Losers, In Wake of Irene" at the Hartford Courant website.

Sage Abra HRMS and Return On Employee Investment

2011-08-09T16:18:00.003-04:00

Why are some companies thriving while others struggle to stay in business? What is the distinctive difference between a good company and a truly great company? The answers to these questions can only be found when looking at what defines the company: its people. The people that make up a company are that organization's unique and biggest asset. For most businesses, the workforce is also its largest expense, or better put, its largest investment.

For more information about Sage Abra HRMS and your Return on Employee Investment, including a free whitepaper, please visit: www.sageabra.com/roei or call CMS directly at 860-678-4401.

HR Actions for Sage Abra

2011-08-04T13:44:00.002-04:00

Attend this free webcast on Thursday, August 25th 2011 at 2:00 pm ET (Click to Register Now)

What is HR Actions for Sage Abra?

HR Actions® lets you streamline the collection and approval of employee data using the web. Now you can easily create paperless forms using any of the fields from Sage Abra HR to process any action from request to hire to termination and everything in between including status changes and performance appraisals.

• Accelerate HR and Payroll transactional processing throughout the employment lifecycle
• Keep employee information available and up to date across the enterprise
• Reduce HR’s dependency on IT Support
• Enforce company policy while minimizing errors
• Eliminate data entry from paper forms into Sage Abra HRMS
• Monitor and control forms throughout the entire routing process

Features at a Glance

• Manager Self-service
• Employee Self-service
• Performance Appraisal
• Easy-to-Use Form Builder
• Flexible Routing Based on Business Rules
• Real-time Monitoring and Control
• Detailed Audit Trail
• Security
• Customization
• Eliminate Data Entry

Register

To register for the HR Actions webcast please call 860-678-4401 or visit:
http://www.cmshris.com/hractions.html

Customer Alert: Connecticut State Income Tax Update

2011-07-28T05:06:00.003-04:00

Connecticut State Income Tax Calculation Update is Now Available

This alert is to notify you of Sage Employer Solution's response to recent Connecticut State Income Tax requirements. If you do not process payroll in the state of Connecticut, please disregard this Customer Alert.

Connecticut recently enacted legislation that makes significant changes to the State's Income tax withholding calculations retroactively to January 1, 2011. These income tax changes are in effect for the entire tax year. Employers are required to adjust the withholding amounts for employees affected by the new rates and additional provisions. Connecticut employers and tax payers need to implement the new tax rates and follow these additional requirements:

Allow for additional tax provisions to recapture tax from taxpayers over certain income brackets
Implement a tax rate phase out for the 3% tax rate
Perform catch-up withholding for the current tax year

To maintain compliance with the new Connecticut legislation effective August 1, 2011, as of July 26, 2011 Sage has a tax update specifically for users mandated to make these changes. The Sage Abra Suite Connecticut tax update contains provisions for the following:

To calculate the new withholding tax amount
Allow for the recapture amounts
Implement the phase out of the 3% tax rate
Calculate the catch-up amount for each employee affected.

These Updates are now Available for Download:

Download the update specific to your Abra version from SupportPlus Online.
Select Quarterly Tax Updates Available Here!
For Abra Suite v7.88, Select CT Tax Update v7.88.22 from either Site 1 or Site 2, download and save the CT_Tax_Updatev7.88.22.zip file to the appropriate location.
For Abra Suite v9.07, Select CT Tax Update v9.07.32.01 from either Site 1 or Site 2, download and save the SageAbraSuite09_073201.zip file to the appropriate location.
There is a new Crystal Report installed with the update in the ...\Data\CustomReports\Payroll folder CT Catch-Up Withholding.rpt.
Please read the Release Bulletin included with the Product Update for important information regarding changes and installation instructions.

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you need technical help with downloading or applying this Product Update. Give us a call at 860-678-4401 or send us an email (abratechsupport@sage.com).

Live Chat is available from SupportPlus Online. While not intended for the complex issues or balancing questions, Live Chat is great when you need help from a customer support representative on locating and applying the tax updates, locating pertinent documentation and locating our helpful videos.

Note for our customers processing payroll in the state of Connecticut: Our release of Abra Suite Version 9.1 will coincide within a few weeks of the 3rd Quarter Tax Updates. Therefore, Version 9.1 will not address the 'Connecticut State Income Tax Calculation Updates' until the 3rd Quarter 2011 product release for Version 9.1. If you are planning to upgrade to Version 9.1, we recommend upgrading with the availability of the 3rd Quarter product tax updates.

CMS Attends Staffing World

2011-07-26T09:30:00.002-04:00

CMS is excited to announce that we will be attending the American Staffing Association’s STAFFING WORLD® 2011 in New Orleans, LA Oct 11-14, 2011 with our friends from Computer Management Services, LLC.

Staffing World is the world's largest gathering of staffing and recruiting professionals. It is where industry leaders from around the world come together to share best practices and learn through case studies how to improve performance, develop innovative ideas, and create and sustain high-value companies.

Please visit us at Booth Number 924!

For information about our partnership with Computer Management Services please visit our Staffing Link 360 website.

For additional information about Staffing World 2011, please visit: http://www.americanstaffing.net/convention/

Webinar: In House or Outsourced Payroll Processing - Exploring the Options

2011-07-14T09:30:00.000-04:00

In House or Outsourced Payroll Processing - Exploring the Options
Whether you want to process your payroll in house or outsource it, as a Sage Abra HR user you have options. Attend this webcast and explore how integrating you Sage Abra HR software with either Sage Abra Payroll software or the CompuPay outsourced payroll service can simplify your HR and payroll processes.

August 11, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time
August 25, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time
September 8, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time
September 22, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time

Click here to register for this webinar or call 1-860-678-4401.

CMS Announces new iRecruit to support Enterprise Marketplace

2011-07-14T08:45:00.001-04:00

Farmington, CT—July 14, 2011- Cost Management Services (www.cmshris.com), provider of employer based solutions, announced today that it has expanded the iRecruit product to support the Enterprise market space.

iRecruit is a cloud-based applicant tracking and recruiting software that boasts extremely robust integration with Sage Abra HRMS. As a cloud-based solution, iRecruit requires minimal IT support, does not require any server installation, which lets our customers get up and running very quickly.

“Expanding iRecruit to support the enterprise space,” said Brian Kelly, President of CMS, “Will enable us to work with larger companies who have more requirements when it comes to applicant tracking and recruiting.”

Some of the features of the new release, due on August 1, 2011 includes: Custom Career Center providing applicants with login credentials and two way communications with Recruiters and Hiring Managers, Pre-Screening Questions (OFCCP), Job Postings in XML format to feed Job Boards and iRecruit’s customized workflow making iRecruit powerful and easy to use.

For details about iRecruit, or to schedule a webinar presentation, please call Brian directly at 860-678-4401 or visit: www.irecruit-software.com

###

About Cost Management Services
Cost Management Services (CMS – www.cmshris.com) has been providing employer based solutions, including web‐based recruiting solution – iRecruit (www.irecruit-software.com), Employment Tax Credit Services (www.cmswotc.com); and the Sage Abra HRMS human resource and payroll solutions. With over 25 years of experience our focus on quality professional services allows us to achieve our goal of complete client satisfaction. CMS utilizes proven technology, implementation methodologies, expertise, and one‐on‐one training to automate, streamline and integrate the complete workforce management process.

CMS Announces New iRecruit for Canadian Marketplace

2011-07-12T08:30:00.001-04:00

Farmington, CT—July 12, 2011- Cost Management Services (www.cmshris.com), provider of employer based solutions, announced today that it has expanded the iRecruit product to support the Canadian marketplace.

iRecruit is a cloud-based applicant tracking and recruiting software that boasts extremely robust integration with both Sage Abra HRMS & Accpac HRMS. As a cloud-based solution, iRecruit requires minimal IT support, and does not involve any server installation, which lets our customers get up and running very quickly.

“Expanding iRecruit to support Canadian customers,” said Brian Kelly, President of CMS, “Will enable us to work with Sage Accpac and Accpac HRMS business partners to sell iRecruit in that marketplace.”

“It’s perfect, iRecruit web based solution leverages the Sage on-premise solutions”

Canadian iRecruit for Sage Accpac HRMS customers will enjoy the same robust integration that U.S. clients enjoy, allowing them to onboard new hires directly from iRecruit into their HR system, potentially saving time and money.

For details about iRecruit, please call Brian directly at 860-678-4401 or visit: www.irecruit-software.com

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CMS Announces New Integration from iRecruit to Work Opportunity Tax Credit Services

2011-07-11T08:40:00.000-04:00

CMS Announces New Integration from iRecruit to Work Opportunity Tax Credit Services

Farmington, CT—July 11, 2011- Cost Management Services (www.cmshris.com), provider of employer based solutions including work opportunity tax credit (“WOTC”) services, cloud-based recruiting software iRecruit and Sage Abra HRMS Software, announced today that it has expanded the iRecruit product to include greater integration to its WOTC processing services.

“The new integration feature,” said Brian Kelly, President of CMS, “Will allow iRecruit customers to take advantage of federal tax credit programs designed to initiate jobs.” The Integration between iRecruit and CMS’s WOTC service will allow our clients a great work flow solution.

“Clients who sign up for our WOTC services can save up to a maximum of $9,000.00 per new hire that qualify.” Said Brian Kelly, “Furthermore, based on our experience we know that between 10% and 15% of all your new hires qualify under one of the federal provisions to receive such a tax savings, such as Unemployed Veterans and Disconnected Youths.”

As a Service Provider CMS is also opening up their WOTC services to other Sage Business Partners.

For details about our WOTC services, please call Brian directly at 860-678-4401 or visit: www.cmswotc.com

###

About Cost Management Services
Cost Management Services (CMS – www.cmshris.com) has been providing employer based solutions, including Employment Tax Credit Services (www.cmswotc.com); web‐based recruiting solution – iRecruit (www.irecruit-software.com) developed by CMS); and the Sage Abra HRMS human resource and payroll solutions. With over 25 years of experience our focus on quality professional services allows us to achieve our goal of complete client satisfaction. CMS utilizes proven technology, implementation methodologies, expertise, and one‐on‐one training to automate, streamline and integrate the complete workforce management process.

Webinar: Data-Driven HR Organization

2011-07-08T09:32:00.000-04:00

The Data-Driven HR Organization: How to Achieve It and How to Benefit from It

In your daily HR activities, have you ever said, "If only we had known . . . " about such things as excessive overtime, expiring certifications, or employee pay rate changes? If so, you can avoid doing so in the future by becoming a "data driven" HR organization.

Attend this live webcast and learn how you can become a data-driven HR organization and provide a higher level of service to your organization.

August 4, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time
September 1, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time

Click here to register for this webinar or call 1-860-678-4401.

Webinar: How to Save Money, Improve Service and Comply With Healthcare Reform by Automating Your Benefit Carrier Communications

2011-07-07T09:35:00.001-04:00

Learn how to simplify your benefits administration, cut costs, and improve the employee experience by electronically communicating employee benefits enrollment data from Sage Abra to all of your benefits carriers. We will also discuss how portions of the 2010 healthcare reform legislation impact enrollment management for employers -- both now and in the future.

August 10, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time
August 23, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time

Click here to register for this webinar or call 1-860-678-4401.

Webinar: HR Actions for Sage Abra

2011-07-05T09:50:00.000-04:00

HR Actions - Create, Route, Approve, and Save Paperless Web-Based Forms

This introduction to HR Actions® for Sage Abra demonstrates how employees, managers, and administrators can easily submit web-based forms for any HR transaction, including performance appraisals. Join us to see how validated forms are routed for approval based upon your business rules and how approved forms update Sage Abra with the click of a mouse. Web self-service has never been easier!

August 3, 2011, 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern Time
August 23, 2011, 11:00AM - 12:00PM Eastern Time
August 31, 2011, 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern Time

Click here to register for this webinar or call 1-860-678-4401.

Webinar: Open Enrollment

2011-07-05T09:40:00.001-04:00

Get Ready for Open Enrollment With Sage Abra Benefit Management Solutions

Get ready for the open enrollment period and learn in this webcast how Sage Abra HRMS can help you and your employees with benefit elections, how to automate communication with your benefit provider, and learn about the new Sage Retirement Services.

August 3, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time
August 17, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time

Click here to register for this webinar or call 1-860-678-4401.

Webinar: Sage Abra Employee Self Service

2011-07-05T09:35:00.001-04:00

Empower Your Employees and Managers With Sage Abra Employee Self Service

Learn how to empower your employees and managers with online access to HR, benefits, and payroll information through secure employee portals. Join us to find out more about the Sage Abra Employee Self Service solution (Abra ESS).

August 2, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
August 16, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
September 14, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time

Click here to register for this webinar or call 1-860-678-4401.

Webinar: Introduction to Sage Abra HRMS

2011-07-05T09:30:00.000-04:00

Webinar: Automating Human Resources

2011-07-04T09:25:00.000-04:00

Building the Business Case for Automating the Human Resources Function

This live webcast will outline how HR professionals can prepare and defend a proposal focused on automating the administrative functions within HR. This webcast has been approved for 1.00 (General) recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute (www.hrci.org).

July 26, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
July 27, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time

Click here to register for this webinar or call 1-860-678-4401.

Webinar: Paperless Payroll With the Sage Payroll PayCard

2011-07-04T09:23:00.000-04:00

Webinar: Cost-Effective Compliance

2011-07-04T09:13:00.000-04:00

Visit iRecruit at Sage Summit in DC at Booth 227

2011-06-15T12:35:00.002-04:00

Cost Management Services (CMS) is attending Sage Summit, July 12-15 2011, at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center, Washington DC. We're looking forward to seeing you there!

Stop by Booth #227 to visit CMS' Brian Kelly to find out how you can increase your revenue with iRecruit, and enter to win some great prizes!

iRecruit is a stand alone hosted recruiting and applicant tracking software that integrates to Sage Abra Recruiting or Abra HR, and works with both the SQL and Visual FoxPro versions. At Sage Summit see our new features:

Enhanced Applicant Portal
Requisition Approvals
WOTC Tax Credit Integration
and more. . .

To find out more about iRecruit please visit: www.irecruit-software.com

Webinar: Automate the Performance Appraisal Process and Go Paperless With Sage Abra

2011-06-15T12:31:00.003-04:00

Automate the Performance Appraisal Process and Go Paperless With Sage Abra

Automate your performance appraisal process while going paperless with HR Actions® for Sage Abra. Managers and employees can collaborate to complete web-based performance review forms that are routed for approval based on your business rules. Attend this live webcast and learn how with section-based scoring, rich formatting, intelligent fields, and one-click updates to Sage Abra, self-service has never been easier!

June 22, 2011, 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern Time
July 20, 2011, 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern Time
July 26, 2011, 11:00AM - 12:00PM Eastern Time
September 20, 2011, 11:00AM - 12:00PM Eastern Time
September 28, 2011, 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern Time

Webinar: HR Actions - Create, Route, Approve, and Save Paperless Web-Based Forms

2011-06-14T12:33:00.001-04:00

HR Actions - Create, Route, Approve, and Save Paperless Web-Based Forms
This introduction to HR Actions® for Sage Abra demonstrates how employees, managers, and administrators can easily submit web-based forms for any HR transaction, including performance appraisals.

Join us to see how validated forms are routed for approval based upon your business rules and how approved forms update Sage Abra with the click of a mouse.

Web self-service has never been easier!

July 6, 2011, 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern Time
August 3, 2011, 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern Time
August 23, 2011, 11:00AM - 12:00PM Eastern Time
August 31, 2011, 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern Time
September 13, 2011, 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern Time

Webinar: Paperless Payroll with the Sage Payroll PayCard

2011-06-05T12:30:00.001-04:00

Offer your employees a cost-effective and secure way to receive their paycheck electronically with the Sage Payroll PayCard.

Find out how easy it is to enroll and start offering your employees a new payroll benefit immediately!

June 16, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
June 23, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
June 30, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time

Webinar: Pluses and Minuses of Background Screenings

2011-06-01T12:30:00.000-04:00

"Trust But Verify": The Pluses and Minuses of Background Screenings
This live webcast will help HR professionals learn how to walk the balance beam between the courts and the EEOC in regard to background checks, all the while protecting their business, employees, customers, and the public at large.

This webcast has been approved for 1.00 (General) recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute (www.hrci.org).

June 28, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
June 29, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time
June 30, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time

Introduction to Sage Abra HRMS

2011-05-31T11:50:00.000-04:00

Introduction to Sage Abra HRMS (For Prospective Customers)

Learn how Sage Abra HRMS can make HR more strategic and solve your HR and payroll challenges with integrated solutions including HR, payroll, benefits, training, recruiting, and compliance.

- Simplify benefits administration
- Ensure compliance
- Accurately manage attendance plans
- Streamline the recruiting process
- Allow employees to access personal information and enroll in benefits

June 29, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time

Sage Webcast; Paperless Payroll With the Sage Payroll PayCard

2011-03-31T11:53:00.004-04:00

Offer your employees a cost-effective and secure way to receive their paycheck electronically with the Sage Payroll PayCard. Find out how easy it is to enroll and start offering your employees a new payroll benefit immediately!

Many employers are quickly realizing the benefits of offering their employees electronic payroll paycards, including convenience, cost-savings, security, and a higher retention rate. The Sage Payroll PayCard works the same as a direct deposit transaction so there is no software to install and no hardware to purchase. Find out how easy it is to enroll in the Sage Payroll PayCard by attending this
webcast.

Please click here to register, email lstrong@cmshris.com or call us at 1-800-517-9099.

Sage Webcast: Cost-Effective Compliance

2011-03-31T11:51:00.002-04:00

Cost-Effective Compliance: What It Consists Of and How to Achieve It

The amount of time and money required for an HR organization to adopt a system of "best practice" HR compliance rules can be considerable. And yet most -- if not all -- HR organizations will readily admit that the concept of compliance and operating by a set of "best business practices" within their HR departments can yield significant benefits.

Attend this live webcast and learn . . .

Why an HR organization should strive to become compliant (and the resulting benefits).
Why historical efforts at compliance are so costly and resource intensive.
How HR organizations can achieve compliance in a cost-effective manner.

Dates Available:
April 12, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
May 10, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time

Please click here to register, email lstrong@cmshris.com or call us at 1-800-517-9099.

Sage Webcast: Sage Abra HR Actions

2011-03-31T11:46:00.003-04:00

Automate the Performance Appraisal Process and Go Paperless With Sage Abra

HR Actions for Sage Abra is a new solution that simplifies the employee data change and performance appraisal processes. Interactive web-based forms replace paper forms, are easy to use, and result in submitted actions that are complete, accurate, and secure. Automate the routing, approval, and notification process of employee actions.

Attend this webcast to learn how HR Actions can help you more efficiently:

Accelerate HR and Payroll transactional processing throughout the employment lifecycle

Eliminate paper forms, including performance appraisal forms.
Updated forms are immediately available to the organization.
Electronic routing and approval of forms speeds the service delivery process.

Eliminate data entry from paper forms into Sage Abra HRMS

Once approved, one-click updates to Sage Abra eliminate data entry from paper forms.

Provide manager with timely and accurate information

Provide managers with online access to direct and skip-level reports personnel files, including completed forms and attachments.

Reduce HR's dependence on IT Support

HR can define and build dynamic web-based forms and routing rules without any programming skills.

Enforce company policy while minimizing errors

Forms are easy to complete, with fields that only display valid choices.
Specify what fields must be completed for a form to move through the approval process.
Forms are routed for approval based on business rules you define in a point-and-click environment.

Monitor and control forms throughout the entire routing process

A real-time dashboard lets you see the status of every form being routed throughout the organization.
Control the flow of a form -- stop it, skip an approver, or push it through the approval process.

Dates Available:
April 19, 2011, 11:00AM - 12:00PM Eastern Time
April 27, 2011, 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern Time
June 14, 2011, 11:00AM - 12:00PM Eastern Time
June 22, 2011, 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern Time

Please click here to register, email lstrong@cmshris.com or call us at 1-800-517-9099.

Sage Webcast: The Data-Driven HR Organization: How to Achieve It and How to Benefit from It

2011-03-31T11:42:00.002-04:00

Every HR organization deals with surprises and "exceptions" on a daily basis. But most HR organizations waste valuable time either searching out this information or reacting to it after the fact. Making your HR organization "data-driven" enables your critical HR information to be delivered to you -- automatically -- when and where you need it.

In this live webcast, learn . . .

The eight HR "data-driven" conditions you can use to automatically monitor yourHR data for critical, time-sensitive information.
How your HR data can "tap you on the shoulder" to help you more effectively and efficiently manage your HR activities.
The impact on HR between organizations that are data-driven and those that are not.

Sage KnowledgeSync Alerts & Workflow gives a voice to your HR data, enabling you to make more intelligent and timely HR decisions.

Dates Available:
April 19, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
May 17, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time

Please click here to register, email lstrong@cmshris.com or call us at 1-800-517-9099.

Sage Webcast: Introduction to Sage Abra HRMS

2011-03-31T11:41:00.001-04:00

Sage Abra HRMS offers a flexible design and modular features to meet the needs of small and midsized companies. Attend this webcast to learn how Sage Abra can help you more efficiently manage your workforce:

Simplify benefits administration
Ensure compliance
Accurately manage attendance plans
Streamline the recruiting process
Allow employees to access personal information and enroll in benefits

Dates Available:
April 20, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
May 4, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
May 18, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time

Please click here to register, email lstrong@cmshris.com or call us at 1-800-517-9099.

Sage Webcast: Wage and Hour - Staying on the Right Side of the DOL

2011-03-31T11:34:00.003-04:00

The U.S. Labor Department is closely scrutinizing the pay practices of U.S. employers, including the white collar exemption, status of consultants, and flat rate payments to name a few. U.S. companies must self-evaluate and make corrections to their compensation programs to ensure compliance and avoid costly fines. This live webcast will provide important information on actions HR should be taking to "Find and Fix" violations before a DOL investigator arrives at
the door.

Participants will learn:

What actions the HR department should be engaged in, now, to avoid fines and litigation
How the latest court cases are affecting wage and hour
How the narrowed interpretation of the administrative exemption by the DOL can affect your business

Who Should Attend:
Human Resources professionals such as Compensation Managers, HR Generalists, HR Managers, and Payroll Specialists interested in expanding their knowledge about DOL compensation compliance.

HR Recertification Credits:
This webcast has been approved for 1.00 (General) recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute (www.hrci.org).
Certificates of completion will be provided upon request only to individually registered attendees. Attendance for the full webcast hour is required to receive recertification credits (partial credits cannot be provided). Groups of people participating in the webcast together must be registered and attend the webcast individually to receive certificates. Certificates will be sent via email to registered attendees in PDF form within 30 days of validated attendance. If you have additional questions, please email us at es_training@sage.com.

Dates Available:
April 26, 2011 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
April 27, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
April 28, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time

Please click here to register, email lstrong@cmshris.com or call us at 1-800-517-9099.

Sage Webcast: Transform Your Workplace: Paperless Employee Change Forms With Sage Abra

2011-03-31T11:30:00.002-04:00

HR Actions for Sage Abra is a new solution that transforms how you deliver HR and Payroll services by letting you create, route, and approve forms that span the entire employee lifecycle, including pay change requests, transfers, and performance appraisal! Interactive web-based forms replace paper forms, are easy to use, and result in submitted forms that are complete, accurate, and secure.

Attend this webcast to learn how HR Actions can help you more efficiently:

Accelerate HR and Payroll transactional processing throughout the employment lifecycle
Eliminate paper forms, including performance appraisal forms.
Updated forms are immediately available to the organization.
Electronic routing and approval of forms speeds the service delivery process.

Eliminate data entry from paper forms into Sage Abra HRMS

Once approved, one-click updates to Sage Abra eliminate data entry from paper forms.

Provide manager with timely and accurate information

Provide managers with online access to direct and skip-level reports personnel files, including completed forms and attachments.

Reduce HR's dependence on IT Support

HR can define and build dynamic web-based forms and routing rules without any programming skills.

Enforce company policy while minimizing errors

Forms are easy to complete, with fields that only display valid choices.
Specify what fields must be completed for a form to move through the approval process.
Forms are routed for approval based on business rules you define in a point-and-click environment.

Monitor and control forms throughout the entire routing process

A real-time dashboard lets you see the status of every form being routed throughout the organization.
Control the flow of a form - stop it, skip an approver, or push it through theapproval process.

Dates Available:
May 11, 2011, 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern Time
May 17, 2011, 11:00AM - 12:00PM Eastern Time

Please click here to register, email lstrong@cmshris.com or call us at 1-800-517-9099.

Sage Webcast: NLRB - Should You Be Concerned?

2011-03-31T11:12:00.004-04:00

This live webcast will introduce you the changes taking place within the National Labor Relations Board. Small to mid-size employers are more likely than ever to be affected by the board's actions and the growing labor movement in the U.S.

Participants will learn:

What legal actions the NLRB is currently taking that may affect your company
How the NLRB is actively affecting employees' access to unions through newly proposed regulations
What actions companies should be engaging in now before a union targets your workforce

Who Should Attend:

Human Resources professionals, Managers, Supervisors and CEO's.

HR Recertification Credits:
This webcast has been approved for 1.00 (General) recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute (www.hrci.org).

Certificates of completion will be provided upon request only to individually registered attendees. Attendance for the full webcast hour is required to receive recertification credits (partial credits cannot be provided). Groups of people participating in the webcast together must be registered and attend the webcast individually to receive certificates. Certificates will be sent via email to registered attendees in PDF form within 30 days of validated attendance. If you have additional questions, please email us at es_training@sage.com.

Dates Available:
May 24, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
May 25, 2011, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
May 26, 2011, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern Time

Please click here to register, email lstrong@cmshris.com or call us at 1-800-517-9099.

iRecruit Customer Testimonials

2011-03-11T10:50:00.003-05:00

We asked our customers what they thought of iRecruit and they came back with some excellent comments and feedback. Visit our new iRecruit Customer Testimonials page to see what our customers said about using iRecruit, and it's excellent integration to Sage Abra HRMS.

"iRecruit is a simple and easy to use recruiting solution and has allowed us to track applicants over multiple locations."

"I work at NRI Community Services, I’ve been using iRecruit for 6 years and 'iLikeit!'"

See what our great customers have got to say about iRecruit:
http://www.irecruit-software.com/testimonials.html

(Above) iRecruit Dashboard Screenshot

CMS Radio Ad Highlights Work Opportunity Tax Credit Services

2011-02-17T13:49:00.003-05:00

CMS will be airing a new radio commercial on WTIC-AM beginning Monday morning on the Ray Dunaway show. The 15-second spot highlights our Work Opportunity Tax Credit Services. Preview the commercial below.

Under the WOTC program our clients are averaging $2,400.00 per qualified tax credit and we work with your companies HR department to streamline the filing process & maximize the savings.

Call CMS' Brian Kelly today at 1-800-517-9099 to find out if it makes sense for your company.

Click here to listen to WTIC-AM online.

New Senate Bill To Expand WOTC for Veterans

2011-01-31T10:39:00.001-05:00

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced last week that they have introduced legislation to create job opportunities for veterans returning home from war and help businesses create jobs.

This Veterans Employment Transition Act, or the VETs Jobs bill, would reward employers for hiring qualified veterans who have recently completed their service in the military with a tax credit of up to $2,400 per veteran.

A previous version of this credit, which was part of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, was designed to help employers hire veterans, but expired at the end of 2010. The new legislation Baucus and Grassley are introducing today would reinstate the tax credit and make it easier for veterans and small businesses to use. As a result, servicemen and women who have been recently discharged will be able to provide documentation directly from the Department of Defense without having to go through the tax credit’s current certification process.

Read the press release here.

New Whitepaper: What the CEO Needs From Human Resources

2011-01-18T13:42:00.003-05:00

Sage recognizes the need for enhanced workforce information sharing between HR and other organizational leaders, including reliable metrics that measure how HR impacts the bottom line. That's why they have developed a new guide, What the CEO Needs From Human Resources.

Download this free guide, with our compliments, to get valuable advice and metrics to help HR learn:

How to speak the language of corporate financial objectives.

Which priorities in recruiting and staffing, turnover and succession, compensation, and benefits make the greatest strategic impact for the organization.

What key metrics the HR department can provide to executives to give a full picture of workforce related costs and performance.

And more!

Click here to get the whitepaper.

Save on New Hires in 2011 with the Work Opportunity Tax Credit

2011-01-03T12:26:00.002-05:00

President Obama's New Hire Act expired on 12/31/2010, so public and private companies whom are looking for tax savings should now focus on taking advantage of the federal employment tax credits i.e. the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program "WOTC".

Under the WOTC program our clients are averaging $2,400.00 per qualified tax credit and we work with your companies HR department to streamline the filing process & maximize the savings.

Call CMS' Brian Kelly today at 1-800-517-9099 to find out if it makes sense for your company.

Sage Abra Customer Alert

2010-12-23T11:26:00.002-05:00

Sage Abra Q4 2010 Quarterly Tax Updates expected to be delivered the week of December 27th

This Alert applies to Abra Suite and Abra SQL HRMS with Payroll

The Federal Government released 2011 tax rates as of Friday Dec 17th. In response to this release, Sage Abra Q4 2010 Quarterly Tax Updates are delayed and are expected to be delivered the week of Dec 27th. This delay is necessary to incorporate the federal tax rate updates in Q4 which will minimize customer confusion and avoid the need to apply a hot fix after the Q4 update has been delivered.

The Q4 2010 Quarterly Product Update for Abra Suite 7.7x, 7.8x and 9.0x, as well as, Abra SQL HRMS Payroll 8.5, 10.0 and 10.1 will contain the Social Security employee tax rate changes per the legislation passed and signed by President Obama on December 17, 2010. The full extent of this change is described as follows:

Under The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, which was signed by President Obama on December 17, 2010, the employee's share of Social Security tax in 2011 will be reduced from 6.2% to 4.2%. Therefore, the maximum an employee would pay in Social Security tax (if the employee is paid at least the wage base of $106,800) is $4,485.60. Employers would continue to pay the full rate of 6.2% for a maximum of $6621.60 on at wage base of $106,800 for 2011.

In addition we are delaying the release to address the following:

Employee Tax Rate for Railroad Tier 1 Reduced, Effective January 1, 2011
Employee Tax Rate for Social Security Reduced, Effective January 1, 2011
Federal Withholding Tax Changes, Effective January 1, 2011

All other tax items addressed in Q4 are documented in the Release Notes. Upon availability, both Sage Abra Suite Payroll customers and Sage Abra SQL HRMS Payroll customers will receive an alert notifying of availability to download the tax update from Support Plus Online.

Visit SupportPlus Online at http://www.SageAbra.com/support.aspx/

Andrew Lindsay Joins CMS Sales Team

2010-12-21T11:14:00.003-05:00

Farmington, CT--Cost Management Services, a leading provider of HR and Payroll Software and developer of iRecruit a web based recruiting solution, announced today that Andrew Lindsay has joined its sales team. Drew has 10 years sales experience and most recently was a Customer Account Manager with Sage, overseeing lead generation, communication and delegation to business partners.

"Drew is a terrific addition to our sales team, and we're looking forward to working with him," said Brian Kelly, CMS' Managing Partner.

In his new role at CMS Drew will be responsible for iRecruit Sales and Business Partner relationships.

About Cost Management Services

CMS - Cost Management Services, LLC founded in 1997, focuses on developing and providing Employment Management Solutions for business across North America, Canada, Guam and the Virgin Islands. Located in Farmington, CT, our commitment to excellence and customer support is paramount.

Our vision is to provide companies with a paperless applicant tracking process that will exceed our client’s expectations. Recently CMS integrated its iRecruit system with its Work Opportunity Tax Credit ”WOTC” service to provide customers with an automated approach to saving money using CMS’ WOTC program.

In addition, iRecruit completely integrates with one of the leading Human Resources Management Systems solution on the market today Sage Abra HRMS and has developed a universal export to feed other HR packages.

CMS provides weekly iRecruit demos, Wednesday's at 1pm Eastern Time. Register on our website at www.irecruit-software.com or call us at 1-800-517-9099 to schedule a demo at your convenience.

New Sage Compliance Game

2010-12-08T10:35:00.002-05:00

Have you tried the new Sage Abra HRMS Compliance Game? It's a fun way to test your HR compliance knowledge (pleased to say that I actually got ALL the questions correct!).

Once you answer all the questions on the 6-question quiz you can download the new "Avoiding Costly fines: 2011 guide to Compliance Mandates" free whitepaper.

Try it out here:
http://www.sageabracompliancegame.com/

Upcoming Sage Abra Webinars

2010-11-15T13:09:00.002-05:00

HR Actions - Create, Route, Approve, and Save Paperless Web-Based Forms
This introduction to HR Actions® for Sage Abra demonstrates how employees, managers, and administrators can easily submit web-based forms for any HR transaction, including performance appraisals. Join us to see how validated forms are routed for approval based upon your business rules and how approved forms update Sage Abra with the click of a mouse. Self-service has never been easier!
November 17, 2010 12pm Pacific Time / 3pm Eastern Time
December 1, 2010 12pm Pacific Time / 3pm Eastern Time
December 7, 2010 12pm Pacific Time / 3pm Eastern Time
December 15, 2010 12pm Pacific Time / 3pm Eastern Time
Click here to register for this webcast or call CMS at 1-800-517-9099.

Paperless Payroll With the Sage Payroll PayCard
Offer your employees a cost-effective and secure way to receive their paycheck electronically with the Sage Payroll PayCard. Find out how easy it is to enroll and start offering your employees a new payroll benefit immediately!
November 18, 2010 11am Pacific Time / 2pm Eastern Time
December 2, 2010 11am Pacific Time / 2pm Eastern Time
December 9, 2010 11am Pacific Time / 2pm Eastern Time
December 16, 2010 11am Pacific Time / 2pm Eastern Time
Click here to register for this webcast or call CMS at 1-800-517-9099.

Sage Abra: Making HR More Strategic
Learn how Sage Abra HRMS can make HR more strategic and solve your HR and payroll challenges with integrated solutions including HR, payroll, benefits, training, recruiting, and compliance.
December 1, 2010 11am Pacific Time / 2pm Eastern Time
Click here to register for this webcast or call CMS at 1-800-517-9099.

iRecruit
Discover iRecruit's online applicant tracking and management capabilities. Demos every Wednesday at 1pm Eastern Time.
www.irecruit-software.com

CMS Sage Abra Newsletter

2010-11-03T12:38:00.002-04:00

In the November issue of the CMS Sage Abra newsletter:

Sage Abra SQL HRMS Version 10.1
Release Includes 16 Customer-Requested Enhancements
Sage has released a new version of Sage Abra SQL HRMS, Version 10.1. This release is packed with new features. Payroll enhancements and support for Canadian Payroll are a big focus, along with added control, flexibility, and security for workforce data.

HR Actions Automated Workflow
No doubt a big portion of your time is spent processing employee forms, from hiring to performance appraisals to termination. A new Sage Endorsed Solution, HR Actions for Sage Abra HRMS powered by Delphia Consulting, can help you streamline the completion and approval of forms using the Web. The Web-based service allows you create web forms easily using any fields from Sage Abra HR.

Click here for the Star-Info Abra Newsletter

New Sage Abra HRMS Maximizes Return on Employee Investment

2010-10-27T08:26:00.002-04:00

Provides executives and HR managers with secure web access to employee analytics via iPad, iPhone, Blackberry or other intelligent device

Irvine, CA Oct. 26, 2010 - Sage North America released today Sage Abra SQL HRMS version 10.1, the latest version of Sage’s award-winning human resource management system (HRMS) for small and midsized companies. A market-leading HRMS, Sage Abra centralizes employee data, simplifies core human resource (HR) and payroll administration and enables better workforce-related decisions, resulting in the improvement of overall company efficiency. Version 10.1 offers the same user interface and powerful dynamic information sharing capabilities that positioned the previous version at top of its class, but also incorporates new features and enhancements that provide additional control, flexibility and security for workforce data, while maintaining a low total cost of ownership.

Improvements made in Abra Payroll include usability, reporting, and security. A number of functions have been moved to more intuitive locations to save companies time across their most common payroll processing tasks. The new version also increases group level security for sensitive payroll information. A new Common Deduction Limits Report has been added to Payroll Setup Reports. Companies can also test their payroll with new sample data, available for both U.S. and Canadian payroll databases.

"Accurate workforce information is extremely valuable for managing costs and successfully running a business," said Johnny Laurent, vice president and general manager of Employer Solutions for Sage. "In today’s economy, it is imperative for organizations to do more for less - especially when, on average, a company spends up to 2.5 times an employee's salary per year in benefits, training and other intangibles. The new Sage Abra provides easy and secure web access to the data businesses need to make smart decisions about employee development and productivity, allowing a company to maximize its return on employee investment (ROEI)."

Employees drive the business success of the company. Information about employees, such as their skills, development and performance metrics, and the associated costs are critical to understanding the state of the business. Having accurate and timely workforce information is crucial to managing employees, controlling costs and driving operational efficiency.

The conflict between the need for workforce information and the security of that information has historically meant that HR is the gatekeeper of the data flowing to others. Typically, requests for employee information are very specific, so the task of evaluating them, deciding what is appropriate and gathering the data into a report can be cumbersome and time consuming. Furthermore, the manager or executive will only receive information if he/she asks for it.

Sage Abra SQL HRMS version 10.1 answers this challenge with comprehensive access to Employee Analytics, assisting HR in delivering an unprecedented level of service to their organization. Workforce information is always up-to-date, readily available and directly accessible to managers and executives via a web URL, eliminating the need for requests and laborious reports. Data can be viewed on iGoogle or Excel, or on an iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, or other intelligent device. Version 10.1 is also supported by more web browsers than its predecessor and has the ability to turn any view into a Crystal Report, which allows HR to share data with management and executives in a way that is convenient, meaningful, and useful for their managing and decision making needs.

Pricing and Availability
Sage Abra v10.1 is available now from authorized Sage business partners. For pricing and other information about Sage Abra HRMS, please visit www.cmshris.com, email bkelly@cmshris.com, or call 800-517-9099.

About Sage Abra
Sage Abra is human resource management system (HRMS) software that delivers tightly integrated HR, payroll, benefits, and attendance functionality, plus rich reporting and analysis tools. Sage Abra also includes a Web workforce portal with employee self-service that enables company-wide communications, benefits enrollment, and more. The product line features support for multiple databases, with Abra SQL supporting Microsoft SQL Server, and Abra Suite supporting Visual FoxPro.

About Sage North America
Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and services. Sage North America employs 4,000 people and supports 3.1 million small and midsized business customers. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 13,100 people and supports 6.2 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the website at www.sagenorthamerica.com.

Employers Missing Out On New-Hire Tax Credit

2010-10-14T10:20:00.000-04:00

Seven months ago, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hailed a new tax credit aimed at spurring businesses and nonprofits to hire unemployed people. The credit would restore the public's confidence in the government's ability to get the economy back on track, she said.

Congress enacted the HIRE (Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment) Act, which allows employers to skip paying their 6.2 percent match into Social Security from the time an eligible worker is hired until the end of this year. If that new employee stays a year, the employer gets another $1,000.

The problem is, most employers don't seem to know about the benefit. And even if the credit were to meet its early expectations, inspiring businesses to hire 250,000 people into jobs that wouldn't otherwise exist, that's just too small to be noticed in a nation with nearly 15 million unemployed people.

Continue reading Employers Missing Out On New-Hire Tax Credit at CTNow.com

According to this report employers are not taking advantage of the HIRE Act. Are you? Call Brian Kelly at 800-517-9099 if you have any questions about this business tax credit.

Lunch and Learn Sage Abra Version 9

2010-08-20T10:49:00.001-04:00

Our next Lunch and Learn is on Wednesday, September 8th, 2010 at noon.

Overview
Everything you need to know about Sage Abra Version 9. Version 9 has an updated User Interface and look and feel with completely new navigation. Get to know the updates including:

* Quicklaunch Toolbar Modifications
* Navigation Pane
* Updated Toolbar Buttons
* Human Resources Updates
* Payroll Updates
* Recruiting Solution Updates
* System Updates

Speaker
Brian Kelly, CMS

Date
Wednesday, September 8th, 2010 at 12.00pm - 12.45pm ET (Register)

To register for any of the Lunch & Learn webcasts please call Linzi at 860-678-4401 or visit:
http://www.cmshris.com/lunch_and_learn.html

iRecruit Navigation Preview Session

2010-08-10T13:43:00.000-04:00

Earlier today we had our iRecruit Navigation Preview. We gave Sage Abra business partners and iRecruit customers an indepth overview of the new options for iRecruit navigation. The preview included an overview of the Sage Abra ESS look and the new iRecruit look.

Click here to see the above presentation in WebEx (larger format).

For more information about iRecruit please call us at 1-800-517-9099 or visit our website at www.irecruit-software.com.

Introduction to the Work Opportunity Tax Credit

2010-07-30T12:30:00.001-04:00

For more information about the Work Opportunity Tax Credit please visit www.cmswotc.com or call CMS at 1-800-517-9099.

Stop using PDFs, Improve Online Recruiting with iRecruit

2010-07-29T13:46:00.001-04:00

Are you still using cumbersome PDFs to list your job descriptions and requirements or job applications? Do you ask your applicants to print these out, complete them then fax or mail them to your office? Do you still receive applications in several different ways - mail, fax, email, walk ins?

Learn how to improve your applicant's experience and streamline your recruiting and applicant tracking processes with iRecruit.

iRecruit makes it easy as 1-2-3 for interested applicants to apply for a position with your company. They can simply peruse your open positions, choose one and apply through your customized online application.

Benefits of iRecruit - Applicant Tracking Software

Hosted Solution - no local desktop or server installation
Search and Query - keyword search, weighted searches by skill, experience, etc.
Easy Implementation - no time wasted or lost, up and running quickly
Paperless - get rid of the piles and piles of resumes
Flexible and Customizable - you design your custom forms
Reporting - EEO administration, cost per requisition analysis and more...
Applicant Communication - easily manage communication, don't leave applicants hanging, let them know when the position has been filled

Find out more...

We have weekly webinars scheduled on Wednesdays at 1pm.

Click here to register or contact us at 1-800-517-9099 to schedule a webinar at your convenience.

Sage Abra, the New Hire Act and the American Recovery Act

2010-07-29T10:22:00.002-04:00

Our last session of the Abra Lunch & Learn Webinar series was so popular that we are doing it again for anyone who was unable to attend in July.

Overview
Everything you need to know about Sage Abra and the New Hire Act and the American Recovery Act and how they can benefit your company.

Speaker
Brian Kelly, CMS

Date
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010 at 10.30am - 11.30am ET (Register)

To register for any of the Lunch & Learn webcasts please call Linzi at 860-678-4401 or visit:
http://www.cmshris.com/lunch_and_learn.html

We also welcome your input and suggestions for future topics.

Take a Sage Abra HRMS Virtual Tour

2010-07-28T10:30:00.003-04:00

See a Sage Abra HRMS solutions overview right from the comfort and convenience of your own PC with a Virtual Tour! Get an overview of the following solutions: Abra HRMS Workforce, Abra HRMS Select, Abra HR, Abra Payroll, Abra TimeSheet and more. All in under 15 minutes!

Click here to take the virtual tour of Sage Abra HRMS

Click here to request a personalized one-on-one demo or call Brian Kelly at 1-800-517-9099.

Sage Abra Suite v9 Delivers Mobile Workforce Collaboration

2010-07-16T11:30:00.001-04:00

Sage Abra Suite v9 Delivers Mobile Workforce Collaboration to HRMS Users and New Levels of Paperless Automation Dynamic Information Sharing Capabilities & HR Actions Boost Efficiency; Save Time and Money

Sage North America today announced Sage Abra Suite v9, the human resource management system (HRMS) that will deliver mobile workforce collaboration and unmatched paperless automation for small and midsized companies. Sage Abra Suite v9 features dynamic information sharing capabilities and new HR Actions that help companies save time, money and paper while turning workforce data into a competitive advantage. The latest of Sage’s award-winning HR solutions is available now from authorized Sage Abra reselling business partners.

“With dynamic information sharing capabilities, Sage Abra v9 enables business leaders to access, analyze and act upon workforce data from virtually any mobile system,” said Johnny Laurent, vice president and general manager for Sage Abra. “Streamlining core HR processes frees up management and HR resources to address more strategic business objectives. Plus version 9 automates a host of paper-based HR processes, squarely addressing the needs of today’s business customers to maximize resources, increase process efficiencies and cut material costs.”

Dynamic information sharing capabilities give executives, managers and staff secure access to real-time workforce data from remote laptops, notebooks, and later this summer iPads and other mobile devices. Data access is appropriately filtered for individual roles within the organization with customizable “views” addressing specific executive, director or supervisor needs. Unique URLs then link the views to a variety of applications such as spreadsheet models, web pages and management dashboards. Dynamic information sharing capabilities turn workforce data into a true, competitive advantage by enabling users to leverage up-to-the-moment information while significantly streamlining processes.

Sage Abra v9 provides sample templates, such as merit pay budgeting and contact lists, for Excel, SharePoint and other applications, which help HR and non-HR users create the specific information sharing documents they need. Once created, accessed documents are automatically updated through Sage Abra Employee Self Service, freeing up valuable time for HR and executives to address strategic business objectives.

HR Actions within Sage Abra v9 replaces paper-based HR processes, such as status changes, new hires, and performance management, with online, Web-based workflow. HR Actions improves HR service delivery while cutting costs and provides extended benefits and security by:

Enforcing business rules by routing and approving personnel change requests,
Providing secure electronic approval signatures from any PC with a web browser,
Providing detailed audit trails of any edits made during the routing and approval process,
Providing real-time status of each transaction from request/submission through approval and administration, and
Supporting file attachments to web forms, for example a scanned copy of I-9 and W-4 attached to a new hire form.

About Sage Abra
Sage Abra is a market-leading human resource management system (HRMS) that delivers tightly integrated HR, payroll, benefits and attendance functionality, plus rich reporting and analysis tools. Sage Abra includes a Web workforce portal with employee self-service that enables company-wide communications, benefits enrollment and more. The product line features support for multiple databases, with Abra SQL supporting Microsoft SQL Server, and Abra Suite supporting Visual FoxPro.

Pricing and Availability
Sage Abra v9 is available now from authorized Sage business partners such as CMS. For pricing and other information about Sage Abra HRMS, please visit www.cmshris.com, e-mail bkelly@cmshris.com, or call 800-517-9099.

About Sage North America
Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and services. Sage North America employs 4,000 people and supports 3.1 million small and midsized business customers. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 13,100 people and supports 6.2 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the website at www.sagenorthamerica.com.

CMS Summer Newsletter: Sage Abra Suite Version 9

2010-07-01T18:30:00.003-04:00

CMS's Summer Star-Info newsletter is out now. In this edition we take a look at Sage Abra Suite Version 9.

Version 9 Gets A New Look And New Search Capabilities For Intuitive Ease Of Use
Sage Abra Suite Version 9 is scheduled for release this summer. This version boasts a new intuitive interface, dynamic information sharing in Employee Self Service, simplified installation, and more.

Government Compliance Considerations
Be More Proactive With Business Activity Monitoring
And more...

Click here to read the Sage Abra HRMS newsletter:
http://www.cmshris.com/starinfo/abra/q210/abra_q210.html

7 WOTC Tips & Tricks

2010-07-01T14:45:00.000-04:00

7 WOTC Tips & Tricks to ask yourself before you send your employee Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) applications to us:

Did your employee sign and date the forms correctly?
Is the required information complete?
Did you put in their start date?
Did you put in their job title and wage?
Did the employee provide proof of age and address?
Has the employee worked for your company before?
Are you sending the applications to us within 21 days of the employee(s) start date?

Making sure information is complete and timely will help us make the most return on investment for you.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to call or email us.

Sage Abra Payroll Quarterly Tax Update Available

2010-06-30T10:02:00.002-04:00

It's easy to calculate the correct payroll taxes with Sage Abra SQL HRMS Payroll-thanks to quarterly tax updates available for download right from SupportPlus Online. To help you, we've provided instructions, download links, and other important information below.

Download your quarterly tax update in
three easy steps

Visit the SupportPlus log on page
Enter your User Name and Password (or register for a new member login)
Follow the simple instructions to download the tax update

Tips for a successful tax update

Downloading and installing your quarterly tax update is quick and easy. Here are a few suggestions to help you with the process:

Check your software version. The Q2 2010 tax update is compatible with Sage Abra HRMS versions 8.4 and 10.
Set aside enough time for the download. Most of the time, downloading only takes a few minutes. Customers with a dial-up Internet connection may need to set aside about 30 minutes for the file transfer process.
Let us know if you need help. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you need technical help with downloading the Q2 tax update. Give Brian Kelly a call at 800-517-9099 or email us at bkelly@cmshris.com

Save the Date: CMS Sage Abra User Group

2010-06-21T12:42:00.005-04:00

SAVE THE DATE

CMS Sage Abra Users Group Meeting

Thursday, September 23rd 2010 Rhode Island

Thursday, October 14th 2010 Connecticut
Cost: $99 per person.

Featuring: Sage Abra HRMS, CompuPay, iRecruit, Work Opportunity Tax Credit, Crystal Reports and more.

Agenda and special guests to be announced.

Interested in attending?

To register for either Sage Abra User Group meeting please call CMS at 1-800-517-9099 or complete our web form at: www.cmshris.com/usergroups.html

New HIRE Act Integrated with CMS' WOTC Services

2010-06-01T16:41:00.003-04:00

CMS has successfully integrated the New Hire Tax Act of 2010 with our WOTC services to provide our clients an additional way to comply with the tax laws and save additional money.

Click here to read more about the Hire ACT of 2010

Learn more about the WOTC: http://www.cmswotc.com/

Calculate your potential WOTC savings: WOTC Calculator

Sage Abra Customer Alert - HIRE Act Update

2010-06-01T10:25:00.001-04:00

Dear Customer,

On March 18 we informed you that President Obama had signed the HIRE Act into law and that Sage Abra HRMS was working to implement the changes into the product offering to help organizations comply with the legislation. Provided below is a summary of the Sage Abra updates planned for the Q2 tax update.

We will be providing a document called "HIRE Act Resource Guide" to help our customers with the changes required with the Q2 update.

Please feel free to contact Sage Abra Tech Support (800-829-0170) if you have any questions.

HIRE Act Update

The primary focus of the HIRE Act legislation is to accelerate the hiring of unemployed workers. It has provisions that affect employers, including a payroll tax exemption. The provisions include reduced payroll taxes and increased tax credits for employers that meet certain eligibility requirements.

All eligible employees must complete a Form W-11, Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act Employee Affidavit, to confirm that they are qualified employees under the HIRE Act.

We will be addressing the HIRE Act in Abra SQL HRMS (Payroll), with updates available in the Q2 Tax Update. Here is an update of what Sage is planning to provide:

A new field, HIRE Act Qualified Employee, has been added to Employee Tax UI.
When the Sage Abra user calculates payroll for an exempt employee the employer portion of U.S. Social Security will not be calculated.
The line representing the Employer Portion of USSS will not appear on the Pre-Check Register and the Payroll Register reports.
The 941 form will be updated based on the new 941 form issued by IRS.
Necessary changes for Year-End reporting are planned to be included in the Q4 Tax Update.

CMS Attends Insights

2010-04-21T12:11:00.003-04:00

Cost Management Services (CMS) is attending the Sage Insights Conference, May 17 - 20 at Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO.

Stop by Booth #123 to visit Brian Kelly to find out about iRecruit.

iRecruit is a stand alone hosted recruiting software that integrates to Abra Recruiting or Abra HR, and works with both the SQL and Visual FoxPro versions.

For more information about iRecruit, and Insights please visit:
http://www.cmshris.com/insights/

Looking to make a change of Payroll

2010-04-21T11:59:00.004-04:00

Is your outsourced payroll service providing everything you need? Now is the best time to review your current service and make the switch to CompuPay.

CMS has teamed up with Sage Abra and CompuPay, one of the nation's leading outsourced payroll service providers, to offer you a less expensive and more streamlined HR and payroll solution. CompuPay is a leader in its field and has been providing customized outsourced payroll solutions to thousands of clients nationwide for over 30 years.

With CompuPay's payroll solution, you can take advantage of:

Unique integration with Abra HR eliminates double data entry, reduces payroll errors, and allows employees to access their paystubs and W-2s online through Abra ESS.
CompuPay has one of the highest service levels in the industry. Your dedicated CompuPay client services team ensures that you don't become just another number.
Convenient, bundled pricing will reduce your costs and simplify billing.

Join Our Webinar to Learn More!

Please join CMS and CompuPay for a webinar on May 5th at 1:32pm, May 14th at 11:03am, or June 2nd at 9:47am to learn more about outsourcing Payroll with CompuPay. Click here to register.

If you have any questions please call us at 860-678-4401, or email Brian Kelly.

Sage Expands HR Management Software Choices for Nonprofit and Government Organizations

2010-04-21T11:47:00.002-04:00

Sage North America announced the expansion of its human resource (HR) management offerings for the nonprofit and government sector. Two new modules will provide fully integrated HR, employee self-service (ESS), payroll, and tax compliance capabilities to small and midsized nonprofits and government agencies who use the Sage MIP Fund Accounting nonprofit financial management software. For organizations requiring a more robust HR management system, Sage Abra HRMS will continue to meet those needs, as it has done for the past 25 years.

"With the economic events of the past year, and the recovery taking place now, nonprofits and government organizations, like their business counterparts, need more information than ever about their most critical asset: their employees," said Johnny Laurent, vice president and general manager for Employer Solutions at Sage. "Our range of integrated HR technology options allow nonprofit and government organizations of any size to strategically leverage their human capital."

The new Human Resource Management module for Sage MIP Fund Accounting is fully integrated to the software's Payroll and GL (general ledger) modules, providing nonprofit customers with full data management, as well as quick and easy reporting and tracking. The new Employee Web Service (EWS) module for Sage MIP Fund Accounting provides employee self-service (ESS) functionality for nonprofits, and fully integrates with the software's Human Resources Management and Payroll modules. Using the module, employees and managers can securely enter, update, and approve timesheets and other records online.

"By allowing us to maintain all HR, payroll, and accounting data in one place, the new Sage MIP Fund Accounting HR modules help us reduce redundant data entry and increase data accuracy," said Tony Miller, CFO for the Oklahoma City-County Health Department in Oklahoma City, Okla., a Sage MIP Fund Accounting customer and early adopter for the new modules. "Having one integrated system for accounting, purchasing, and HR/payroll should result in substantial savings, including $15K in annual license and maintenance fees."

The Human Resource Management and EWS modules for Sage MIP Fund Accounting are available now. For more information about those modules, or Sage MIP Fund Accounting, in general, please visit www.sagenonprofit.com or call 800-517-9099. For more information about Sage Abra HRMS, please visit www.cmshris.com or call 800-517-9099.

About Sage MIP Fund Accounting
Available as licensed software or in a remotely hosted environment, Sage MIP Fund Accounting is Sage North America’s software for nonprofit and government financial management. First introduced in 1982, the product was developed specifically for the unique accounting and reporting challenges faced by nonprofit and government organizations, and features a unique modular architecture. Sage MIP Fund Accounting has been honored with numerous industry awards, including four consecutive Campbell Awards from Campbell Rinker for exceptional ratings in the Nonprofit Accounting Software Survey, a nationwide survey of accounting software users.

About Sage Abra HRMS
Sage Abra is human resource management system (HRMS) software that delivers tightly integrated HR, payroll, benefits and attendance functionality, plus rich reporting and analysis tools. Sage Abra also includes a Web workforce portal with employee self-service that enables company-wide communications, benefits enrollment and more. The product line features support for multiple databases, with Abra SQL supporting Microsoft SQL Server, and Abra Suite supporting Visual FoxPro.

About Sage Nonprofit Solutions
Sage North America has been serving nonprofit and governmental organizations for more than 30 years. The company currently helps more than 3.1 million small and mid-sized businesses and nonprofits in the U.S. and Canada increase efficiency and more easily manage their operations through the use of technology. From fund accounting, donor and fundraising management, and fixed asset management, to online donation processing, human resources, payroll, and health care, Sage offers a software product or service to meet the organization's need.

About Sage North America
Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and services. Sage North America employs more than 4,100 people and supports 3.1 million small and medium-size business customers, including medical practices supporting more than 80,000 physicians in the United States. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 13,400 people and supports 6.1 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the website at www.sagenorthamerica.com.

Sage Abra and the Federal HIRE Act

2010-03-22T12:50:00.005-04:00

From Johnny Laurent, Vice President and General Manager, Sage Abra:

President Barack Obama this week signed into law the $17.5 billion Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act which encourages companies to hire unemployed workers by exempting certain wages from Social Security taxes and by providing employers with a tax credit if new hires are retained for at least 52 consecutive weeks. This legislation impacts companies of all sizes.

Specifically, an employer would be exempt from paying its share of 2010 Social Security taxes on any new hire who has been without full-time employment for at least 60 days. The maximum tax break an employer could gain per employee under this provision would be $6,621, or 6.2 percent of total wages paid in 2010 up to the $106,800 FICA wage cap.

Sage is acting swiftly and is fully committed to helping our Sage Abra clients navigate these changes. We are currently working on implementing changes to our product offerings to help organizations comply with the HIRE Act and will reflect the legislative changes in an upcoming release.

The HIRE Act offers an opportunity to demonstrate our leadership and commitment to our customers. You will receive more specifics on the schedule and changes to the software within the next coming weeks.

Synopsis of the portion of the legislation impacting the payroll:

Social Security tax exemption

The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) imposes two taxes on employers, employees, and self-employed workers - one for Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI, commonly known as the Social Security tax), and the other for Hospital Insurance (HI, commonly known as the Medicare tax). The FICA tax rate for employees and employers is 7.65% each - 6.2% for OASDI and 1.45% for HI. There is a maximum amount of compensation subject to the OASDI tax (i.e., $106,800 in 2010), but no maximum for HI.

The HIRE Act provides certain employers with relief from their share of the OASDI taxes on wages paid to a "qualified individual."

A qualified individual is anyone who:

begins work for a qualified employer after Feb. 3, 2010 and before Jan. 1, 2011;
certifies by signed affidavit (under penalties of perjury) that he was employed for a total of 40 hours or less during the 60-day period ending on the date the employment begins;
is not employed to replace another employee of the employer unless that former employee separated from employment voluntarily, or for cause; and
is not related to the employer (under rules similar to those in IRC 51(i).

The exemption would be available to any employer, other than a federal, state, or local employer (or government instrumentality). However, an employer that is a public higher education institution could claim the exemption. An employer could elect not to receive this payroll tax benefit.

The bill also provides a similar payroll tax benefit to railroad employers.

It is expected that the Social Security tax exemption would be reported on Form 941, Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return. The first quarter return (January 1 to March 31, 2010) must be filed by April 30, 2010. However, the bill does not allow the Social Security tax exemption to be claimed with respect to wages paid in the first quarter of 2010. The tax benefit that employers would have received in the first quarter of 2010 will be claimed in the second quarter of 2010 instead.

An IRS representative has stated that the IRS will be ready to make changes to Form 941 shortly after the bill is enacted.

The legislation calls for the employer Social Security tax exemption for qualified employers, as applicable, for wages paid to the qualified individual during the period beginning on the day after the date of the enactment and ending on December 31, 2010.

Questions? Give us a call at 1-800-517-9099 or email us.

CMS Implements Sage Abra HRMS Integrated with Sage MIP Fund Accounting

2010-02-25T11:18:00.007-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Brian Kelly
Cost Management Services (CMS)
(860) 678-4401
bkelly@cmshris.com

CMS Implements Sage Abra HRMS Integrated with Sage MIP Fund Accounting for New York Non-profit

Connecticut-based Human Resource and Payroll software specialists integrate Sage Abra HRMS and Sage MIP Fund Accounting to help PathStone Corporation eliminate duplicate data entry, improve workflow, and more easily meet regulatory reporting requirements.

Farmington, Conn.-Cost Management Services (CMS - www.cmshris.com) has announced the successful implementation of Sage Abra HRMS integrated with Sage MIP Fund Accounting for PathStone Corporation, a non-profit community development and services provider based in Rochester, N.Y. Connecticut-based CMS replaced an aging standalone human resource management system with Sage Abra HRMS and developed a bi-directional integration with Sage MIP Fund Accounting to help PathStone Corporation eliminate duplicate data entry and errors, improve workflow, and more easily meet regulatory reporting requirements.

By integrating Sage Abra HRMS with Sage MIP Fund Accounting, CMS helped PathStone eliminate the excessive time required for duplicate entry as well as the errors that occur with manual entry. The integrated Human Resource and payroll platform has helped PathStone simplify everything from new hire processing to ongoing administration.

Lisa Zhu, PathStone's Senior Vice President of Human Resources (HR), appreciates how automation streamlines data management. "Manual data entry was a nightmare. We'd spend hours on HR and payroll issues, either entering and reconciling data or looking up information. But with Sage Abra, we've streamlined our entire new hire process workflow and slashed data entry time in half." Information entered in Sage MIP Payroll is now moved to Sage Abra HR with the click of a button. Plus, the data stays synchronized when changes are made in either system.

Sage MIP Integrated HRMS and payroll software also helps PathStone more easily meet regulatory and compliance reporting requirements. Lisa Zhu adds, "Before, it was a tremendous chore pulling the information together and we were at risk of losing grant funds if we couldn't provide accurate reports and clearly demonstrate compliance. But with Sage Abra, we can run workers comp reports, track employee promotions or terminations, easily collect data on EEO and OSHA requirements, and present the information in mandated formats... things we couldn't do before or that took hours to do manually." Lisa says "The staff at CMS has been wonderful to work with. They're extremely knowledgeable when it comes to HR compliance issues. But perhaps most important, they did a thorough analysis of our processes and reporting needs before implementing an integrated HR system that turned out to be a fantastic solution."

For more information about CMS, visit their Web site at www.cmshris.com.

About Cost Management Services (CMS)
Cost Management Services, a Sage Select Certified Business Partner, is your resource for the full line of Sage Abra HRMS, Payroll, Timekeeping, and Recruiting Management systems. In business since 1997 and serving businesses throughout New England, CMS' knowledge and experience extends over 25 years to provide our customers with the greatest available resource in HR and Payroll management software, with a specialty in automating Non-Profit organizations. Visit their Web site at www.cmshris.com.

About PathStone Corporation
With more than 500 employees in 70 office locations in seven states, PathStone provides community development and human services that make life better for farm workers, low-income families, and economically depressed communities.

For more information visit www.PathStone.org.

###

Sage Abra SQL HRMS Version 10

2010-01-11T10:10:00.002-05:00

Sage Abra SQL HRMS Version 10 Brings New Level of Collaboration Between HR and Management
Dynamic Information Sharing Capabilities Extend Workforce Data to Company Personnel Who Need it Most

St. Petersburg , FL - Jan 11, 2010 - Sage North America today released Sage Abra SQL HRMS version 10, the latest version of Sage's award-winning human resource management system (HRMS) for small and midsize companies. Sage Abra is a market-leading HRMS that improves company efficiency by centralizing employee data, simplifying core human resource (HR) and payroll administration and enabling better workforce-related decisions. Version 10 features a new user interface and powerful new dynamic information sharing capabilities that help companies turn workforce data into a competitive advantage.

"Finance and operations executives in midsize businesses are recognizing the value that timely and accurate workforce information can have in managing costs and successfully running the business, especially in today’s economy. This increasing demand for workforce data, available in formats and detail for individual purposes, is putting significant strain on HR departments," said Johnny Laurent, vice president Sage Abra. "The traditional static reporting tools used by HR do not meet these new non-traditional user needs. Sage Abra Version 10 delivers the tools and flexibility for HR departments to give management the information they need, when they need it via secure web links."

Sage Abra v10 provides dynamic information sharing through a variety of access means that put customizable information into the hands of those who need it most. This enables executives, managers and staff to access, analyze and leverage real-time workforce data without placing additional burden on the HR department. Primary to sharing information dynamically are the new View Builder feature, templates and secure web-based access.

With View Builder Sage Abra v10 enables HR to provide users with real-time access to data, which is appropriately filtered for their role within the organization. For example, "views" can be built quickly and easily for executives, directors or supervisors who have rights to certain types of data. Unique URLs then link the views to a variety of applications such as spreadsheet models, web pages and management dashboards.

Sage Abra v10 includes sample application templates, such as merit pay budgeting and contact lists, for Excel, SharePoint and other applications, to help HR and non-HR users create the specific information sharing documents they need. Sage Abra's built-in security procedures protect data from unauthorized access, and also identify the user so that the data is filtered for that user. Each time the user accesses the application, the Abra data is automatically updated.

Sage Abra 10 also introduces a new user interface for improved efficiency. HR and payroll professionals interact with intuitive task organization, terminology and process workflow to accomplish tasks and find information quickly and easily. A new "product feedback" feature has been added that lets users participate in identifying and prioritizing future Abra improvements.

About Sage Abra
Sage Abra is human resource management system (HRMS) software that delivers tightly integrated HR, payroll, benefits and attendance functionality, plus rich reporting and analysis tools. Sage Abra also includes a Web workforce portal with employee self-service that enables company-wide communications, benefits enrollment and more. The product line features support for multiple databases, with Abra SQL supporting Microsoft SQL Server, and Abra Suite supporting Visual FoxPro.

Pricing and Availability
Sage Abra v10 is available now from authorized Sage business partners. For pricing and other information about Sage Abra HRMS, please visit http://www.cmshris.com/, e-mail bkelly@cmshris.com, or call 800-517-9000.

About Sage North America
Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and services. Sage North America employs 4,000 people and supports nearly 3.1 million small and medium-size business customers. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 13,400 people and supports 6.1 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the Web site at http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/.

CMS Lunch and Learn January 2010

2009-12-22T13:41:00.001-05:00

CMS is excited to introduce our new Abra Lunch and Learn Webinar Series to our Abra customers.

Attend our free monthly educational webcast series Lunch & Learn.

Additional topics include Creating Custom Screens, Improving Recruiting with iRecruit and Training Management, dates to be announced.

We also welcome your input and suggestions for future topics.

Abra Workforce Connections Improving Employee Communications
Get ready for 2010 with CMS' Lunch & Learn Webcasts: Abra Workforce Connections Improving Employee Communications. AWC lets employees view and request time off, access current benefits and dependents, print pay stubs, and view job requisitions and training history anytime, anyplace via the Internet or an intranet. Abra ESS automates personnel management activities such as time-off requests and W-4 form changes, and saves you considerable administrative time and expense associated with paper forms and manual processes. Learn how to make the most of this powerful tool. Our special guest speaker is to be announced
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 at 12.15pm – 1.15pm ET (Register)

To register for any of the above listed webinars please visit the (Register) link provided, or call Linzi at 860-678-4401 if you have any questions or are having trouble registering.

http://www.cmshris.com/lunch_and_learn.html

Happy Thanksgiving from CMS - Sage Abra HRMS!

2009-11-24T10:44:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at CMS!

Brian, Lori, Shawn, Dave, Linzi

Ready to Talk Turkey? Call CMS today for all your HR, Payroll and Recruiting Software needs at 1-800-517-9099.

Sage North America Announces Customer Awards Program Finalists

2009-11-05T11:40:00.000-05:00

Sage North America Announces Customer Awards Program Finalists

Atlanta , GA - Nov 03, 2009 - Sage North America, whose business management software and services are used by more than 2.9 million small and midsize businesses in the United States and Canada, announced today the finalists in its second annual Customer Awards Program. Seventeen companies in six categories are recognized as award finalists, with the winners being announced during the Sage Summit conference in Atlanta, GA on November 9th.p>

Each finalist achieved extraordinary results for its business with the use of Sage North America products. For example, SAC International Steel, Inc., an international leading distributor and exporter of prime, excess, and secondary metal products, had tremendous difficulty integrating their global offices. After implementing Sage SalesLogix and Sage MAS 200 ERP, the company experienced a 140% increase in revenue as a result of an automated matching and system generated communications program, customized within SalesLogix to match buyers and sellers of SAC International Steel’s products.

Another company, Creation Entertainment, premier event promoter for over 40 years, was searching for a completely integrated system that could handle their unique industry requirements for both front-end (website event information, ticketing ordering mechanism and online merchandise cart) and back-end customer service (order tracking, ticketing delivery system and event merchandise inventory). With Sage MAS 200 ERP, the company established a comprehensive system that has helped them decrease their variable costs by over 40%, while doubling their company’s revenue.p>

The seventeen finalists fall into the following categories:

Best Use of Customization
The Best Use of Customization Award will be given to a Sage customer who has customized their product to meet an industry-specific or business-specific need leading to a sustained competitive advantage. The 2009 finalists are:

Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS), Rockville, MD, using Sage MAS 500 ERP
SAC International Steel, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, using Sage SalesLogix and Sage MAS 200 ERP
SMS Systems Maintenance Services, Charlotte, NC, using Sage MAS 500 ERP and Sage FAS Fixed Assets

Community Stewardship
The Community Stewardship Award will be given to a Sage customer whose use of a Sage application has helped them make a positive impact on the local, national, or global community to better the lives of the people these organizations serve. The 2009 finalists are:

Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Tampa, FL, using Sage Accpac ERP and SageCRM
Teach For America, New York, NY, using Sage SalesLogix
WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA, Inc., Orlando, FL, using Sage MIP Fund Accounting and Sage FAS Fixed Assets

Best End-to-End Deployment
The Best End-to-End Deployment Award will be given to a Sage customer who has implemented multiple Sage solutions and achieved great success with them, demonstrating the combined benefits that stand-alone implementations could not achieve. The 2009 finalists are:

Nashville Wire Products, Nashville, TN, using Sage MAS 500 ERP, Sage SalesLogix and Sage Abra HRMS
Power Curbers, Inc., Salisbury, NC, using Sage MAS 500 ERP, Sage SalesLogix and Sage FAS Fixed Assets

Best Innovation Award
The Best Innovation Award recognizes the extraordinary achievements of an organization that has adopted Sage applications as an enterprise-class solution for their industry. The 2009 finalists are:

Creation Entertainment, Glendale, CA, using Sage MAS 200 ERP
Entertainment Lighting Services, Inc., Sun Valley, CA, using Sage MAS 500 ERP
Pacrim Hospitality Services Inc., Bedford, NS, using Sage Accpac ERP

Rookie of the Year
The Rookie of the Year Award will be given to a first-year Sage customer who has demonstrated immediate business results and a positive impact from their Sage solution. The 2009 finalists are:

Coilhose Pneumatics, East Brunswick, NJ, using Sage MAS 500 ERP
Richmond Olympic Oval Corporation, Richmond, BC, using Sage Accpac ERP and Sage FAS Fixed Assets
Triangle Suspension Systems, Inc., DuBois, PA, using Sage MAS 500 ERP and Sage SalesLogix

Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to a Sage customer who has demonstrated tremendous success with a Sage product for more than 10 years. The 2009 finalists are:

Amix Salvage & Sales Ltd., Surrey, BC, Sage Accpac ERP and SageCRM
ATTIC Correctional Services, Madison, WI, Sage Accpac ERP
Genzyme, Framingham, MA, Sage SalesLogix

All nominations for awards were made by Sage business partners, certified consultants, and Sage customers themselves. The winners will be chosen by an independent panel of judges, including: Denis Pombriant, founder and managing principal of Beagle Research; Paul Clolery, vice president and editorial director of NPT Publishing Group, and editor-in-chief of The NonProfit Times, and; Ramon Ray, editor and technology evangelist of Smallbiztechnology.com and a contributing editor for New York Enterprise Report.

For more information on the Sage Customer Awards Program please visit: http://www.sagenorthamerica.com/customer_resources/customer_awards_program
To learn more about Sage Summit and to register for the conference please visit: http://www.sagesummit.com/

About Sage North America
Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and services. Sage North America employs more than 4,100 people and supports nearly 2.9 million small and medium-size business customers. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 14,500 people and supports 5.8 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.sagenorthamerica.com.

iRecruit Webinar Schedule November 2009

2009-11-03T12:38:00.001-05:00

Wednesday, November 4, 2009 @ 1:00 pm ET
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 @ 1:00 pm ET
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 @ 1:00 pm ET
Wednesday, December 2, 2009 @ 1:00 pm ET
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 @ 1:00 pm ET

Click here to Sign up today or call Linzi at 1-800-517-9099!

Sage Abra November 2009 Webcasts

2009-11-02T13:45:00.001-05:00

Attend one of our insightful Webcasts this month and walk away with the knowledge and strategies you can use immediately to reduce your administrative burden, drive down costs, and improve communications with your employees. In the How to Overcome the Time and Attendance Hurdle webcast we'll show you the tools that thousands of other companies are already using to make better business decisions, create efficiencies, and stay compliant with ever-changing labor laws.

Be sure to bring all your HR questions to any of our Webcasts for the live Q&A with HR and Sage Abra experts!

Empowering Employees With Online Self-Service Portals
(For Current Sage Abra Customers)
Join us as we learn all about online employee self-service portals. In this interactive Webcast, industry veteran, Mary Anne Osborne, SPHR, will discuss strategies to improve employee communications, simplify the benefits enrollment process, and drive down costs. The Webcast will also feature a live demonstration of Sage Abra Web-based solutions.
November 17, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
Click here to Register or call CMS at 1-800-517-9099.

How to Overcome the Time and Attendance Hurdle
(For Sage Abra Payroll Customers)
In this one-hour Webcast, we'll look at some ways you can more easily and accurately capture your employees' time and attendance while simplifying your payroll processes.
November 19, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
Click here to Register or call CMS at 1-800-517-9099.

Sage Abra: Transforming Your HR Department into a Strategic Team
In this Webcast for Sage MAS 500 users, we'll dive into how a human resource management solution (HRMS), like Sage Abra, can transform your business. An HRMS can provide strategic insight, create efficiencies, drive down costs, and protect your organization from compliance risks.
November 30, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
Click here to Register or call CMS at 1-800-517-9099.

How Businesses Can Save Money on Holiday Hiring

2009-10-28T10:30:00.000-04:00

With just a few weeks to go until Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah, retailers are seeking to fill seasonal positions

Snagajob.com is reporting that on average retailers plan to hire 3.1 seasonal employees in 2009, a drop of 16% from last year. They report that retailers aren't the only ones hiring. Other good bets include warehouse jobs, restaurant jobs and hotel jobs. Tax preparation companies like Jackson Hewitt and H&R Block also offer seasonal jobs.

If you are hiring seasonal employees this holiday season you are not alone. Thousands of companies nationwide have already begun their annual holiday hiring to accommodate the expected increase in seasonal sales.

The holiday hiring season provides a huge opportunity for employers to take advantage of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. WOTC applies to new hires only for employees who fall into one of the following categories:

Designated Community Resident
Ex-Felon
Family Assistant Recipient
Family Assistant Recipient (long term)
SNAP Recipient (food stamps)
SSI Recipient
Summer Youth
Veteran
Veteran (disabled)

New hires do not have to be full-time employees in order for you to qualify for the tax credit. As long as the employee works between 120 - 400 hours for your company you can receive up to 40% of their wages (up to $6,000) in tax credits.

CMS has processed WOTC tax credits for companies for over 13 years and based on our experience up to 15% of the workforce is eligible for the employment tax credits. Why aren’t you taking advantage? Call CMS today at 1-800-517-9099 to find out how we can save you money this holiday season.

Calculate your potential tax savings with our WOTC Tax Credit Savings Calculator

About CMS
CMS - Sage Abra HRMS is a Sage Software Select certified Business Partner, providing Sage Abra HRMS software solutions to the North East. CMS has been providing Sage Abra HRMS (Human Resource Management Systems), Recruiting, Payroll, Benefits Enrollment, Training, Time and Attendance, Employee Self Service, and Work Opportunity Tax Credits solutions since 1997. Call CMS Today For a Free Assessment of Your HR & Payroll Software Needs at 1-800-517-9099.

CMS Sage Abra Lunch and Learn Webinar Series

2009-10-27T11:30:00.002-04:00

CMS is excited to introduce our new Abra Lunch and Learn Webinar Series to our Abra customers.

Attend our free monthly educational webcast series Lunch & Learn. The first session will be held November 4th 2009 with an introduction to Abra Secure Query and continue on the first Wednesday of each month. Additional topics include Creating Custom Screens, Improving Recruiting with iRecruit and Training Management, dates to be announced.

We also welcome your input and suggestions for future topics.

Getting the most from "Abra Secure Query"
Abra Secure Query is an ad-hoc desktop query and reporting tool that enables you to quickly and easily generate or modify reports for specific information. For example, sometimes you just need answers in a hurry to prepare for a meeting or to help make projections. Abra Secure Query makes it easy to get the information you need and is more flexible than Standard Reports and more user-friendly than Crystal Reports. Attend this free webcast and learn how to make the most of this powerful reporting tool. Find out how to select fields, group records, sort records, set filter and output the results of your custom reports.
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 12.15pm - 1.15pm ET (Register)

Abra Payroll Closing Year End
Get ready for 2010 with CMS' Lunch & Learn Webcast: Abra Payroll Closing Year End. Attend this free webcast and learn how to be prepared for year-end closing:
Determining year-end forms, Verifying code tables, Verifying Employer/Employee setups, Recording and depositing tax liabilities, Posting taxable benefits, Year-end adjustments Reporting. Get your questions answered by our Abra experts. Our special guest speaker will be Lorraine Bodden, National Director of Employment Tax at RSM McGladrey, Inc.
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 12.15pm – 1.15pm ET (Register)

To register for any of the above listed webinars please visit the (Register) link provided, or call Linzi at 860-678-4401 if you have any questions or are having trouble registering.

http://www.cmshris.com/lunch_and_learn.html

H1N1 Flu in the Workplace: Labor Law Update

2009-10-27T10:37:00.001-04:00

Posted to JD Supra by lawyers and law firms, these articles touch upon many considerations to do with the flu pandemic: workplace preparation, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and employee privacy, among others.

Click here to continue reading H1N1 Flu in the Workplace: Labor Law Update

iRecruit Demo for Abra Business Partners

2009-09-22T13:51:00.002-04:00

If you are a Sage Abra Business Partner with prospects or customers who are interested in looking at recruiting options to enhance their HRMS please join us for an iRecruit showcase presentation exclusive to the Abra BP community this October.

Attending an iRecruit Showcase is an excellent opportunity to see how iRecruit can benefit your clients, have your questions answered, and discuss how iRecruit can work for your clients or prospects.

Some of the highlights of iRecruit include:

Choice: Integration to Abra HR or Abra Recruiting Solution, or Stand Alone.
Works with Visual FoxPro or SQL versions of Abra.
More flexible than eRecruiter.
Enhanced Dashboard Views.
Custom Application forms by Job Posting (i.e. Requisition).
Reports section comparable to Abra Recruiting Solution.
Search for applicants online. Change the applicant status online. Make notes about your applicants.
Weighted keyword search allows managers to query & find applicants fast and easy.
Forward applicants to hiring managers.
Set up accounts for different iRecruit users. 4 User Roles available: Administrator, Recruiter, Hiring Manager or Custom.

Dates Available:

Tuesday, October 6, 2009 @ 2pm ET
Thursday, October 8, 2009 @ 2pm ET
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 @ 2pm ET
Thursday, October 22, 2009 @ 2pm ET

To Register for any of the above listed dates please click here or call CMS at 1-800-517-9099.

To Request a demo for a customer now please click here or call CMS at 1-800-517-9099.

Sage Abra - Introducing Sage Abra SQL HRMS Version 10

2009-09-21T11:37:00.003-04:00

The completely new user interface
Simplified navigation
Enhanced employee find
Sage Abra's new dynamic info sharing capability
Product Feedback feature
And more

There are two chances in October to attend this webcast:

October 8, 2009, 2pm ET (Register)
October 28, 2009, 2pm ET (Register)

To register for the Sage Abra SQL HRMS Version 10 webcast click here or call CMS at 1-800-517-9099. If you have any questions please let me know.

Sage Abra - Introducing Sage Abra SQL HRMS Version 10

2009-09-21T11:37:00.000-04:00

CMS would like to invite you to please join us for this one-hour event as we preview Sage Abra SQL HRMS version 10. This significant product release was created to enhance your user experience and provide you with the superior functionality that you have come to expect from Sage Abra.

October 8, 2009
October 28, 2009
In this Webcast, we will show you all the enhancements and new functionality that you will find in Sage Abra SQL HRMS version 10. Specifically, we'll show you:

- The completely new user interface
- Simplified navigation
- Enhanced employee find
- Sage Abra's new dynamic info sharing capability
- Product Feedback feature
- And more

To register click here or call CMS at 1-800-517-9099. If you have any questions please let me know.

Sage North America Appoints New Leader for its Employer Solutions Business: Johnny Laurent

2009-09-16T08:55:00.003-04:00

St. Petersburg , FL - Sep 15, 2009 - Sage North America today announced the appointment of Clifton J. ("Johnny") Laurent, Jr. as vice president and general manager for its Sage Employer Solutions business unit. Laurent will report to Himanshu Palsule, executive vice president and general manager for Sage Business Solutions, and will have direct responsibility for R&D, product management, product marketing and customer support, plus full P&L responsibilities, for Sage Employer Solutions. Sage Employer Solutions are part of a broad portfolio of business management software and services, including accounting, enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), human resource (HR) management, and payroll that Sage North America delivers to more than 2.9 million small and mid-sized businesses in the U.S. and Canada. Sage Abra HRMS is the keystone Employer Solutions product.

Laurent has more than 20 years of experience in the software and hardware industry. Since joining Sage in 2005, he has been responsible for customer support, learning services, and professional services, most recently serving as vice president of customer support and services for Employer Solutions. Prior to joining Sage, he owned and operated an independent customer support consultancy and served in various management and consulting roles for such organizations as Service Management International, Software AG and USRobotics.

Laurent holds a bachelor of science in computer science from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La. He will continue to work out of Sage's Petersburg, Fla., office, where the Employer Solutions business is headquartered.

About Sage North America
Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and services. Sage North America employs more than 4,100 people and supports nearly 2.9 million small and medium-size business customers. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 14,500 people and supports 5.8 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.sagenorthamerica.com.

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Copyright 2009 Sage Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Sage, Sage Software, Sage logos and the Sage product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sage Software, Inc. or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Sage Abra Success Story: Pathstone

2009-09-15T17:56:00.002-04:00

Farmington, CT - September 15, 2009 Cost Management Services has implemented the Sage Abra HRMS solution for Pathstone, a not-for-profit community development and human service organization headquartered in Rochester, New York. CMS implemented Sage Abra HRMS along with a bi-directional integration with Sage MIP payroll that turned out to be critical in PathStone's successful transformation.

Prior to the implementation of Sage Abra HRMS Pathstone had used a home-grown, Microsoft Access database along with Sage MIP Fund Accounting for payroll processing. However, the two applications weren't integrated and HR staff at Pathstone spent up to 10 hours every week having to manually enter duplicate data into each system. In addition payroll updates weren't always picked up in HR and vice versa. Senior VP of HR Lisa Zhu said, "After a while, discrepancies in the two systems made it difficult to prepare accurate budgets and a lot of time was wasted reconciling data."

Today, Sage Abra HRMS has helped PathStone simplify everything from new hire processing to ongoing administration. Lisa states, "We were spending a couple of hours each day on HR and payroll issues - either entering and reconciling data or looking up information. But with Sage Abra, we've streamlined our entire new hire process workflow and slashed data entry time in half." Information entered in Sage MIP Payroll is now moved easily to Sage Abra HR with the click of a button. Plus, the data stays synchronized when changes are made in either system.

"With Sage Abra HRMS, we've streamlined our entire new hire process workflow and slashed data entry time in half. The staff at CMS did a thorough analysis of our processes and reporting needs before implementing an HR system that turned out to be a fantastic solution."
Lisa Zhu,
Senior VP of HR, PathStone

Sage Abra HRMS also provided Pathstone with the reporting capabilities needed for their compliance regulations needed to grants and funding, essential to the not-for-profit organization.

Another important feature of the award-winning HR system was the ability to customize Sage Abra to meet Pathstone's specific needs. According to Lisa, "Some of our staff is required to maintain state certifications, are entitled to tuition reimbursement, or require special training courses. We use Sage Abra custom fields to track certifications, dates of completion, and reimbursement amounts."

Continue reading the success story of Pathstone Sage Abra MIP Fund Accounting.

About Cost Management Services (CMS)

Cost Management Services, a Sage Select Certified Business Partner, is your resource for the full line of Sage Abra HRMS, Payroll, Timekeeping, and Recruiting Management systems. In business since 1997 and serving businesses throughout New England, CMS' knowledge and experience extends over 25 years to provide our customers with the greatest available resource in HR and Payroll management software, with a specialty in automating Non-Profit organizations. Visit our website at http://www.cmshris.com/ or call 1-800-517-9099.

Craigslist.org Fraud Alert

2009-09-11T13:10:00.001-04:00

If you have recently applied for a job via Craigslist.org and received a job offer from Cost Management Services after interviewing via Yahoo! Messenger, please be aware that you may have been the victim of an identity scam.

A company using the website Craigslist.org has been using our company information to post fraudulent job openings. The advertisements will display Work At Home, and are for Payroll, Accounting, Human Resources or Data Entry Clerk type positions.

If you have been sent a check from the people claiming to be Cost Management Services DO NOT attempt to cash this check. Fake cashier checks and money orders are common, and banks will cash them and then hold YOU responsible when the fake is discovered weeks later.

Please be very careful with your personal information while online. Do not divulge social security, birth dates, or bank details online.

CMS is working with authorities to try to stop this company from using our name fraudulently. If you have been contacted by these people please contact us at 1-800-517-9099 and let us know.

For information about scams perpetrated on Craigslist.org please visit: http://chicago.craigslist.org/about/scams

Personal safety tips:
http://chicago.craigslist.org/about/safety

Award-Winning Customers at the Center of Sage Summit Conference

2009-08-06T22:02:00.002-04:00

Thousands of Sage customers will be connecting once again at the annual Sage Summit conference being held in Atlanta, GA Nov. 9-12, 2009.

The conference brings Sage customers together to network with peers and product experts, take advantage of hundreds of breakout sessions and hands-on labs, as well as attend receptions, roundtable discussions and other events. Registration is available at www.sagesummit.com. The annual Sage customer awards will be a highlight of the conference.

Open to Sage North America customers, the conference will feature a broad selection of Sage products and services that help make it easier for businesses to manage their operations. Sage serves 5.8 million customers worldwide with products that manage accounting, CRM, human resources, enterprise resource planning, and the industry-specific needs of construction, distribution, manufacturing, real estate, and nonprofit organizations. This year, for the first time, Sage Summit expands to offer sessions aimed at Sage Healthcare customers.

“At Sage Summit you learn extremely valuable material you really can’t get anywhere else,” said Sage customer Sheryl Jackson from Washington Restaurant Association.

Conference highlights this year include:

More than 500 breakout sessions and hands-on labs loaded with best practices and takeaways that center on both product and industry essentials
Evening receptions that present a great opportunity for networking and establishing working relationships with other businesses
Sage Customer Awards luncheon presentation including the annual Lifetime Achievement award
Opening general sessions hosted by Sage Business Solutions president Jodi Uecker-Rust and Sage Healthcare Division COO Lindy Benton
Trade show floor filled with exhibitors showcasing the latest advances in business automation and providing hands-on experience
Sage Summit Presents: Night at the Aquarium, an exciting dinner reception and evening of networking and fun at the world-famous Georgia Aquarium

Registration & Pricing Information
Sage Summit will take place November 9-12, 2009 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Interested customers can register at www.sagesummit.com, where they can also receive the latest conference updates. Early 'Super Saver' registration and 2008 Summit Alumni discounts are available now through August 7th. 'Early Bird' pricing is also available now continuing through September 18th, at $850 per person. Standard fees to register for the full 4-day conference will be $995. All prices are in USD.

About Sage North America
Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and services. Sage North America employs more than 4,100 people and supports nearly 2.9 million small and medium-size business customers.
The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 14,500 people and supports 5.8 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.sagenorthamerica.com.

Sage Extends Customer Usability for MAS 500 ERP

2009-08-06T21:54:00.003-04:00

Sage Extends Customer Usability for Sage MAS 500 ERP with Fully Integrated HR/Payroll Capabilities

Sage Continues Leadership in ERP Applications Providing End-to-End Business Management for SMB Market

St. Petersburg , FL - Aug 03, 2009 - Sage North America announced today the integration of the latest versions of Sage MAS 500 ERP (enterprise resource planning) and Sage Abra SQL HRMS (human resource management system). Sage MAS 500 with Sage Abra SQL supports the company’s ERP strategy of providing a full range of integrated, end-to-end business solutions to address the needs of the entire small and mid-sized business (SMB) market. The integration of Sage MAS 500 with Sage Abra extends functionality to the HR back office, while improving efficiency for customers by automating HR and payroll tasks and eliminating duplicate data entry processes. Sage, with 5.8 million customers around the world, is recognized by industry analysts as a global leader in providing business management applications for SMBs.

Integration between Sage Abra SQL HRMS and Sage MAS 500 general ledger (GL) makes it unnecessary for payroll and accounting professionals to manually prepare and enter payroll journal entries, since the preparation and transfer of information between the two products are automated. Users of both Sage Abra SQL and Sage MAS 500 can also benefit from the ability to quickly and easily assemble, review, and prepare employee and payroll data, as well as create reports, for Sage MAS 500.

“Sage MAS 500 users now have access to an integrated SQL-Server based HR, payroll, and ERP system, designed to help them achieve greater accuracy, control, and audit capabilities,” said Jennifer Dungan, director of product management for Sage Abra.

Sage Abra HRMS delivers tightly integrated functionality across HR, payroll, benefits, time-off, and training management, with rich reporting and analysis, and a Web workforce portal with employee self-service, company communications, benefits enrollment, and applicant tracking. Sage Abra HRMS customers can stay on top of state and federal regulations and requirements with the Sage Compliance Center.

Sage MAS 500 is a highly-scalable Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) application for mid-market to small-enterprise businesses. Designed from the ground up using Microsoft SQL Server and Visual Studio technology, Sage MAS 500 automates and streamlines business management processes, giving users maximum performance, value, and flexibility within a Microsoft computing environment. Recognized for combining ease-of-use with powerful capabilities, Sage MAS 500 is ideal for manufacturing, distribution and other companies with complex accounting and business processing needs.

Sage MAS 500 customers can purchase a Sage Abra bundle that includes Abra HR, Abra Payroll, Abra Attendance, and the integration.

For more information about Sage Abra SQL HRMS, please visit www.cmshris.com, e-mail bkelly@cmshris.com, or call 800-517-9099. For more information about Sage MAS 500 ERP, please visit www.sagemas.com or call 800-390-3643.

Brian on the new tax credit categories

2009-08-05T11:10:00.001-04:00

Based on our statistic’s from 1998 – 2008 15% of new hires qualified to receive tax credits under our WOTC services, now with the high risk youths expanding to the new targeted SNAP groups and age expanding from up to 25 years of age, to up to 40 years of age, and the new Unemployed Veteran and Disconnected Youths (see below) we are seeing our trend increasing to 25% of new hire qualifying under the WOTC program. This is a big number considering the average value of each qualified employee is $2,400.00.

On February 17, 2009, the President signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The Recovery Act introduced two new target groups: 1) Unemployed Veterans and 2) Disconnected Youth, who begin work for an employer during 2009 or 2010.

Unemployed Veteran - a veteran who has been discharged or released from active duty in the Armed Forces at any time during the 5-year period ending on the hiring date; and received of unemployment compensation under the State or Federal law for at least 4 weeks during the 1-year period ending on the hiring date.

Disconnected Youth - an individual who is age 16 but not yet age 25; not regularly attending any secondary, technical, or post –secondary school; not regularly employed for 6 months; and not readily employable due to lacking basic skills.

CMS WOTC Services - For Sage BP's

2009-08-04T09:17:00.001-04:00

CMS now offers Sage BP’s the opportunity to help their clients save money, the Small Business and Work Opportunity Act of 2007 extends the WOTC Program through August 31, 2011.

The WOTC has two purposes:

· To promote the hiring of individuals who qualify as a member of a target group, and

· To provide a federal tax credit to employers who hire these individuals.

Now, an employer may qualify for a tax credit of up to $9,000 if the employee is a member of a designated target group and meets that group's specific requirements. Contact CMS to learn how to participate.

Brian Kelly
CMS - "Employee Management Solutions"
bkelly@cmshris.com
Ph# 860-678-4401
www.cmshris.com

New York State Responds to Rising Unemployment

2009-07-20T09:30:00.000-04:00

New York State Responds to Rising Unemployment, Thousands of Dollars in Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credits available.

ROCHESTER, NY (07/16/2009)-- State Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith and Empire State Development Chairman & CEO designate Dennis Mullen today outlined a wide range of initiatives administered by the NYS Department of Labor designed to help businesses in the Finger Lakes Region weather the current recession. These include federal Work Opportunity Tax Credits (WOTC) for new hires, training programs and an initiative that helps companies avoid potential layoffs. In the Rochester area, the unemployment rate was 8.4 percent in June 2009, compared with 7.7 percent in May 2009 and 5.3 percent in June 2008 (not seasonally adjusted).

"As Governor Paterson often says, we are a state rich with resources, the most impressive of which is our human capital," said Commissioner Smith. "We need to invest in that capital here in the Finger Lakes Region, and let it grow. That is the ultimate goal of these initiatives, funded in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act."

"With unemployment steadily rising, it becomes increasingly important to support workforce and business development initiatives across New York State," said Dennis M. Mullen, Chairman & CEO designate, Empire State Development. "ESD provides many services and programs to businesses that are designed to strengthen a business' competitiveness and to ensure our State's workforce remains one of the most productive and diverse in the country. During these challenging economic times, we will work to fully utilize the competitive resources already available to New York that set us apart from other states, such as access to water and an international border and a highly educated workforce."

Businesses in the Finger Lakes Region that are hiring are encouraged to take advantage of federal Work Opportunity Tax Credits (WOTC) administered by the Department of Labor. These credits, which can amount to thousands of dollars for each new hire, are available for any business that hires WOTC-eligible individuals, including: long-term Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients; TANF recipients; veterans (eligibility criteria for veterans has expanded under the federal stimulus package); ex-felons; summer youth (eligibility criteria for youth has expanded under the federal stimulus package); vocational rehabilitation referrals; 18 to 39 year-old food stamp recipients; Supplemental Security Income Recipients; and individuals living in designated zones across the state. Businesses in the Finger Lakes Region interested in WOTC should call 1-888-4-NYSDOL. The State officials also encouraged Finger Lakes Region businesses to tap into the Labor Department's Building Skills in New York State (BUSINYS) program and upgrade the skills of their incumbent workers. Under this $5 million training program, funded in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, businesses with four or more workers are eligible to apply for up to $50,000 in worker training funds from the Department of Labor.

The purpose of the BUSINYS initiative is to ensure that the skills of workers do not deteriorate or become "stale" in an ever-more competitive and technologically complex global economy. Once awards are made to businesses in the Finger Lakes Region, incumbent workers will be trained in specific occupational skills needed by that business or industry. Eventually, this can lead to potential career growth and increased wages.

In order to be considered for an award, an applicant must:

• Be a private sector, for-profit, or not-for-profit business, and have four or more employees; or a consortium of two or more such businesses that have the same training needs.

• Be headquartered or have at least one physical location in New York State at the time the proposal is submitted. (Funds awarded to applicants must be expended on employees working at the applicant's New York State facilities.)

• Have contacted their local workforce investment area.

In addition:

• The position(s) targeted for training must exist and be filled at the time the proposal is submitted.

• The applicant must demonstrate that the training will result in the workers' acquisition of transferable occupational skills. Businesses have until July 20, 2009 to apply for the BUSINYS training program. There is no minimum award amount. Contracts will be awarded for a period of up to six months. For more information or to download an application, visit the Labor Department's homepage at www.labor.ny.gov.

Officials also called upon businesses in the region that are considering laying off workers to look into the Labor Department's Shared Work Program. Shared Work provides employers an alternative to layoffs as they face a temporary decline in business. Rather than lay off a percentage of workers to cut costs, an employer can use this program to reduce the hours of all or a particular group of employees. In turn, employees can receive partial unemployment insurance benefits to compensate for their lost wages. Under the Shared Work program, participating employees do not see a reduction in their health insurance, retirement, vacation pay, or other fringe benefits.In 2008, there were 67 companies and 2,947 workers in the Shared Work program in the Finger Lakes Region. Statewide, 462 companies and 14,775 workers participated in the program during that year. From January through May 2009, there were 231 companies and 6,702 workers participating in the Shared Work program in the Finger Lakes Region. During this same time period, 1,317 companies and 31,446 workers participated in the program statewide. Businesses interested in applying for the Shared Work program can call (518) 457-5807. To find out more about the Department of Labor and its services for businesses and workers, please visit www.labor.ny.gov.

To find out more about Empire State Development and its services for businesses and workers, please visit www.empire.state.ny.us.

For more about Work Opportunity Tax Credits please visit www.cmswotc.com

Webinar: Introduction to Sage Abra HRMS

2009-07-10T10:25:00.001-04:00

Sage Abra HRMS offers a flexible design and modular features to meet the needs of small and midsized companies. Attend this Webcast to learn how Sage Abra can help you more efficiently manage your workforce:

* Simplify benefits administration
* Ensure compliance
* Accurately manage attendance plans
* Streamline the recruiting process
* Allow employees to access personal information and enroll in benefits

July 21, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)
August 4, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)
August 19, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)
September 8, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)
September 22, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)

Click here to register for this webcast or call CMS at 1-800-517-9099.

Upcoming Sage Abra HRMS Webinars

2009-06-29T11:30:00.004-04:00

Learn more about Sage products and how they can benefit your organization. Register now for our free, live Webcasts, or view a recorded Webcast at your convenience.

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Introduction to Sage Abra HRMS (For Prospective Customers)
Sage Abra HRMS offers a flexible design and modular features to meet the needs of small and midsized companies. Attend this Webcast to learn how Sage Abra can help you more efficiently manage your workforce:
* Simplify benefits administration
* Ensure compliance
* Accurately manage attendance plans
* Streamline the recruiting process
* Allow employees to access personal information and enroll in benefits
July 7, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)
July 21, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)
August 4, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)
August 19, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)
September 8, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)
September 22, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)

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A Better Alternative to Payroll Service Providers
This Webcast will reveal the benefits of in-house payroll processing with Sage Abra Payroll. Join us to see how with Sage Abra Payroll, you will experience:
* Customizable screens that walk you step-by-step through the payroll process and allow you to run an unlimited number of payrolls
* Accurate and timely processing with cost-effective automation and complete data control
* Access to powerful reporting tools for compliance and strategic planning, including Crystal Reports®, ad-hoc reporting features, and over 100 standard reports and forms
July 9, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)

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Flying in the Face of Adversity: Encouraging and Motivating Your Employees During the Economic Recovery
Join us for this one-hour Webcast as Sage Abra and Kim Cressell, President of the Cressell Simmons Group, explore how to keep your employees encouraged and motivated in today's economic climate.

You'll also learn how to leverage your Sage Abra solution to:
* Build a thriving employee culture
* Cultivate and nurture employee engagement
* Effectively communicate with your employees
* Keep managers informed
August 6, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)

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Sage Abra HRMS - Gaining Control Over Your Payroll Processes With an In-House Payroll Solution
Did you know that you can save time and money by moving your payroll processes in-house? Join us for this Webcast as we explore the benefits of running your payroll in-house.

During this one-hour Webcast, we will explore how running your payroll in-house can be a hassle-free process that saves your company money. We will also debunk some common myths about in-house payroll. Join us, and we'll show you how an integrated HR and payroll solution can:

* Save your organization money over the long run
* Provide complete security over sensitive payroll information
* Give you the flexibility you need to make last-minute changes and updates to payroll information
* Get peace of mind knowing your employees' checks are accurate and on time
* Gain strategic insight with comprehensive reports
* Ensure compliance to avoid expensive penalties
August 18, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)
September 15, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)

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Getting It All in Order: Leveraging a Human Resources Management System to Thrive in 2010 and Beyond
Join us for this one-hour Webcast as Sage Abra and Kim Cressell, President of the Cressell Simmons Group, explores how to streamline your payroll and HR processes to make your organization as effective as possible, for now and in the future. This session will cover:

* Evaluating and implementing a HRMS system
* Ensuring governmental compliance
* Keeping your employees engaged and encouraged
* Live Q & A session
August 25, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)

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Sage Abra HRMS - A Data Warehouse Waiting for Exploration

A company's HR department is responsible for all information related to its number one asset –- its employees. Join us as we explore how a Human Resource Management System (HRMS) is critical for securing employee information and gaining insight on your workforce.

Join us for this one-hour Webcast as Sage Abra and Mary Anne Osborne, SPHR and senior associate of The Osborne Group, explore how a HRMS can keep all your information in one place, and how you can use that data for strategic planning.

This session will cover:

* Mining your HRMS for strategic information
* Evaluating and implementing a HRMS system
* Ensuring governmental compliance
* Keeping your employees engaged and encouraged
* Live Q & A session
September 3, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)

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Sage Abra - Making the Move to Employee Self-Service
In this informative session, we'll evaluate how you can move your burdensome, routine procedures to an online, paperless process that will enhance morale and increase employee involvement. It's time to take the next step to employee self-service.

Join us for this one-hour Webcast as Sage Abra and Mary Anne Osborne, SPHR and senior associate of The Osborne Group, explores how you can evaluate your current procedures and prepare to take them to the next level with employee self-service. This session will also include a live Q&A session, so you can get answers to your most pressing questions. You'll also learn how to leverage your Sage Abra solution to:

* Streamline burdensome procedures
* Go paperless
* Enhance morale
* Increase employee involvement
* Effectively communicate with your employees
September 14, 2009, 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time (register)

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Click here to register for any of the above webcasts or call CMS at 1-800-517-9099.

CMS Unveils WebTools Screenshots

2009-05-07T12:45:00.000-04:00

WebTools was developed by CMS to improve the flexibility of Abra Workforce Connections. Now you can create custom screens and leverage the power of Sage Abra with WebTools.

Click on any of these screenshots for a larger preview of these example custom detail screens.

Cost Management Services (CMS) is attending the Sage Insights Conference, May 11 - 14 at Nashville's Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. Stop by Booth #1063 to visit Brian Kelly to find out about iRecruit, WebTools (for Abra AWC), and Work Opportunity Tax Credits.

CMS - Sage Abra HRMS is a Sage Software Select certified Business Partner, providing Sage Abra HRMS software solutions to the North East. CMS has been providing Sage Abra HRMS (Human Resource Management Systems), Recruiting, Payroll, Benefits Enrollment, Training, Time and Attendance, Employee Self Service, and Work Opportunity Tax Credits solutions since 1997. Call CMS Today For a Free Assessment of Your HR & Payroll Software Needs at 1-800-517-9099.

CMS Attends Sage Software Insights Conference

2009-05-06T10:18:00.003-04:00

Cost Management Services (CMS) is attending the Sage Insights Conference, May 11 - 14 at Nashville's Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.

Stop by Booth #1063 to visit Brian Kelly to find out about iRecruit, WebTools (for Abra AWC), and Work Opportunity Tax Credits.

For more information visit:
http://www.cmshris.com/insights/

CMS - Sage Abra HRMS is a Sage Software Select certified Business Partner, providing Sage Abra HRMS software solutions to the North East. CMS has been providing Sage Abra HRMS (Human Resource Management Systems), Recruiting, Payroll, Benefits Enrollment, Training, Time and Attendance, Employee Self Service, and Work Opportunity Tax Credits solutions since 1997. Call CMS Today For a Free Assessment of Your HR & Payroll Software Needs at 1-800-517-9099.

Sage North America Announces Premier Sponsors and Keynote Speakers for Insights 2009

2009-04-15T12:06:00.000-04:00

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwire - April 14, 2009) - Sage North America today announced Premier Sponsors and Keynote Speakers for Insights 2009, the company's annual business partner conference, to be held May 11-14 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville. JopOps Job Management Software is the Platinum Sponsor for Insights 2009, while Citrix Online is the "GoTo" Technology Partner and ScanForce is the Gold Sponsor, respectively. The Silver Sponsor this year is IndustriOS Software, Inc. and Bronze sponsors are e2b teknologies inc., Edisoft and SAP Business Objects.

Insights 2009 features keynote addresses from Sage North America President and CEO Sue Swenson, Sage North America Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Motasim Najeeb, and retired Major League Baseball (MLB) player and National Baseball Hall of Fame member Cal Ripken, Jr. In addition, Sage North America product line general managers will present keynotes on Sage product directions in ERP, CRM, human resources management, nonprofit management, construction and real estate, and others.

Conference Sponsors:

Platinum Sponsor - JobOps (www.jobops.com) is a comprehensive solution for automating job management functions for make-to-order, installation, and field service/repair companies and is the preferred choice for hundreds of North America's small and mid-sized businesses. JobOps was specifically developed for Sage's award-winning Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 ERP software and now supports Sage Extended Enterprise Suite. JobOps is published by Synergistic Software Solutions, LLC. a wholly-owned subsidiary of BDO Seidman, LLP. The company will exhibit in booths # 821 and #823.

"GoTo" Technology Partner - Citrix Online (www.citrixonline.com) is the leading provider of Web-based remote access, collaboration and support tools. Citrix Online will exhibit at Insights 2009 (Booth #312), where attendees can preview new product lines and take advantage of exclusive offers.

Gold Sponsor - ScanForce (www.ScanForceSoftware.com) provides automation software created to streamline processes within Sage MAS 90 ERP and Sage MAS 200 ERP with the use of bar code scanning. The company provides scanning solutions for distribution, light manufacturing, remote sales, and labeling. ScanForce is the first solution to allow collection and validation of data in and out of RF coverage. ScanForce will exhibit in booth #542.

Featured speakers at Insights 2009 will include:

Executive Keynote with Sue Swenson, President and CEO of Sage North America, Monday May 11;
Technology Keynote with Motasim Najeeb, CTO for Sage North America, Tuesday, May 12;
Sage North America General Manager Keynotes, Tuesday, May 12; -- Closing Luncheon with Cal Ripken, Jr., retired MLB player and National
Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2007 inductee, Thursday, May 14.

Insights will once again bring together business partners from across North America, representing nearly all Sage North America products and services, including Sage Abra HRMS, Sage Accpac ERP, ACT! by Sage, SageCRM and SageCRM.com, Sage FAS Fixed Assets, Sage MAS 90, 200, and 500 ERP, Sage Master Builder, Sage MIP Fund Accounting, Sage SalesLogix, Peachtree by Sage, Sage Timberline Office, and many others.

The conference includes more business management and hands-on learning opportunities than ever before. Breakout sessions will focus on surviving and thriving in a tough economy, leadership, cross-selling, new sales and marketing techniques, vertical markets, and product essentials and integration.

Insights 2009 will also offer meet-and-greet receptions, networking opportunities and a trade show with more than 170 exhibitors showcasing the latest technologies for all Sage North America brands and add-on innovations. This year, Insights will also introduce its first 5K Run/Walk on Monday, May 11.

Until April 30th, online registration is available at www.sageinsightsconference.com/registration. For additional Insights 2009 information, please visit www.sageinsightsconference.com.

About Sage North America

Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and services. At Sage, we live and breathe business every day. We are passionate about helping our customers achieve their ambitions. Our range of business software and services is continually evolving as we innovate to answer our customers' needs. Our solutions support accounting, operations, customer relationship management, human resources, time tracking, merchant services and the specialized needs of the construction, distribution, healthcare, manufacturing, nonprofit and real estate industries. Sage North America employs approximately 4,800 people and supports nearly 2.9 million small and medium-size business customers. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 14,500 people and supports 5.8 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the web site at www.sagenorthamerica.com or call 866-308-2378.

CMS - Sage Abra HRMS

Introduction to Sage HRMS

CMS Is Hiring A Part Time Inside Sales Representative

So, what's the deal with HR? Jerry Seinfeld to speak at SHRM's Annual Conference

Webinar: Recent Court Case Rulings and What They Mean for HR

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Introduction to Sage Abra HRMS

Cost-Effective Compliance: What It Consists Of and How to Achieve It

What's New in Sage HRMS 2012?

Paperless Payroll With the Sage Payroll PayCard

The Data-Driven HR Organization: How to Achieve It and How to Benefit from It

Webinar: HR Actions HR Actions - Create, Route, Approve and Save Paperless Web-Based Forms

American Jobs Act

HR Actions for Sage Abra Webcast

CMS Brian Kelly Featured in Hartford Courant

Sage Abra HRMS and Return On Employee Investment

HR Actions for Sage Abra

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CMS Attends Staffing World

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CMS Announces new iRecruit to support Enterprise Marketplace

CMS Announces New iRecruit for Canadian Marketplace

CMS Announces New Integration from iRecruit to Work Opportunity Tax Credit Services

Webinar: Data-Driven HR Organization

Webinar: How to Save Money, Improve Service and Comply With Healthcare Reform by Automating Your Benefit Carrier Communications

Webinar: HR Actions for Sage Abra

Webinar: Open Enrollment

Webinar: Sage Abra Employee Self Service

Webinar: Introduction to Sage Abra HRMS

Webinar: Automating Human Resources

Webinar: Paperless Payroll With the Sage Payroll PayCard

Webinar: Cost-Effective Compliance

Visit iRecruit at Sage Summit in DC at Booth 227

Webinar: Automate the Performance Appraisal Process and Go Paperless With Sage Abra

Webinar: HR Actions - Create, Route, Approve, and Save Paperless Web-Based Forms

Webinar: Paperless Payroll with the Sage Payroll PayCard

Webinar: Pluses and Minuses of Background Screenings

Introduction to Sage Abra HRMS

Sage Webcast; Paperless Payroll With the Sage Payroll PayCard

Sage Webcast: Cost-Effective Compliance

Sage Webcast: Sage Abra HR Actions

Sage Webcast: The Data-Driven HR Organization: How to Achieve It and How to Benefit from It

Sage Webcast: Introduction to Sage Abra HRMS

Sage Webcast: Wage and Hour - Staying on the Right Side of the DOL

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Sage Webcast: NLRB - Should You Be Concerned?

iRecruit Customer Testimonials

CMS Radio Ad Highlights Work Opportunity Tax Credit Services

New Senate Bill To Expand WOTC for Veterans

New Whitepaper: What the CEO Needs From Human Resources

Save on New Hires in 2011 with the Work Opportunity Tax Credit

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CMS Sage Abra Newsletter

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Introduction to the Work Opportunity Tax Credit

Stop using PDFs, Improve Online Recruiting with iRecruit

Sage Abra, the New Hire Act and the American Recovery Act

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CMS Summer Newsletter: Sage Abra Suite Version 9

7 WOTC Tips & Tricks

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Happy Thanksgiving from CMS - Sage Abra HRMS!

Sage North America Announces Customer Awards Program Finalists