Marc Scheipe, who has been serving as interim president of Sage North America, has lost the interim label. The company has appointed him as president and he will continue to sit on the Sage executive committee, reporting to CEO Steve Kelly. In making the appointment, the company credited Scheipe with hitting financial targets and completing "the first stages of its transformation."

Kanye West's rants back stage on the TV show "Saturday Night Live" are unfortunate as he may not be in the running to be named Mr. Congeniality for the next Grammy awards. Of course, if you have seen the movie Amadeus, you realize that a great musician isn't necessarily a nice person. Now, I'm not comparing West to Mozart, because I just don't know what he would look like in a white wig. ... I figure the real reason West gets uptight is he can't hang onto his wife.

Avalara has released AvaTax Excise, which handles excise, sales and use taxes. The application is suited for industries subject to both excise taxes, which are based on volume, and sales and use taxes, which are applied based on value. These industries include bulk fuel distribution, residential propane and heating oil distribution, vehicle and equipment rental, wholesale tobacco, and residential power.