Best Software Earns Prestigious Support Center Practices (SCP) Certification for Third Consecutive Year

Certification Recognizes Best Software for Delivering Top Quality Support

August 6, 2003

Atlanta, GA – August 6, 2003 – Best Software announced today that its Peachtree, Timeslips, and DacEasy Customer Service and Support organization has achieved certification under the prestigious Support Center Practices (SCP) Certification program. Determined after an extensive audit of the support center located in Atlanta, the certification quantifies the effectiveness of customer support based upon a stringent set of performance standards and represents best practices in the industry.

“Across all of Best Software, superior customer service is our top priority, and we are extremely pleased that our customer support organization has once again achieved SCP Certification,” said Ron Taylor, vice president of customer division support and service, Best Software Small Business Division. “Our focus is on building long-term relationships with our customers and providing them with valuable insight into the numbers that drive their businesses. With that goal in mind, it’s a tremendous honor for us to achieve this prestigious designation.”

SCP Certification, an internationally recognized standard created with the Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA) and a consortium of leading technology companies, defines best practices for delivering world-class technology support. The program quantifies the effectiveness of customer support, establishes a foundation to build on existing quality processes, and provides a clear focus on measurable results. SCP Certification requires comprehensive on-site audits to confirm that companies meet the requirements of the over 100 business elements defined in the program. Certified organizations must demonstrate their continued commitment to high performance standards through annual re-certification audits.

“By passing the rigorous requirements necessary to achieve SCP Certification, Best Software has made it clear they are committed to delivering world-class support to their customers,” said Derek Nash, SCP Auditor. “During the SCP Certification audit, Best Software demonstrated a clear commitment to customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.”

Best Software joins the ranks of other leading technology companies that have achieved the prestigious and sought-after SCP Certification, including Lawson Software, Lockheed Martin Incorporated, PeopleSoft Incorporated, McKesson Corporation, Mentor Graphics Corporation, Network Appliance Incorporated and Xerox Corporation among others. Currently over two hundred technology support organizations around the world participate in the SCP program.

About Support Center Practices (SCP) Certification
The Support Center Practices (SCP) Certification program was developed to address service quality issues that affect the rapidly growing technology support industry. The SSPA and forty of its member companies created the program along with Service Strategies Corporation. These companies contributed their insight and perspective into defining the key elements required for delivering World Class support. The SSPA represents over 22,000 service executives in over 2,500 support centers worldwide. SSPA gives service and support professionals opportunities to share ideas, discuss developing trends and network with their peers. For more information about SSPA, visit http://www.theSSPA.com. Service Strategies Corporation is responsible for administering the SCP Certification program and conducting on-site certification audits. For more information about SCP Certification, contact Service Strategies Corporation at 858.674.4864, email info@servicestrategies.com or visit http://www.scpcertification.com/.

About Best Software
Best Software offers leading business management products and services that give more than 1.7 million small and mid-sized customers in North America the insight for success throughout the life of their business. Its parent company, The Sage Group plc (London: SGE.L), supports 3.1 million customers worldwide and has revenue of approximately $890 million. For more than 25 years, Best Software has delivered easy-to-use, scalable and customizable applications through its portfolio of leading brands, including Abra, ACT!, CPASoftware, FAS, MAS 90, MIP, Peachtree and SalesLogix, among many others. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.bestsoftware.com or call (866) 308-BEST.