Accounting Technology articles from May 2006

Accounting Technology archives from May 2006

Tinkerers, Farewell!
May 1, 2006... A lot of owners of software reselling firms, indeed small businesses of all types, were started by tinkerers. These people like inventing, developing, or improving products. In the software business, these are the people who like writing...

Reassembling Data.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... In the last two years, analytical and business intelligence packages have been introduced in notable numbers. So, are businesses using these tools? Or are they afraid to cut the spreadsheet umbilical cord? "Making Sense of Data" explores...

Need Insights?
May 1, 2006... Editor Robert Scott also writes "Consulting Insights," a free, twice-monthly electronic newsletter that addresses issues concerning the consulting and reselling market. It's insight with an attitude. If you want to subscribe, put the following...

Show Calendar.
May 1, 2006... May 8-11 Sage Software Insights Conference. Gaylord Opryland. Nashville, Tenn. www.sagesoftware.com May 24-25 New Jersey CPA Society Bus-Tech Show. Meadowlands Convention Center. www.flaggmgmnt.com May 31-June 1 Intuit...

Street Talk: Reader Views.
May 1, 2006... What has been your or your clients' experience with Microsoft Small Business Accounting? Their reaction would be, "Microsoft makes a small business accounting package?" At least, that would be the reaction of my clients. There has not been...

Practice Development News.(Algorithm Business Solutions get Top Sales Award for Exact Software for 2006)(Louis Matherne leaves American Institute of Certified Public Accountants)(LBMC Technologies appoints Mary W. Ware, Andrew Hayes and Valerie Blackburn)
May 1, 2006... Algotrithm Gets Award Algorithm Business Solutions, a reseller based in Mansfield, Ohio, has received the Top Sales Award for Exact Software for 2006. The company also received the award in 2004 and 2005. Also honored were Adnet...

Accounting News.(Steve Brueckner leaves from Cyma Systems Inc.)(Everest Software gets funding from Boulder Ventures)(Sage Software releases accounting software Peachtree Quantum)
May 1, 2006... Sage Releases Quantum Sage Software has introduced Peachtree Quantum, a higher-end version of the Peachtree accounting software line. The new product is priced at $2,995 for upgrading customers and $3,750 for new customers. "Many of...

Tax & Financial Planning News.(Wolters Kluwer N.V. sales up 4.4%)(Tax Management Inc. appoints David Schulbaum )(Morningstar Inc. net income for 2005)
May 1, 2006... WK TAL Sales up 4.4 percent Revenue for Wolters Kluwer's Tax Accounting and Legal division, which includes results for CCH, rose to about $775 million for 2005, up from about $742 million for the previous year. However, earnings...

Convergence News.(Microsoft speeding up the release of Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0)(Sonata Software Launches Packaged Analytics and Dashboard applications)(Vision Fitness wins the Pinnacle Awards for customer achievement for 2006)
May 1, 2006... Microsoft Shares Code Microsoft is supporting development of applications by third parties through what it calls Shared Source, which enables developers to write code for Microsoft applications. The ideas for code suggestions are made...

Taking Data Apart: Tools are proliferating as businesses strive to turn their data into information they can act on.
May 1, 2006... A food manufacturer, a client of Rima Accountancy, an accounting firm based in Walnut Creek, Calif., was struggling with what to do to improve cash flow and deal with major debt commitments. The client had spent time manipulating the...

eAnalytics eAnalyzes Financial Data.
May 1, 2006... Sometimes, users just don't understand business intelligence tools. Consider one prospect that objected to the price tag for eAnalytics, an application that integrates with a variety of Sage accounting packages "She said, 'I'm not paying...

Vendors with Analytical Tools.(Directory)
May 1, 2006... Business Objects San Jose, Calif. (866) 681-3435 www.businessobjects.com CaseWare International Berkeley, Calif. (800) 267-1317 www.caseware.com CCH Tax and Accounting Torrance, Calif. (800) PFX-9998...

Q4Bis Splits Up the Screen.(Q4Bis Analysis package )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... There is more than one way to split a computer display. And that's the best way to enable users to learn a data analysis application, according to Q4Bis, an Irvine, Calif.-based company. "Our training manual is on a mouse pad," says Louis...

Documents in Hyperspace: Web-based document management still faces barriers.
May 1, 2006... Rob Carmines thinks that the Web version of Creative Solutons' File Cabinet is a fine program. But he doesn't plan to use it soon. "The Web version is great and I'm comfortable with their security," says Carmines, managing partner of...

Mize Houser: Do-It-Yourself Goes Commercial.(Mize, Houser and Company P.A.)
May 1, 2006... In 2004, Topeka, Kan.-based Mize, Houser & Co. went in search of a new document management system. It ended up collaborating with RJS Software to develop a version of the latter's Web-based document management and workflow application for CPA...

Remote Operation: More Than Just Hosting.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Remote access makes hosted solutions attractive for CPAs. But one CPA says portability isn't an issue with a desktop application. "We use GotoMyPc to access our files remotely, so that's not a factor any more," says Michael Deutsch, president...

Document Management Software Vendors.(Directory)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... CCH Torrance, Calif. www.cch.com (800) 739-9998 Creative Solutions Dexter, Mich. www.creativesolutions.com (800) 968-8900 Experient Technologies Santa Clara, Calif. www.experient-tech.com (866) 554-6272 ...

The Time and Billing Investment: This software promises a good return to its users.(billing/invoicing software)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2006... Fewer software packages have the potential to provide as big a return on investment as time and billing. Used properly these software packages turn idle time into money. Coupled with the latest technologies - including wireless email, paperless...

The Sales and Use Tax Forest: Software is helping firms see their way through the tangle.
May 1, 2006... Integration between sales and use tax software and ERP systems has become crucial for businesses as they expand nationwide and must handle large numbers of taxing jurisdictions. In fact, it would be almost unworkable, says Celia Knowles,...

AccountantsWorld Takes Private-label Approach.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... At AccountantsWorld, which sells its software only to public accountants directly, tax professionals can create a private-label version of its tax return preparation and compliance software, Sales Tax Online, for each of their clients. ...

Pushing SST.
May 1, 2006... The Streamlined Sales Tax Project continues to work on issues to finalize a common system of calculating sales and use tax on goods sold across state borders. The most pressing issue, which the SST Governing Board planned to address last...

Sales Tax Vendors.
May 1, 2006... AccountantsWorld Hauppauge, N.Y. (800) 829-7354 www.accountantsworld.com ] Avalara Bainbridge Island, Wash. (877) 780-4848 www.avalara.com BNA Tax Management Washington, D.C. (202) 833-7240...

Portal Power: Personalized views of data are changing the way people work.
May 1, 2006... Eric Kurjan could be talking about his company's end users. But he was talking about himself when he discussed the kind of view he needs to be provided by his software. As president of his company, Kurjan doesn't have time to review dozens...

A Bright Future.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Portals are going to become increasingly important, if, for no other reason, Microsoft is making Sharepoint a part of a platform that ties together Office applications and its Outlook contact manager. In fact, the term "roles-based" was...

Replogle: Portals Open New Doors.(Exact Software's e-Synergy, business process management tool)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Resellers including Business Computer Technologies are forging into new territory because of the portal capabilities in Exact Software's e-Synergy, which has enabled BCT to expand beyond its traditional manufacturing and distribution market....

Financial Software Vendors.
May 1, 2006... Epicor Software Irvine, Calif. www.epicor.com Exact Software Andover, Mass. (800) 468-0834 www.exactamerica.com Microsoft Dynamics Fargo, N.D. (800) 642-7676 www.microsoft.com/dynamics Sage Software ...

Sage: Personality without Portals.(Sage Software Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Although it doesn't offer a browser-based portal application, Sage Software gives its users the ability to personalize their desktops in order to retrieve the data needed to perform their specific roles. The tool, the Windows-based Sage...

New Products.(Accounts Payable Tools Suite )(NetSuite Software Company Edition )(Sage CRM 5.8 )
May 1, 2006... BasisPro Cost Basis Analyzer The BasisPro Cost Basis Analyzer calculates the correct cost basis of a security by accessing a built-in database that contains historical information on thousands of different securities. If a cost basis...

FundWare: On to the Web.
May 1, 2006... Eighteen months ago, Robert Raymond's DataNational Corporation joined Kintera FundWare's Value-added Reseller program to sell the FundWare software line as a complement to his firm's billing and collections applications for its government...

Burgum Looks Back and Forward.(Convergence 2006, Doug Burgum)
May 1, 2006... Convergence 2006 was the tenth gathering of users of the Microsoft Dynamics line. The conference was begun by Great Plains before its acquisition by Microsoft. Doug Burgum, who has headed the organization for 23 years, will move into a new role...

Doug Burgum Reflects on Ten Years of Convergence.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... These remarks from Doug Burgum's keynote at Convergence have been edited for length and style. He described his views about the purpose of the conference. "I think that part of that is what we're trying to achieve in the community is...

Kracunas: Blending Business and Technology.(Vitale, Caturano and Co.)(Company overview)
May 1, 2006... As a partner at Vitale, Caturano & Company, one of New England's largest accounting firms, William J. Kracunas stands out for what he doesn't have. Kracunas, vice president in charge of the technology group at the Boston-based firm, is the...

Editor's Note: What a Season.
May 1, 2006... Did you ever notice that when you put the words "The" and "IRS" together, it spells "THEIRS?" This Special Report from the Accountants Media Group at Source Media takes a look at what has transpired this past tax season, which to many...

Managing More Efficiently.
May 1, 2006... Tax season is challenging for any CPA firm-the increased workflow and mounds of paper may seem like enough to drown even the most capable accountants. For most firms, the worries about a flood of work are mostly symbolic. But after the...

A Necessary Strategic Partner.
May 1, 2006... With client expectations rising and complex new regulatory rules emerging almost daily, accountants are time-pressed as never before. As a result, professionals are looking for solutions to streamline workflows and stay ahead of an...

Tax Season and Employee Retention.
May 1, 2006... The Los Angeles-based accounting and business consulting firm of RBZ LLP is known for its marketing initiative and forward thinking. In the past years, the firm has not only increased its employee retention rate, but is actually doing what many...

Online Products Pay Off.
May 1, 2006... Petz Enterprises, Inc. a leading provider of tax preparation and filing solutions for the professional and consumer markets, reports the effects of major initiatives to improve automating federal, state and local tax compliance: V-Tax is...

A New Brand of Innovation.
May 1, 2006... It all started in 2003, Brett Cleaver of Agoura Hills, Calif. recalls. "When I heard Scott Cook address accountants on what Intuit was doing in the way of innovation, I was primed for change," he says. "After the last tax season I had run out...

CPAs Becoming Tax Wise.
May 1, 2006... The 2006 tax season was yet another record year for Universal Tax Systems, Inc. and its TaxWise(r) family of tax and accounting products. TaxWise professionals prepared and filed an estimated 10 million personal, business, and specialty returns...

Increasing Customers' Productivity.
May 1, 2006... Enhancing our customers' productivity is our number one goal. Integrating RIA and PPC information, guidance, and work tools on one platform-Checkpoint(r)-enabled our customers to have one of the best tax seasons ever. Our offerings include a...

Enjoying a Great Tax Filing Season.(Orrtax Software )
May 1, 2006... Orrtax Software Solutions enjoyed one of its most successful tax filing seasons ever during 2006. We kicked off the season by becoming the first transmitter to deliver IRS acknowledgements and RAL checks to our customers. This was the second...

Paperless Possibilities.
May 1, 2006... Is a paperless tax process really possible? It's a question on the minds of many practitioners as they look toward improving efficiency and elevating client services. The answer is simple. Yes, a paperless tax process is possible, and looking...

Looking Ahead.
May 1, 2006... You've filed your 2005 tax return. Did you get the desired results? Did you lower your tax bill? Tax planning works best when it begins early in the year. The following strategies and new opportunities offer immense benefits for your 2006 tax...

Editor's Note: Efficiency is spelled T-E-C-H.(Editorial)
May 1, 2006... Welcome to the spring edition of Marketplace. For this issue, let's take a step back before, if you'll pardon the pun, we spring forward. Who over the age of 40 doesn't remember a time when you actually had to get off the couch to change...

Featured Product Index.
May 1, 2006... Accounting Media AccountingWeb 11 Client Write-Up AccountantsWorld 16 Thomson Creative Solutions 16 Document Management CCH 17 Computhink 17 Financial Planning ...

Wi-Fi? Why not?: Evolving wireless access can save your firm time and money.
May 1, 2006... When a CPA saves an hour or two by stopping at a wireless Internet hot spot and doing some work online, the benefits can be "huge," according to Peter Henley, a CPA and director of information technology at Clark Nuber, a Seattle-based CPA...

Laps v. desks: So where should you put your computer?
May 1, 2006... Some accountants are so dedicated to the idea of portable electronics, they have even hurt themselves to prove it. Eighteen years ago, Tom Davis, CPA and owner of the Valdosta, Ga.-based CPA firm Tom C. Davis CPA LLC, had one of the very...

The possible IM dream: Instant messaging isn't always an instant solution.
May 1, 2006... At the CPA firm of Hamilton, Boynton and Associates, 35 employees communicate with each other from two different locations - one in Simi Valley and the other in Orange County, Calif. - by using instant messaging. "It's a lot quicker than...

Who's got your back?: Online accounting can relieve you of an important, but time-consuming, chore - if you trust it.
May 1, 2006... Warren Ullman and Timothy Hart, co-owners of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based CPA firm Ullman & Hart CPAs, have not had a headache from a back-up issue in four years. Ever since they started using NetSuite, an online accounting software provider,...

Advertiser Index.
May 1, 2006... 2nd Story Software 5925 Dry Creek Lane NE Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402 (800) 573-4287 20 AccountantsWorld 140 Fell Court Hauppauge, N.Y. 11788 (888) 999-1366 16,...