Paula,

I've worked as a developer extensively in both products.  I believe there are quite a few different issues here:  1.  Data Manipulation/Business Intelligence.  I think Sage 500 likely has MUCH BETTER tools for this because it is SQL.  That said if you work with a reseller/developer you'll be able to get almost the same from Sage 100 because they'll just extract the data and put it into your SQL product.  I think native SQL is the better way to go especially because Sage 500 has a great data design.

2.  You need better manufacturing software.  Sage 500 is said to be better here than Sage 100.  Sage 500 also has some strong 3rd party products..  Overall Sage 500 is probably the better choice.  Of course due diligence is in order.

3.  You don't know SQL and might be worried about your personal future.  There are tons and tons of free training on SQL.  Additionally sites like Pluralsight offer on demand courses which are generally top notch.

4.  Is 500 going away?  Sage is committed to it for at least the next 6 years though there is no doubt it isn't getting much attention compared to X3 for example.

Good Luck,

John

I would also add to John's analysis that SQL Server databases have the room to grow and are only limited by hardware and certain licensing.   I'm not sure what the size limit of a Providex database is but I don't think it can compete with SQL Server.

If hardware is an issue, I know Microsoft Azure allows the creation of VM Machines that run SQL Server which can be accessed through your local network.   I haven't tried installing Sage 500 to an Azure VM yet (future experiment), but from what I've read it should be possible. azure.microsoft.com/.../sql-server

I would also point out that Sage 500 is very flexible in regards to building integrations to other software systems and services.  Technologies such as web services, Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), and SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) are just a few of the ways you can import or export data from Sage 500.  Sage 500's Data Migrator is a very powerful tool for doing imports using SSIS.  So if you need to have integrations to other systems, Sage 500 can do the job.

If Sage is going to support 500 ERP for the next 6 years, why are the spending so little time and effort on the product line?

Sage 500 ERP includes advanced features in core financials, distribution, manufacturing and project accounting.  At this point, it is a stable and yet flexible foundation for customers who need those capabilities.  Sage continues to invest in customers using the solution to the extent that ongoing enhancements are designed to improve the customer experience -- making the solution more user friendly in everyday use, staying current with operating system and hardware standards, and adding new ways to make business intelligence easier to access and analyze.

To be clear, there is no determined or announced retirement date for this product

Thank you for your continued contribution Linda.