If ever there was a class of software that could be expected not to change much, it would be accounting software for midsized companies. After all, the companies themselves have survived the worst of their growth pains. The accounting requirements, while slightly more demanding, are well-defined and easily within the range of the systems available on the market.

Yet, in the past two years, this category of software has shown remarkable evolution. This is due to three factors:

* The rise of cloud computing. As on-demand computing has arisen in the age of broadband, an increasing number of companies have emerged to offer accounting systems that can provide lower total cost of ownership, lower installation and set-up costs, more modern and robust user interfaces, and more advanced features. Leading the pack in this regard are two companies, NetSuite and Intacct.

* Increased competition. Sage now offers a bevy of mid-range accounting solutions, from Peachtree Quantum to Sage Accpac. So does Microsoft, which in its Dynamics family features at least four offerings of its own. QuickBooks is gaining strength and moving up into the enterprise, and there are at least half a dozen other programs that have firmly entrenched user bases and strong features.

* New features. As happened with both tax prep software and payroll software, features that used to be extra-cost add-ons are being incorporated into the main body of the core accounting systems, beefing up those programs and putting software companies toe to toe in the development cycle. It is not a coincidence that most of the packages we review are now in Version 11.0.

Eventually, this will mean some level of consolidation, as companies move to the cloud, merge or otherwise move down the product life-cycle curve. For this year, however, this class of software remains robust and interesting. We look at nine software packages, all of which have features and benefits that put them at the top of the class.

CMS Professional 2010

Cougar Mountain Software

(800) 388-3038

www.cougarmtn.com

Cougar Mountain's CMS Professional line is a 25-year-old accounting package that remains robust through its modular construction, commitment to new features and robust customization capability.

The CMS business accounting product includes a general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, inventory control and order entry. Additional modules are available for job costing, bank reconciliation, payroll, purchase orders and point-of-sale support. Sporting a well-designed user interface and comfortable navigation, the software is also notable for its extensive reporting capabilities, the ability to attach documents to the master records for easier records management, the ability to convert and e-mail documents and reports in PDF format, and a customization package that includes two annual updates and training.

New in the 2010 version are three features: First is the ability to export reports to a CSV file so that it may be viewed in Microsoft Excel or other programs. Standard reports included are aged analysis of receivables, a copy of the bank register, audit trail and trial balance, order entry history, and point-of-sale history. The second new feature is a new filter for data lookup called "Contains." Use of this filter makes it possible to find information using only a few letters or numbers contained in the reference. Finally, there is the new Cougar DTails dashboard that allows managers or accountants to get a fast read on key performance indicators from data pulled from the general ledger.

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