by Paul R. Brazina and Bruce A. Leauby

by Ted Needleman

STUDY SAYS 2004 TO SEE SURGE IN IT UPGRADES: Nearly eight of 10 businesses polled in a recent survey by information technology consultant and researcher Yankee Group said that they will have undertaken a major software upgrade by the end of 2004. According to the survey of some 1,100 network administrators worldwide, the planned upgrades would encompass everything from client/server upgrades and new off-the-shelf applications to custom applications.

by James Boomer

by Bill Carlino

E-mail is a mission-critical application in most accounting firms.

By Seth Fineberg

PAYROLL SERVICES ARE NEXT FOR BEST: Best Software will launch a payroll program to enable accountants to operate their own service bureaus, although that effort will follow next year’s plan for tailoring an existing payroll product to the company’s general ledger packages.

By James K. Boomer

By Seth Fineberg

VISION HRM BUYS SERENIC: Nonprofit accounting software maker Serenic Software has been acquired by Vision HRM, a Canadian company, in a deal that is more of a merger than a purchase.

by L. Gary Boomer

by Ted Needleman

by Sandra L. Wiley

by Seth Fineberg

EXACT ACQUIRES RESELLER TREADSTONE GROUP: Enterprise resource planning product maker Exact Software has acquired the Treadstone Group, one of its long-time resellers, which will now serve as a regional office for the Cincinnati market.

New York — Microsoft Business Solutions has introduced a set of tools, including customization and implementation guides, to allow resellers of its Retail Management System to better serve small and midsized independent retailers.

Scottsdale, Ariz. — In a year that saw CPA2Biz launch both a payroll and a small business banking program, the online marketing and product services portal of the American Institute of CPAs reported that it is trending toward becoming “cash-flow positive” for its 2005 fiscal year, ending June 30, 2005.

by Seth Fineberg

by Jennifer Wilson