"Even though Sage has apparently won NCC back, for the moment anyway, by accident rather than design, it is an endorsement of sorts. The system did its job and did not disrupt the business.

"Meanwhile SAP, who has been assiduously courting mid-market businesses and divisions of large enterprises with the message that its solutions are not as costly and complicated as they are thought to be, will be more than a little embarrassed," said TechMarketView analyst Angela Eager.

She added: "One incident is not indicative of the wider market, but this may give businesses, who are considering software from tier one providers in place of dedicated mid-market solutions, pause for thought.

"The next question is, where will NCC seek to lay the blame - at SAP's door or with the so far unnamed SI who was engaged to specify, install and implement the system?"

In a statement, SAP said: "SAP is committed to our customers' success and we are concerned to learn that NCC has reported that it is having issues with its IT system.