Sage 300 Updates

Action May Be Required Soon

Sage has announced that there are two important technical updates approaching in the Sage 300 2022.2 release that may impact customers that are not on a recent product release. Quick side note before we dive into the specifics - we always recommend staying up to date with your ERP, so you get the latest in technology additions and maintain security. We realize this can be an additional effort and cost, but the benefits really do make it worthwhile. Now to the specifics of the latest Sage 300 updates:

1. Microsoft Will Disable Basic Authentication

Effective October 1, 2022, Microsoft will disable basic authentication and subsequently require the use of modern authentication (OAuth) for connection to servers, services, and API endpoints, such as Exchange online & Office 365 email tenants.

This means that in-product email services will stop working (i.e., sending email through Sage) for Sage 300 customers that are on versions prior to 2020.8. Sage recommends that all customers upgrade to the latest version of Sage 300 by October 1, 2022 (currently Sage 300 v2022.2). Getting updated to the latest version will also allow you to enable email delivery right in Sage 300. To learn how to set that up, explore our other article.

2. Transport Layer Security 1.0 and 1.1 Deprecation

Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a third-party component that is widely adopted and designed to facilitate privacy and data security when communicating over the internet. TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 were formally deprecated in June 2018, making way for the recommended use of TLS 1.2.

As such, effective September 2023, the new Sage 300 updates will no longer support TLS 1.0 and 1.1. Customers will need to upgrade to Sage 300 versions 2019.6, 2020.3, or higher by that time.

3. New Requirement: Customer Support Contact Authentication

In its continuing efforts to maintain and increase the security of your system, and make sure only the people you want to have access to certain areas, Sage has updated the authentication process for customer contacts. Beginning October 2022, Sage Customer Service will no longer assist an employee or customer contact (i.e., partner or accountant) if they are not listed in Sage’s CRM system.

For example, if an employee reaches out to Sage by phone or chat and they are not already in the CRM system as a contact, Sage will not be able to assist until he/she is added by another existing authenticated contact. In particular, Sage will request additional information before proceeding with changes to an account (i.e., add/remove the contact or email addresses), subscription cancellation, or request 2-factor authentication changes.

To make sure your team has the access they need, we recommend reviewing who is listed in Sage’s CRM system, removing anyone who may no longer need it, and updating it with any new team members or appropriate outsourced contacts. That way if there’s an urgent need for Sage Support, Sage can jump in right away without waiting to authenticate anyone. Of course, a Sage 300 partner, such as Equation Technologies, may be able to help you as well, depending on your question/needs.

Finally, in case you hadn’t heard, Sage has been doing a “Member Masterclass” series featuring talks and articles from the world’s leading experts on the challenges that are most important for businesses today.

An archive of Sage Membership Masterclass Season 1 is now available, focusing on how to find and keep great people as well as tips for building a happier, healthier, and more productive workplace. We hope you enjoy it!

As always, if you have any questions about any of the updates from this release or the Sage 300 updates in the 2022.1 release, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Sage 300 partner experts.