Empowering ecosystems: What Sage Future 2025 means for partners

Partnership at scale

Over 500 Sage partners from Europe, Asia, and Africa gathered in Barcelona for Sage Future for Partners — a celebration of shared success and a look at what’s next. The tone was optimistic but grounded: this wasn’t about hype, it was about building ecosystems that work.

For system integrators, the message was direct. Sage’s leadership made it clear that the future of finance transformation relies on how effectively partners embed AI and automation into real-world business processes. Decades of trusted implementation experience now meet a new era of intelligent, connected platforms — giving SIs more tools than ever to deliver measurable outcomes for clients.

Authentic AI: Real innovation, not hype

Sage’s push for Authentic AI was the clear centrepiece of the event. The introduction of the Finance Intelligence AI Agent for Sage Intacct and expansion of the AI Developer Programme signal Sage’s intent to make AI genuinely usable, not just another feature. The goal is simple: help partners and customers turn data into decisions faster, with AI that’s transparent, secure, and embedded in daily workflows.

For SIs, this opens a new layer of differentiation. Instead of selling automation, they can now deliver intelligent automation — helping clients close the gap between financial control and strategic insight. With access to Sage’s developer frameworks, partners can also co-create AI-driven extensions tailored to specific industries or client needs, strengthening their role as innovation enablers.

X3 and Intacct: Platforms built for agility

One of the biggest shifts revealed at Sage Future was the evolution of Sage X3 into a managed cloud service. This change gives SIs greater flexibility in deployment while maintaining the platform’s deep functionality — ideal for clients seeking enterprise control without the complexity of traditional on-premise systems. Add Copilot for X3, and partners can now deliver smarter automation and improved user experiences directly inside the applications their customers already rely on.

At the same time, Sage Intacct continues to cement its position as the flagship financial management solution in Sage’s portfolio. The platform’s new AI Agents bring predictive insights and contextual automation to finance teams, while its growing VAR and ISV ecosystem helps integrators expand their service scope.

This is also where Payhawk closes the gap between AI vision and AI execution. While platforms like Sage are shaping the next generation of intelligent finance, SIs still need tools that help clients actually use AI in their day-to-day operations. Payhawk delivers that through its direct native integration with Sage Intacct, automating data syncs, reducing reconciliation work, and giving finance teams real-time spend visibility without custom builds. And for clients who want to take the next step, Payhawk’s applied AI features — supported by resources like the CFO AI Playbook — give partners a concrete way to introduce intelligent workflows, not just talk about them. For SIs, this means faster implementations, fewer support cycles, and AI that makes a measurable difference from day one.

Celebrating collaboration and growth

Beyond the tech announcements, Sage Future also recognised standout partner achievements. Thinc, a Payhawk partner, was named Growth Partner of the Year (UKI) — proof that alignment and shared innovation drive tangible business results. Recognition like this reinforces the strength of an ecosystem that rewards not just sales, but collaboration, service excellence, and customer impact.

What it means for system integrators

For SIs, Sage Future 2025 marked a turning point. The roadmap ahead is built around Authentic AI, managed cloud, and connected ecosystems — all areas where integrators can play a pivotal role. The opportunity is to go beyond implementation and become strategic enablers of continuous improvement for clients.
Partners that embrace this shift — combining trusted delivery with data-driven insight — will shape the future of Sage’s ecosystem. And with integrations like Payhawk’s for Sage Intacct, SIs can extend that impact even further, embedding smarter spend management directly into the financial systems they already master.

If you’re a system integrator looking to grow within the Sage ecosystem, explore how partnering with Payhawk can help you deliver more value to clients.