Sage 200 and Sage CRM Technical Update June 2020

Technology is always changing, including how Sage software works alongside associated software including Operating Systems & Browsers. Sage 200 and Sage CRM will be impacted by industry changes to the TLS protocol currently being made to browsers and operating systems.

What are the upcoming changes?
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) no longer recommends the use of older TLS versions. Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla have announced a unified plan to deprecate the use of TLS 1.0 and 1.1 early in 2020.

There are slightly different dates for different browsers, but there’s a consensus that only 1.2 should be supported. Other software and infrastructure providers are also ending support for TLS 1.1. This will impact Microsoft Exchange and other service providers.

Operating system changes to prevent the use of TLS 1.0 / 1.1 can also be expected but may impact businesses earlier if the business IT policy removes the use of this protocol ahead of software vendors.

What does this mean for my Sage Software?
Sage is committed to keeping customers secure. Making sure they reduce threats and take advantage of the latest technology. Meaning from time to time they need to upgrade the underlying components of their products.

Depending on what version of Sage 200 or Sage CRM is currently installed and how the system is currently used, steps, including upgrades for older versions, will need to be completed to ensure the software continues to work & associated services aren’t disrupted.

Technology changes can be disruptive, but equally, they are extremely important. To support customers & partners Sage are re-launching key versions of Sage 200 that contain the necessary updates. This gives choice and flexibility, in a large number of cases, to either reinstall or to upgrade to newer versions.

What are the key dates?
TLS is not provided by Sage, the dates will vary dependant on the operating system, browser and your business IT policy and as such are outside of the control of Sage and/or Smith Cooper. However, there are some specific action dates relating to the current Sage licence service which we will write directly to you about with specific reference to your software version.

What is the product impact?
As stated earlier in the article, the impact of these changes is very subjective depending on what version of Sage 200 or Sage CRM is currently installed and how the system is currently used and what associated services are operational.

We are also currently in discussion with all the key Sage ISV community to understand any impact on their software. We will provide further updates in due course.

What should I do in the first instance?
Right now there is nothing for you to do and Smith Cooper will contact you directly regarding your specific configuration or services.

IMPORTANT
However, if your business IT policy decide to implement any operating system changes to prevent the use of TLS 1.0 / 1.1, it is very important that you contact Smith Cooper BEFORE this change is made so we can ensure there is no interruption to your Sage Business system operation.

More information will be provided in due course however should you require any specific information in the first instance, please contact us on 01332 959008 or [email protected]