Accounting Technology articles from March 2003

Accounting Technology archives from March 2003

ROI spells relief for technology. (Editor's Note).(Editorial)
March 1, 2003... In the 1980s, a technology vendor constructed a print advertisement that showed a bicycle leaning against a well. The caption? "It's a great tool once you know how to use it." Technology is like that. It's a great tool, once you know how...

Street talk: reader views.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... The AICPA has named Information Security as the top technology issue for 2003. What do you think is the top issue and why? Security is the top issue. The skills of running a typical business are just not sufficient to deal with computer...

Baker buys best biz. (Practice Development News).(Baker Consulting acquires Best Software)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Baker Consulting, a newly formed reselling firm, has acquired the Best Software division of Elliott Davis Technology Solutions, including responsibility for all of EDTS' Best Software clients. The consulting firm is headed by Tim Baker,...

IBM targets SMBs. (Practice Development News).(small to medium-size businesses)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... IBM has launched the IBM Small and Medium Business Advtantage, aimed at its resellers, as a part of the hardware vendor's new focus on small and mid-market businesses. Although Big Blue doesn't plan to get into the application business, it...

MCG hits Tampa. (Practice Development News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Macdonald Consulting Group, an Atlanta-based reseller, has acquired the business software group of Owens, Sasser & Associates, based in Tampa, Fla. OSA president Mike Augiuello has joined MCG. OSA has offered consulting and software...

Aperum name adopted. (Practice Development News).(formerly Software Solutions)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Software Solutions, a Duluth, Ga.-based company that makes software for distributors, has changed its name to Aperum, derived from a Latin word meaning "to make clear." Aperum is headed by president Randy Keith, who two years ago was...

Wipfli taps Pynch (Practice Development News).(Michae Pynch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Wipfli Ullrich Bertelson has hired Michael Pynch as director consulting for IT for the firm's Western Region. Pynch is leading the firm's management advisory service practice from its Eau Claire, Wis., office. Before joining the firm,...

Epicor honors VARs. (Practice Development News).(Marshall + Poe and Emerald Consulting)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Epicor Software has named Marshall + Poe, an Epicor reseller since 1987, as its VAR of the Year for 2002. Based in Elkhart, Ind., Marshall + Poe is a CPA firm that concentrates on technology services. "We do not do normal CPA things,"...

MBS renames channel. (Practice Development News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Under a program establishing its new brand, Microsoft Business Solutions has established new names for two levels of its reseller programs. Microsoft Business Solutions Certified Business Solution Partners meet minimum requirements for...

Epartners drops PR firm. (Practice Development News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... ePartners has parted company from Pennino & Company, a public relations firm that has represented the Irving, Texas-based reseller. Cody Aufricht, vice president of marketing, said that future official statements and press releases will...

CSI users favor DSL.
March 1, 2003... CSI Users Favor DSL Cable 23.27% DSL 48.85% Dial-Up 15.86% Other High Speed 12.02% A poll conducted via Creative Solutions on its Web site found that nearly half of respondents use Digital...

Microsoft ships CRM. (Accounting News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Microsoft has begun shipping the highly anticipated Microsoft CRM software, which had been scheduled to hit the market in last year's fourth quarter. VARs were getting impatient for the shipment as they reported heavy pressure from...

STI hires Baird. (Accounting News).(Software Technology)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Software Technology, which makes time and billing software for the accounting and legal markets, has hired Intuit veteran Scott Baird as its new director of marketing. Baird, who worked for Intuit for four years, was involved in the...

Bergstein joins Acctrak21. (Accounting News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Dave Bergstein, a tax and accounting industry veteran, has joined Acctrak21, Pacific Rim accounting vendor, as sales and marketing vice president, as it expands its U.S. operations. Bergstein joined Practitioners Publishing Co. last summer...

Accpac buys ISVs. (Accounting News).(eWare and AGS Software)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Accpac International has acquired two suppliers of third-party packages, eWare, an Irish company that makes Accpac's eCRM software, and AGS Software of Toronto, that makes a POS system that interfaces with the Accpac Advantage Series. The...

Accountmate exec to China. (Accounting News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... AccountMate founder Dennis Lo is relocating from California to develop the market for AccountMate and BusinessVision software in China. Lo assumes the title of vice president of strategic projects for Softline AccountMate. Lo will be...

Best strengthens crystal ties. (Accounting News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Best Software has formed an enhanced OEM agreement with Crystal Decisons to extend the use of the latter's technology across a broader range of Best applications. The multi-year agreement with Palo Alto-based Crystal also expands sales...

Epicor ships Vista 6.0. (Accounting News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Epicor Software has delivered Vista 6.0, which the Irvine, Calif-based ERP provider describes as a major upgrade to the line designed for small and midsize manufacturers. Version 6.0 adds an Advanced Inventory Management module to handle...

Intuit on prowl? (Accounting News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Intuit has armed itself for making acquisitions by registering $925 million in stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission in a shelf registration late in December. The company had no comment on the filing, which describes the stock...

Intuit enhances fundware. (Accounting News).(FundWare 7.0)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Intuit has added an optional Advanced Financial Reporting tool designed to assist not-for-profit and government organizations create and format reports from the Fund Ware General Ledger and Project/grant modules. Released by Intuit's...

CCH CEO Retires. (Tax & Financial Planning News).(Rebecca Hensley)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Rebecca Hensley, the CEO and president of CCH, has resigned her position after three-and-a-ha if years to focus on her family and personal life, according to a statement from Wolters Kluwer, CCH's parent company. Hensley, who took the job...

Gramlich leaves PPC. (Tax & Financial Planning News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Jeff Gramlich, veteran of the tax software business, has left Practitioners Publishing Co., where he was executive vice president of the technology department. Gramlich was originally with Computer Language Research, which was purchased by...

Unger taps CEO. (Tax & Financial Planning News).(Steven Bock )
March 1, 2003... Unger Software, which makes the Methusaleh line of financial planning software, has named Steven Bock as chairman and CEO. Bock, who has spent the last three years as an investor, advisor, and consultant, was chairman and CEO of Specialty...

RIA boosts eForm RS. (Tax & Financial Planning News).(RIA Compliance)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... RIA Compliance has given users of its Checkpoint research system the ability to log on to the company's eForm RS through single password as part of a series of enhancements to the server-based forms applications. The change eliminates the...

Taxworks Website crashes. (Tax & Financial Planning News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Laser Systems, the Kaysville, Utah-based company that makes the Tax Works software package, lost much of the functionality of its Web site when its server crashed in January. The company found out that the vendor that manufactured the...

Orrtax allies with verticallend. (Tax & Financial Planning News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Tax software vendor Orrtax has reached an agreement under which its users can place residential, commercial, and small-business loans online through the services of Verticallend, a Melville, N.Y.-based company. Orrtax preparers can place...

ADP buys probusiness. (Tax & Financial Planning News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... ADP is acquiring ProBusiness, a Pleasanton, Calif. -based company that provides about 760 clients representing 4.8 million employees, with human resource and benefits administration services. ProBusiness, founded in 1984, becomes part of...

Cook cashes in.(Intuit founder)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
March 1, 2003... Cook Cashes In Company Proceeds Date Intuit $16.5 M Jan. 2 and 3, 2002 Intuit 9.4 M Jan. 2, 2003 Intuit 9.2 M Sept. 27, 2002 Intuit 8.5 M Dec.10 and 11, 2002 Ebay 6.5 M May 5, 2002...

MBS losses worsen. (Financial News).(Microsoft Business Solutions)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Operating losses for Microsoft Business Solutions, the unit that sells Great Plains and Navision products, worsened again in the second quarter ended December 31. MBS had an operating loss of $93 million on $139 million in revenue,...

Epicor turns profit.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Long-suffering Epicor returned to profitability for the fourth quarter ended December 31, posting $2.1 million to the bottom line on an 8.1 percent decline in revenue. The company lost $2.7 million a year ago. Epicor still lost just under...

WK sales rise. (Financial News).(Wolters Kluwer's North American operations)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Revenue for the North American operations of Wolters Kluwer, which include tax and research supplier CCH, rose to $12 billion last year, a 5 percent increase from revenue in 2001. The Dutch company reported that organic growth was 2...

Timberline results. (Financial News).(Q4 ending December 31, 2002)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Savings from staff and wage reductions helped Timberline Software to more than double net income for its fourth quarter ended December 31 as sales rose by 14.4 percent. The Beaverton, Ore.-based manufacturer of construction software...

Pervasive earnings up. (Financial News).(Q2 ending December 31, 20002)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Pervasive Software, which makes database engines for accounting software and other applications, reported that net income is $1.6 million in the second quarter ended December 31, up from $1.5 million in last year's second quarter. ...

Advent loses money. (Financial News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Advent Software, a San Francisco-based company that makes investment management software, lost $6.1 million in the fourth quarter ended December 31 on a 31 percent drop in revenue. The loss compared to earnings of $12.3 million a year ago....

Accpac turns half-year profit.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Accpac Turns Half-year Profit Six months ended Sept. 30, 2002 Sept. 30, 2001 Revenue $39.2 million $36.1 million Income (Loss) $379,000 ($10.6 million) Accpac reported a profit of $379,000 for the six months...

On the outsourcing trail: whether it's internal or external services, accounting firms need to deal with technology. (Cover Story).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Lissa Johnsen believes she knows what CPA firms and their clients want in technology, both in terms of the software needed to run accounting firms and the services that clients demand from them. After all, she's a CPA who spent 14 years in...

Open for business: Linux gains strength in the middle-market as customers seek platform portability.
March 1, 2003... Who'd have guessed? Linux-based PCs from Sweden's Microtel are jostling for shelf spa e in Wal-Marts across the country against the likes of the Windows XP-based Compaq Presario. Microtel may not be a household brand name yet, but it's not...

Software with a plan: financial planning packages are maturing. (Software Review).
March 1, 2003... For all of its nearly two decades, the field of financial planning software is only now beginning to mature and evolve. Since the early Eighties, when pioneers like Gus Hansch and Edmond Walters were developing the tools of financial planning,...

Sales and use tax collecting momentum: sates and use tax compliance is no easy task, but software vendors and tax practitioners are attempting to make it less confusing.
March 1, 2003... Consider this scenario: A company in Delaware purchases coffee for its employees' break room--the good news is they don't have to pay sales tax. However, the bad news, which many companies may not know, is if food is not purchased for home...

Vertical evolution: entry-level accounting packages take aim at industry niches.
March 1, 2003... Not so long ago, only companies with fat wallets could afford industry-specific software that would accommodate the nuances of their particular business, yet integrate with accounting system for reduced data entry more efficient delivery of...

UA Small Business Edition. (New Products).(business accounting software)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The UA Small Business Edition is bundled with 100 minutes of technical support and VBA source code. The Small Business Edition includes Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, General Ledger, Inventory Control, Purchase Orders, Payroll,...

FutureDial. (New Products).(SnapDialer remote access application and related cable)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... FutureDial has custom developed software and a cable for Samsung A500. The cable supports FutureDial Snap-Sync and SnapDialer software. SnapSync software allows mobile phone users to edit phonebook information directly on the PC, and then...

Accountant's Office Online. (New Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Accountant's Office Online offers Web-based applications, such as Accounting Relief Online, an accounting and bookkeeping solution that allows accountants and their staff to collaborate with clients. It includes an online client accounting...

GetLinked. (New Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Used with QuickBooks 2003, GetLinked gives small business customers the option to merge point of sale, time and attendance, or any raw financial data with their accounting records. It eliminates the need to manually rekey financial data, by...

@Risk for Project. (New Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... @Risk for Project analyzes risk by allowing for ranges of values to be entered for uncertain tasks or resources in Microsoft Project, and then simulates thousands of different outcomes. The result is a picture of all-possible scenarios and...

TimeSheet Professional. (New Products).(TimeSheet Professional 8.7 )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... TimeSheet Professional 8.7 interfaces with Abra Suite, an HR/Payroll solution, Times-lips, time and billing, and MS Project 2000. To further support time collection and improve usability, it includes added flexibility when defining pay...

Preactor 200. (New Products).(Microsoft Preactor 200 Finite Capacity Scheduling )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Preactor 200 Finite Capacity Scheduling (FCS) integrates with Microsoft Business Solutions Manufacturing-Great Plains software. Preactor FCS, a constraint-based, graphical, finite scheduling system, enables companies to more accurately...

Contingency Planning. (New Products).(Contingency Planning and Disaster Recovery: A Small Business Guide)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... To highlight the importance of contingency and disaster recovery planning, Donna Childs presents guidelines for small and mid-size businesses to effectively plan for catastrophes in Contingency Planning and Disaster Recovery: A Small Business...

BNA Report Writer. (New Products).(BNA Fixed Assets Report Writer module)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... BNA Fixed Assets Report Writer, an add-in module, adds custom report capabilities to the BNA Fixed Assets product line. The software complements the predefined report templates that come with all BNA Fixed Assets packages, by accessing...

AccTrak21 version 10. (New Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The CRM module in version 10 of AccTrak21 links AccTrak21's accounting and business intelligence software with commonly used front office tools such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Outlook. This allows businesses to...

TrakTime 5.10. (New Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... TrakTime 5.10, desktop timesheet software, includes an expense calculator, in grid editing, FTP upload/download capability for remote timekeepers, and key repeat work codes and clients, as well as additional reporting flexibility. TrakTime...

Traverse Version 10. (New Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Active Financial Statements feature in Traverse Version 10 enables users to produce interactive statements that can be used to drill down to the underlying data. The software works with statements included in the General Ledger module...

PracticeMaster's Palm integration. (New Products).(from Software Technologies)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... PracticeMaster's Palm integration works with the built-in address book, date book, and To Do List on Palm-OS compatible handheld devices, facilitating the synchronization of tasks, events, contacts, and clients. Using an advanced Query...

ProSystem fx Outsource. (New Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... ProSystem fx Outsource allows firms to reduce or eliminate seasonal staff and overtime costs, and at the same time, permanent staff can work on higher value tasks. Outsource begins by scanning current-year source documents, organizers, and...

ReportMailer. (New Products).(from Alpha Software)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Alpha Software's ReportMailer integrates database applications and email, and sends personalized mass email PDF files to customers. ReportMailer delivers its content in Adobe PDF format, preserving the font and formatting information...

Bringing power partners to Paris. (Channels).(Paris Technololgies ships PowerOLAP 4.0)
March 1, 2003... For companies looking for Paris Technologies, the road leads to Doylestown, Pa., in prosperous central Bucks County in the suburbs of Philadelphia. For. Paris Technololgies, whose name is an acronym for Planning, Analysis, Reporting...

Steve Sabba: vendor loyalist.(TaxPro Financial owner)
March 1, 2003... TaxPro Financial may have a no-suit-and-tie environment and a no-frills atmosphere in an office on New York's famed Broadway. But the Manhattan-based, firm bows to no one in its sophistication. "We have amended work done by the Big Four...

Internet directory.(Directory)
March 1, 2003... Practical and Innovative Resources from Accountants World Join the 60,000 strong community of independent accountants. Receive the widest array of free tools, services, training, education and other innovative solutions to completely manage...