Abra HRMS 8.0Sage Software recently released a new version of its human resource management system, Abra HRMS. In addition to its usual set of HR, benefits, training and recruiting features, Version 8.0 features support for multiple databases, including SQL Server, Microsoft Desktop Engine and Visual FoxPro, offering midsized companies a well-marked migration path for scaling up their operations.
Price: Contact vendor.
Sage Software
www.sageabra.com
(800) 424-9392
ADP and SBA
When Microsoft makes a splash - as it has with the release of its Small Business Accounting 2006 - the ripples are felt far and wide. One of the bigger ripples has been ADP's creation of a payroll solution that is tightly integrated with SBA - so tightly, in fact, that SBA users can activate it without any extra software installation.
With data from the accounting system flowing seamlessly into ADP Payroll, the easy-to-set-up software claims to be able to complete a payroll in just four clicks, which is quite a ripple, if you ask us.
Price: $169 per year.
ADP Small Business Services
www.adp.com
(800) 225-5237
ProSystem fx Write-Up
The recently released Version 2.5 of CCH's ProSystem fx Write-Up offers a number of improvements, including an array of capabilities for processing vendor checks. Users can now select the payee and date for a check, and enter a memo that will print on the check's face. There are also powerful sorting features for viewing in-process checks. In addition, report settings can now be saved for each client, conversion capabilities have been enhanced, and zero balances can be hidden on general ledger reports.
Naturally, Write-Up integrates with CCH's other ProSystem applications, which include tax prep, engagement management and trial balance.
Price: Single user - $995.
CCH
http://tax.cchgroup.com/write-up
(800) 739-9998
Charts, cheaper
Nothing makes things clearer to us than a brightly colored chart or graph. We can stare at them for hours. Making them, though, is beyond us, which is why it's a good thing there's Corda Technologies' PopChart. PopChart lets users take data from any source, such as spreadsheets and databases, and present it in the kind of interactive charts and graphs that we love. Even better, Corda is lowering the price of PopChart through November 30, in anticipation of year-end reporting.
Price: $6,495 until Nov. 30; $7,995 afterward.
Corda Technologies
www.corda.com
(801) 805-9400
Forget the weather
Farmers used to rely on nothing more than folk wisdom, the color of the skies and the behavior of certain animals to plan their strategies. Now, agricultural executives use sophisticated accounting and financial management systems like Red Wing Software's recently released CenterPoint.
An intuitive accounting package designed with the agricultural market in mind, CenterPoint includes financial reporting and analysis tools to help assess profitability and efficiency at varying levels of detail, and also allows "what-if" budget scenarios. It's based on Microsoft's .Net for flexibility in connectivity and customer-driven development. Now all you need is software to tell you when to have that barn-raising.
Price: Contact vendor.
Red Wing Software
www.redwingsoftware.com
(800) 732-9464
ACT! for Workgroups
As it released ACT! 2006 for individual and small businesses (covered in our last issue), Sage Software also unleashed ACT! Premium for Workgroups 2006. The program is designed for sales teams and corporate workgroups of up to 50 users. Premium for Workgroups includes customizable opportunity fields and drop-down lists; en-masse contact access; and expanded accounting capabilities with a range of Sage accounting products, as well as QuickBooks 2005 Pro/Premier.
Price: New - $399.99; upgrade - $259.95.
Sage Software
www.act.com/certifiedconsultants
(888) 855-5222
