E pluribus almost unum

New ProSystem fx Suite

CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business

http://cchgroup.com/thenextgeneration

The whole notion of a software suite is to coordinate a range of applications in such a way that you get all the benefits of a single, integrated solution, without giving up the flexibility of being able to choose only the functions you need. The recently released next-generation version of CCH's ProSystem fx Suite takes this dynamic right up to the edge, with integration so tight that if its parts were any closer, there'd just be one of them. The new Common Client Database means changes only need to be made once to be available to all ProSystem applications, while the new Administration Manager lets the administrator control access and security across the Suite from a single place - which also means that individual users only need a single sign-on to all applications. Individual users also get their own dashboard, which serves as a home page and can be configured to match their role. The Suite as a whole has a new user interface with a common look and feel across all applications. Available currently as Software-as-a-Service, with an on-premise version due in 2010, the Suite's first solution offerings include new versions of ProSystem fx Tax, Document and Practice, and two new applications, ProSystem fx Workstream (for work-tracking) and ProSystem fx Portal.

Sludge clearance

XCM 7.0

XCM Solutions LLC

www.xcmsolutions.com

"Workflow" sounds nice, as if all of a firm's activities were coursing swiftly along like a happy little stream - but glaciers flow too, as does sludge, in ways that don't conjure quite the same pleasant image. If your firm's flow is more like a New York City sewer than a sparkling mountain stream, consider a workflow management solution like XCM, Version 7.0 of which was just released. It controls and standardizes work processes, so steps aren't missed and best practices are followed, while allowing you to know exactly where a project stands at any given time. The new version has boosted functionality for audit and bookkeeping workflows (XCM has its roots in tax workflow, so the functionality there was already strong); added custom checklist and sign-off capabilities for more flexibility and tighter management; and enhanced the user interface. It also has expanded integration with Web-based document management and practice management software, so users can access client documents when they need them, and keep client information in XCM up to date automatically.

Found in translation

Monarch V. 10.5

Datawatch Corp.

www.datawatch.com

Someone once told James Thurber that she found his writing much funnier in French; he replied, "Yes, I always lose something in the original." The same might be said of corporate information, which is often translated into Excel spreadsheets, where it gains in usefulness for analyses, audits, investigations and compliance purposes. Sometimes, though, you need to return to the original, so in the latest version of its Monarch report mining and business intelligence tool, Datawatch has added the ability to include the original source data in the Excel spreadsheets that users create and export. With the free Monarch Context add-on, they can now easily jump to the source data to check for accuracy. The new release, V. 10.5, also allows users to embed digital signatures in the Excel file to track who has made changes to it, and is compatible with Windows 7.

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