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Sage Software and CCH Significantly Expand Strategic Alliance

(PENSACOLA, FLA. AND RIVERWOODS, ILL., January 16, 2006) - Sage Software and CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business (CCH), announced today that they have entered into a new agreement that significantly expands their strategic alliance and strengthens each company’s ability to best serve the accounting community with premium products and services. The expanded alliance includes a number of new opportunities designed to allow CCH and Sage Software to leverage their key independent strengths in the accounting market.

Sage Software is a North American leader in providing small and mid-sized businesses and the accountants that serve them with a broad range of business management software. CCH is a leading provider of tax and accounting information, software and services in the U.S. and Canada.

The companies first announced their innovative alliance aimed at delivering new solutions to the accounting market in May 2004. Since then, the two have collaborated on product integration projects between CCH ProSystem fx Tax and the Sage CPA Practice Manager and Sage FAS Asset Accounting products.

The expanded alliance will give Sage the ability to provide its customers and accountant partners with access to a range of CCH specialty information resources. The companies are actively exploring opportunities to work together in a number of other areas that will bring added value to their respective customers, including more product integration between Sage accounting and ERP solutions and CCH income tax, sales & use tax and accounting solutions. CCH will also explore new ways to leverage Sage solutions to enhance its offerings in the corporate market.

The agreement also includes the acquisition of the Sage Practice Solutions line of business by CCH, including Sage Practice Manager, Write-up and Document Manager. With CCH’s broad focus on the needs of professional practices, the transfer of the business will better enable CCH to offer Sage Practice Solutions’ customers tighter links with CCH products and a complete set of information resources, services, and products from a single source. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Sage Software employees supporting the Sage Practice Solutions business line will become part of the CCH team. Customers will continue to work with their Sage Practice Solutions service representatives to ensure a seamless transition to CCH.

“Accountants are an important link between Sage and our business customers,” said Sage Software CEO Ron Verni. “This expanded partnership strengthens both Sage Software and CCH. It enables Sage to focus on providing our accountant partners with the best business management applications and to provide even more and better information resources. By focusing on our strengths, together Sage Software and CCH can bring accountants unmatched programs in the industry.”

CCH CEO Kevin Robert noted that the new initiatives advance CCH’s commitment to partner with market leaders to ensure that CCH’s tax and accounting information and software solutions are well integrated with customer workflows.

“CCH’s goal is to help make tax and accounting professionals as productive and profitable as possible by providing them with best-of-breed products that are aligned with how they work, day in and day out,” said Robert. “Building on the momentum that we established with Sage Software in 2004, CCH is advancing on this commitment to customers and we are eager to continue to partner with Sage Software to deliver solutions that are second to none.”

About CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business

CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business (tax.cchgroup.com) is a leading provider of tax, audit and accounting information, software and services. It has served tax, accounting and business professionals and their clients since 1913. Among its market-leading products are The ProSystem fx® Office, CCH® Tax Research NetWork™, Accounting Research Manager™ and the U.S. Master Tax Guide®. CCH is based in Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a leading multinational publisher and information services company. Wolters Kluwer has annual revenues (2004) of €3.3 billion, employs approximately 18,400 people worldwide and maintains operations across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (www.wolterskluwer.com). Its depositary receipts of shares are quoted on the Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices.

About Sage Software (formerly Best Software)

Sage Software offers leading business management software and services that support the needs, challenges and dreams of more than 2.4 million small and mid-sized business customers in North America. Its parent company, The Sage Group plc (London: SGE.L), supports 4.7 million customers worldwide. For more than 25 years, Sage Software has delivered easy-to-use, scalable and customizable software for accounting, customer relationship management, human resources, time tracking and the specialized needs of accounting practices and the construction, distribution, manufacturing, nonprofit and real estate industries. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.sagesoftware.com/moreinfo or call (866) 308-2378.

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