A recent move by technology consultant Accession Technology to offer a zero-percent financing option and free consultation services to all companies interested in upgrading or converting to Sage Software’s MAS 500 ERP 7.3 is part of a much larger effort by the software maker to help customers reduce implementation costs.

Approva Corp. has introduced the latest version of its continuous controls monitoring and auditing automation software, Approva One.

In a bid to draw in more value-added resellers of its cloud-based accounting and business management software, NetSuite is offering VARs 100 percent margin on first-year license subscriptions.

Fifty-six percent of CFOs at U.S. technology companies are currently using cloud computing in some capacity, according to a survey by accounting firm BDO Seidman.

Vrakas/Blum Computer Consulting has been named the No. 1 JobOps solution provider in the United States for 2009.

BizActions, a company that provides customized e-mail newsletters that CPAs can send to their clients, has introduced Dashboard 2.0, the latest version of its desktop application that displays organized, up-to-date information about clients’ newsletter readership.

CCH Small Firm Services plans to open a new headquarters facility in Kennesaw, Ga., in the third quarter of 2010.

SmartVault has expanded its online document management system beyond QuickBooks users to address the needs of more accounting firms and business customers.

DynaTax Solutions Ltd. has introduced Tax-Aside, a new patent-pending online tool that helps the self-employed automatically set aside funds for their estimated tax payments.

Intuit reported 11 percent growth in total units sold of its TurboTax federal tax software as of Feb. 13, compared to last year.

Vrakas/Blum Computer Consulting has been invited by Sage Business Solutions to participate in the MAS 90 Product Advisory Council.

XBRL International has released a discussion document to solicit input on how to develop Extensible Business Reporting Language with new capabilities in the future.

The Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters has introduced two new online services to help businesses stay informed of changes in sales and use tax and value-added tax.

APEX Analytix has upgraded its FirstStrike disbursement management software with new features for combating payment fraud.

Looking to the past only goes so far in preparing for the future. Some firms conduct an annual "retreat," but I believe this label is counterintuitive to progress. It does not further the idea of visionary, insight-led planning. Instead, I recommend conducting a firm "summit," during which an honest, free flow of ideas can help catapult your business ahead of its competition.

RED WING ADDS MODULE TO CENTERPOINT ACCOUNTING

Concerns over the safety and security of client data, as well as their own data, have increased among CPAs recently.

CPA2Biz, the marketing arm of the American Institute of CPAs' products and services, has appointed Joseph Poye to the position of vice president of sales.

Sage Software developer and partner SWK Technologies recently added Andrew Nunez and Paul Frydman to its executive team as part of a strategy to increase its presence throughout the Northeast, as well as resell and consult on Sage X3 software.

Maxwell Systems has introduced ProContractorMX 2.0, the latest version of its construction business management software.