News
Sage Acquires ‘Intacct’, Cloud Financial Management Solutions

The Sage Group plc (“Sage”), has announced that it has agreed to acquire Intacct Corporation (“Intacct”), a leading provider of cloud Financial Management Solutions in North America.
The total consideration is $850m (£654m1) to be paid in cash and rolled over Sage options.
Intacct is headquartered in San Jose, California, and serves thousands of businesses in the North American scale-up and enterprise markets4, both directly and through a network of partners. Intacct provides sophisticated and powerful cloud Financial Management Solutions targeted at growing businesses looking for rich financial and operational insight, process automation, seamless integration with their existing software, advanced features and a modern user experience.
The company has a three-year revenue CAGR in excess of 33%5, with current annualised recurring revenues of $96m (£74m)6 and revenues in the twelve months to June 2017 of $88m (£68m)7, over 90% of which is subscription based.
Intacct was recently named a Visionary by Gartner in its inaugural Magic Quadrant for Cloud Financial Management Suites for Mid-Size, Large and Global Enterprises (June 2017).
Intacct’s CEO, Robert Reid, leads an experienced management team with a demonstrated track record of scaling at pace, who will remain to run the business, thereby ensuring continuity for customers, partners and employees.
Sage management reconfirms current guidance as detailed in Sage’s Q3 trading update for the full year of at least 6% organic revenue growth including the contribution from North American Payments through to completion of the disposal and an underlying operating margin of at least 27%. For the avoidance of doubt the underlying operating margin guidance includes any investments in Sage Intacct, Sage People and Compass.
In addition to organic revenue we expect Intacct (to be known as Sage Intacct after completion), Sage People (Fairsail) and Compass to add approximately £20m of revenue in this financial year.8 Following completion of the transaction, the pro-forma net debt to EBITDA leverage ratio will remain in the previously communicated range of 1 – 2x. The transaction is expected to complete within weeks, subject to customary completion conditions.
Strategic Rationale
The acquisition demonstrates Sage’s strong affirmation to winning in the cloud, winning in the US and accelerates the strategy underpinned by Sage’s five strategic pillars.
As customer demand moves to the cloud and away from traditional monolithic ERP suites, the acquisition strengthens Sage’s position as providing the first and last cloud Financial Management Solution a customer will ever need from start-up to global enterprise, whilst integrating seamlessly with their other enterprise applications.
Sage partners will now be able to grow their own businesses fully in the cloud with Sage. In the short term it provides Sage further platform for growth, with medium term aspirations for geographical expansion.
Finally, the combination of Sage and Intacct’s existing product portfolio, brand, resources and partners, will put Sage in prime position to establish itself as the leading provider of cloud Financial Management Solutions in North America in our chosen segments.
Commenting on the acquisition, Stephen Kelly, CEO of Sage, said: “Today we take another major step forward in delivering our strategy and we are thrilled to welcome Intacct into the Sage family. The acquisition of Intacct supports our ambitions for accelerating growth by winning new customers at scale and builds on our other cloud-first acquisitions, strengthening the Sage Business Cloud. Intacct opens up huge opportunities in the North American market, representing over half of our total addressable market.”
Robert Reid, CEO of Intacct, added: “We are excited to become part of Sage because we are relentlessly focussed on the same goal – to deliver the most innovative cloud solutions for our customers. Intacct is growing rapidly in our market and we are proud to be a recognised customer satisfaction leader across Midsize, Large and Global Enterprise businesses. By combining our strengths with those of Sage, we can jointly accelerate success for our customers.”
Evercore acted as financial advisor to Sage. Sage also received financial and corporate broking advice from Citigroup Global Markets Limited. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP served as legal advisor to Sage.
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. acted as financial advisor and Fenwick & West LLP served as legal advisor to Intacct.
This announcement contains inside information. The person responsible for arranging for the release of this announcement on behalf of Sage is Lauren Wholley.
News
JAMB Accuses Student of Securing Admission through Identity Fraud

Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has accused a 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate of manipulating his identity and engaging in online blackmail.
Fabian Benjamin, head of public affairs, JAMB, issued a statement on the matter on Thursday.
He said one Chinedu Okeke, currently a 400-level Medicine and Surgery student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), gained admission in 2021 while claiming to be from Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos state.
JAMB said Okeke’s national identification number (NIN) records from 2021 confirm his Lagos origin.
The board stated it does not alter candidate information provided through NIN.
The board, however, said the 400-level student, who is facing potential challenges for incorrect credentials, is now claiming that it retrieved the wrong details for him from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in 2021.
“[This] is unequivocally false, aimed at fabricating a defence for his case,” Benjamin said.
“The evidence suggests that Chinedu altered his records as filled in 2021 before registering for the 2025 UTME, a fact confirmed by even his advocates.”
The board questioned why a 400-level medical student would seek to study mechanical engineering in 2025, especially with “inconsistencies in his claims.”
JAMB alleged that Okeke “took advantage” of Lagos state’s quota in 2021, thereby obstructing the admission opportunities for other deserving candidates from the state.
It added that he then “attempted to manipulate his details with the NIMC” to unjustly claim representation from Anambra state in 2025.
The board criticised “online advocates” for “actively reaching out to Chinedu’s parents to extract emotional narratives rather than factual clarifications, neglecting to seek information directly from the university.”
JAMB affirmed its commitment to maintaining accurate records and preventing candidates from exploiting loopholes.
It warned that if UNN confirms any inconsistencies, it would notify the Medical and Dental Council to consider delisting Okeke.
“When a nation trivialises illegalities, it breeds a future fraught with potential criminality,” Benjamin’s statement concluded.
News
Check Point Report Finds Africa as Top Target for Cyber-attacks

Africa has become the most targeted region globally for cyber-attacks in the first quarter of 2025, according to new research from Check Point Software Technologies. The company’s Q1 2025 Global Cyber Attack Report reveals a steep rise in malicious activity as the continent continues to accelerate its Digital transformation.
Ethiopia emerged as the most targeted country in Africa during the reporting period. FakeUpdates ranked as the most common malware, while 80% of malicious files across the continent were delivered via e-mail. In contrast, 62% of threats in SA were distributed via the web.
On average, organisations in Africa faced 3 325 cyber-attacks per week – a staggering 72% above the global average of 1 938 attacks per organisation.
Check Point Software unpacked the findings at a media roundtable in Johannesburg. Eli Smadja, global research group manager at Check Point, provided a detailed overview of Africa’s evolving cyber threat landscape, which he said is increasingly defined by AI-powered threats, ransomware, infostealers, edge device vulnerabilities and cloud-based risks.
Among the most concerning developments was the discovery of a previously undocumented multi-stage backdoor, dubbed Stealth Soldier, currently being deployed in cyber operations targeting North African government entities. The malware forms part of a broader command-and-control infrastructure used in spear-phishing campaigns.
Smadja noted a growing trend in malware designed to bypass AI detection systems.
“These aren’t aimed at advanced large language models (LLMs), but rather at lower-level ones,” he said. “It’s about LLM evasion – fooling the AI and manipulating prompts.”
Despite the increasing use of AI in cyber security, Smadja cautioned against over-reliance on AI-driven defence systems. “AI still requires human prompting.”
Check Point is advocating for a zero trust model and a holistic, automated and consolidated approach to cyber security. This includes centralised threat visibility and simplified controls to protect against ransomware, phishing, data theft and vulnerabilities at the edge.
“Just having something at the perimeter isn’t enough,” Smadja said. “Cyber-attacks are not just targeting PCs or servers anymore. For instance, we’ve seen state-sponsored attacks aimed at fuel pumps to disrupt national supply chains.”
He highlighted the importance of understanding external risk – threats originating outside the organisation – especially as AI-driven ransomware and attacks on third-party service providers continue to rise.
“Printers, for example, are a major attack vector,” he added. “They’re often network-connected, and threat actors can exploit them to gain broader access.”
Credentials, Smadja noted, are also a lucrative commodity on the dark web, often selling for around $500.
News
FG Appeals to U.S. Over Single-Entry Visa Rule for Nigerian Travelers

Federal Government has urged the United States to reconsider its revised visa reciprocity policy, which now limits Nigerian non-immigrant visas to single-entry, three-month validity.
In a statement released today by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the Federal government expressed concern over the U.S. decision amidst partnership, cooperation and shared global responsibilities by both countries.
“The attention of the government has been drawn to the recent decision by the U.S. to revise its visa reciprocity schedule for Nigerian citizens, limiting the validity of non-immigrant visas, including B1/B2, F and J categories, to three months with a single entry.
Government views this development with concern and keen interest, particularly given the longstanding cordial relations and strong people-to-people ties between our two countries.
The decision appears misaligned with the principles of reciprocity, equity and mutual respect that should guide bilateral engagements between friendly nations.
Nigeria notes this restriction places a disproportionate burden on Nigerian travellers, students seeking academic opportunities, professionals engaging in legitimate business, families visiting loved ones, and individuals contributing to cultural and educational exchanges.
Nigeria respectfully urges the U.S. to reconsider this decision in the spirit of partnership, cooperation and shared global responsibilities, while acknowledging the sovereign right of every country to determine its immigration policies,” the government said.
The government said diplomatic engagements are ongoing and that the ministry would remain committed to pursuing a resolution that reflects fairness and upholds the values of mutual interest.
The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria had on Tuesday, July 8, announced the new policy. The embassy however mentioned that all U.S. non-immigrant visas issued before July 8, 2025, will retain their original status and validity.
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