Pastel, Sage distributors merge

Sage accounting software distributors Pastel Software and Sage Distribution have merged to form a new entity dubbed Software Alliance Group.

John North, managing director at Pastel, said in a statement that the merged entity would provide some 100 SMB-focused business software products.

"Resellers will benefit," North said. "Channel partners will have access to greatly increased service and support."

Software Alliance Group would fill a "gaping hole" in the business management software market, North claimed.

North and John Marshall, managing director of Sage Distribution, would jointly manage Software Alliance Group, the companies said.

Software Alliance Group would initially be an Authorised Australian Distributor of Sage Pastel accounting, payroll and SMB-focused software products.

The companies said the merged entity wanted to make acquisitions and further strategic alliances. It promised to launch an "aggressive" channel campaign for "suitable" channel partners, they said.

"Software Alliance Group is also keen to establish itself as a specialist business software distributor for many new products, with several currently at the pre-launch stage," the companies said.

Marshall said new resellers could include those whose "typical customers" were small businesses with two to 10 staff.

"We'll be rolling out a channel program we expect will be very appealing," Marshall said.

"Our competitors in the Australian accounting software market have stifled their channel partners with prohibitively expensive certification programs and product lines that cannot keep up with the ever-changing needs of their small business customers."