Sage executives have talked for years about the need to make the company's name better known on this continent. But this is the most direct step yet taken to do that. "We will be dropping the use of our brand names, Timberline, Peachtree, Accpac and MAS," Houillon said in his keynote on Monday, July 11. "If we continUe to promote product brands we will never be a strong Sage brand." He said that by 2013, the company will no longer promote product names, only the Sage brand. "I told you it will not be easy. But it is vital," he said.

In recorded interviews, Sage resellers asked a keynote panel about the brand change. Steve Blythe, CEO of Blytheco, one of the largest Sage resellers in this United States noted, "Sage has changed its brand once a year" and asked about the financial impact on resellers, as well as pointing to what he said were some effective new names.

"Ultimately, why are doing this is to create a strong brand," said Dennis Frahmann, EVP of corporate marketing. He said that "you are paying an enormous cost in selling a week brand." He said resellers first have to sell clients on who Sage is why they should be the company's products. With a strong brand, "customers will come to you," he said.

However, in the carefully scripted questions of the moderator, there was no followup to pin down the execs on details or time schedules on any topic.