Four firms showcase how they are becoming more social

A roundup of reseller news from the previous month

Cloud financial and ERP suite provider NetSuite has again signed on several top Microsoft Dynamics and Sage partners to its reseller channel, the largest of which is Sikich.

The Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters has introduced a transfer pricing software product that helps multinational corporations like Ford Motor Company cut their tax bills.

Grant Thornton is now working together with financial close software maker BlackLine Systems to provide project management and process re-engineering services surrounding the implementation of BlackLine’s flagship software.

This was a pretty busy week for the VARs, lots of strategic buying going on, but the vendor community was also active as over a dozen of them engaged in the 4th Annual SaaS Executive Roundtable – essentially a CPA2Biz/AICPA-hosted U.N. of predominantly cloud vendors targeting the CPA community.

Armanino (formerly Armanino McKenna) has merged in Microsoft Dynamics CRM and SharePoint consulting services company Gradient Vision, in a move to strengthen its own Dynamics CRM

Online accounting software maker Xero is now integrated with the time tracking and invoicing product Harvest, allowing its users the ability to utilize time and expense functions within Xero.

Microsoft Dynamics Master VAR SBS Group has added Pennsylvania-based Dynamics NAV reseller Sentinel Technology Group to its partner network, effectively expanding the SBS Eastern Region.

A recent survey conducted by Columbia Business School professors found, among other things, that in order to move the adoption of XBRL forward, development should be overseen by technologists and not accountants and regulators.

Financial close software maker Blackline Systems has formed a strategic alliance with professional services firm The Goetzman Group to bring software and financial and accounting services to large organizations – particularly in the Southern California region.

QuickBooks-integrated inventory controls provider Fishbowl has released its Fishbowl Inventory 2013 with integrated UPS shipping, providing customers with the ability to process and ship orders from within Fishbowl Inventory.

Sage North America and NetSuite partner SWK Technologies has acquired the Sage business partner accounts of Dallas-based Point Solutions, retaining several personnel and approximately 20 accounts.

Trends, transactions and talk of the future of accounting and consulting are what's news this week. Here's my recap of it all and of course my two cents.

Microsoft Dynamics and SAP ByDesign partner FMT Consultants has partnered with Dynamics ISV partner Integrity Data to provide Dynamics GP clients and prospects with integrated workflow and notification applications.

XCM's Kim Hogan and Intacct's channel leader Taylor Macdonald urge practitioners, resellers, and even vendors to pay closer attention to what goes in to hiring and taking on new business rather than just the beginning and the end result.

Executive hiring at cloud ERP and financial software provider Acumatica continues with the appointment of Oleg Shaikhatarov as its new vice president of software engineering.

CCH’s ProSystem fx Mobile App is now available for free download in time for tax season, allowing users to connect with client databases, view files and publish documents to clients’ portals with their iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

Cloud-based bill payment and invoicing service Bill.com is now integrated expense management provider Expensify to provide users an improved method of managing expense reports.

Professional services search firm ExpertBids has released its 2012 tax Webpage designed to help small and medium sized businesses across the United States find the right tax accountant free of charge.