Sage Software Advances Building Information Modeling Through Partnership

In a continuing quest to provide the most effective business management solutions, Sage Software announced today that development partner Innovaya is offering a new Visual Estimating product that integrates with the company's award-winning Sage Timberline Office business management system for the construction and real estate industries.

This breakthrough product is one of the first in the industry to use Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology and 3D capability to help solve real world estimating problems -- allowing intelligent change management with design objects, quantities and cost items all linked together.

"This is just one more example of Sage Software's work at the forefront of the movement toward interoperable solutions," said Gary Simpson, Sage Timberline Estimating product director. "We think Visual Estimating will be of significant value to our clients and see tremendous potential with the Innovaya partnership."

Sage Software has also been involved with creating Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), and has worked with the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI), a global consortium of commercial companies and research organizations founded in 1995.

Innovaya Visual Estimating performs cost estimating quickly and intelligently by delivering objects from Autodesk Revit and Architectural Desktop to the Sage Timberline Office estimating module.

"The process for estimators to obtain design quantities and take them into pricing projects has been too time consuming, tedious and labor-intensive," said Innovaya founder and president Dr. Kevin Yu. He said his firm saw the need for a solution that could respond to today's fast-tracked projects. "We figured out a way to automate data transformation, streamlining the process between design and estimating, allowing more time for other critical decision making tasks," said Yu, who has nearly 20 years experience in the architecture, engineering and construction industries, including work as a lead engineer at Sage Timberline.

The powerful software is also easy to use because it works directly with 3D objects and quantities -- without a user having to learn complicated CAD programs, Yu said. The three-in-one program combines visualizing, quantity takeoffs and estimating with a simple and intuitive user interface.

"A major challenge facing every capital project is timely access to accurate and complete information," said Norbert Young, president of McGraw-Hill Construction. "Interoperable solutions will enable seamless access to all data, information, and knowledge needed to make optimal decisions in every phase and function of the capital project/facility life cycle, greatly enhancing productivity and reducing risk for all participants."

Innovaya joins a growing list of more than 30 development partners creating new products that extend the functionality of Sage Timberline Office. Sage Timberline Office provides accounting and estimating software for the construction and real estate industries and is backed by more than 30 years of proven dependability and award-winning support.

About Innovaya

Innovaya provides innovative software technologies for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries. These technologies, based on building information models (BIM), help AEC firms to maximize the potential of computer tools in design and construction processes. Companies that wish to gain advantages in today's ever competitive AEC markets will find Innovaya solutions beneficial.

Taking advantage of BIM, Innovaya Visual Estimating performs cost estimating accurately, quickly, and intelligently by delivering objects from Autodesk Revit and Architectural Desktop to the Sage Timberline Office estimating solution. For more information visit: www.innovaya.com

About Sage Software

Sage Software offers leading business management software and services that support the needs, challenges and dreams of more than 2.5 million small and mid-sized business customers in North America. Its parent company, The Sage Group plc (LSE: SGE.L) supports 4.7 million customers worldwide. For more than 25 years, Sage Software has delivered easy-to-use, scalable and customizable software for accounting, customer relationship management, human resources, time tracking and the specialized needs of accounting practices and the construction, distribution, manufacturing, nonprofit and real estate industries. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.sagesoftware.com/moreinfo or call (866) 308-2378.

Media Contact: Traci Williams Public Relations Manager Sage Software (503) 439-5919 traci.williams@sage.com