Sage, Salesforce Announce SMB-Centric Global Partnership

Salesforce (CRM) has partnered with small business accounting solution provider Sage to develop a new platform-as-a-service solution that will allow SMBs to run entirely in the cloud.

The solution, called Sage Life on the Salesforce1 Platform, is a cloud-based platform that is expected to allow small companies to roll their customer, accounting, payroll and finance data into a single system, according to the announcement. Sage said the platform will be available though any device, including smartwatches, tablets and smartphones, and will provide users with the ability to view data in real time.

“Small-business software no longer has to represent different systems or layers of complexity—it’ll be simple, collaborative and real time,” said Stephen Kelly, CEO of Sage, in a statement. “With Sage Life, we are delivering social, mobile, cloud-based innovation, powered by real-time accounting. Now running a small business can be as easy as updating your Facebook status.”

The partnership pokes holes in the rumors that Salesforce.com was up for sale, and extends a previously announced collaboration with Sage that was unveiled earlier this year, according to ITNews. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff declined to comment on the rumors of Salesforce’s impending acquisition.

“Today’s news reimagines the business of doing business for SMBs,” said Kelly, according to ITNews. “What this does is give every employee real-time information on the Apple watch or the device of their choice. It’s as important to SMBs as the iPod was to consumers.”

Sage Life is expected to be generally available worldwide this summer, with a dedicated Sage app store also planned to launch later this year.