This summer will bring not the customary one, but two new releases of Sage Timeslips. 
The first new version is called Sage Timeslips Premium, which is a subscription-based release and features a SQL database. We have also learned recently that there will be a release called Sage Timeslips 2016, in the familiar Paradox database format, scheduled for late July. It will be important for firms upgrading their version of Timeslips to give careful consideration to the particulars of these offerings before deciding which one to go with.
With the release of Premium, users have an array of purchase options. Three major changes take effect with this release: a new SQL database platform, subscription pricing, and a required Sage technical support plan.
- Sage Timeslips Premium incorporates a database platform known as Firebird SQL. This platform promises to be faster and more stable than the Paradox database we have been using these last 17 years or so, and to improve network performance and database capacity for larger firms. While the interface has received a bit of a facelift, users will feel comfortable with the familiar look and feel found in most program screens.
- Timeslips Premium is now sold as a subscription product. Firms will pay per-month, per license for the use of the program rather than purchasing the licenses outright. An annual pricing plan is also available. The subscription model has very important ramifications, especially for firms that decide at any point in the future to discontinue their subscription payments. The electronic billing interface is not included in the subscription and must be added on for an additional monthly or yearly fee.
- A full support plan from Sage, known as Sage Business Care, is now mandatory for Premium users and is included in the subscription price. There are three levels of support: silver, gold, and platinum. While each includes the same level of access to Sage Support, additional goodies such as Timeslips eCenter licenses are included in the more expensive plans. Ongoing subscriptions will also include future software updates.
Clients have asked us whether making the leap to Timeslips Premium will mean that they will be able to do their timekeeping and billing “in the cloud”. Such is not the case; Timeslips Premium will still be installed on-premise, on the office server and workstations.
If all this sounds like a lot to take in, some users and potential users may be happy to know that, for firms that do not wish to adopt the subscription model this year, Sage Timeslips version 2016 will be released in late July on the legacy Paradox database platform. No Sage support plan is required, and Timeslips 2016 will be purchased and licensed in the traditional way that users are familiar and comfortable with.
For information on whether your firm is a good candidate for Sage Timeslips Premium or Timeslips 2016, or with any other questions about these new releases, please contact one of the Sage Timeslips-certified consultants at Eastern Legal Systems by calling 877-357-0555 or by an email at [email protected].
Jack Schaller has been active in the field of law office technology since 1989, and has worked with a variety of commercial accounting, legal billing, practice management, and document management software products during his twenty plus years in the software consulting field. During his tenure as a software consultant he has garnered many sales and service awards for his work with legal software products. Jack is a frequent presenter at legal conferences and seminars, and is a regular contributor to TechnoLawyer and other technology publications.