Intacct said it has achieved record growth in 2007, thanks to demand for its software-as-a-service applications.

Intuit has introduced an online resource for small business owners, “The Guide to Hiring and Paying Employees.”

Thomson Tax & Accounting has debuted OneSource Tax, a portal that helps corporate tax departments access tax tools, manage their workflow and keep track of information.

Sage Software has launched a new Act! by Sage Online Community to provide users with a place to share information through a variety of themed discussion forums and blogs covering best practices, product usage tips and feature requests.

Sage Software named MIS Group as its overall business partner of the year for 2007 for North America.

Attitude POSitive introduced a new version of its AccuPOS Retail Point of Sale software with new features for small and mid-market retailers for streamlining sales and back-office processes.

Imagine having the capability to run the same types of tests that auditors use during their routine check-ups and apply it to every transaction a company makes on a daily basis.

SAGE SOFTWARE TOPS $1B MARK

Practice management software is evolving from simple time and billing tools into a far broader database system. It now often includes workflow, scheduling, components of a customer/client relationship management program, and integration with popular calendaring programs such as Microsoft Outlook. What is driving this evolution, and is it important to your firm?

Universal Business Computing Co. said it has added an electronic bridge to allow data to be uploaded from its general ledger software into Drake Tax Software.

Thomson Tax & Accounting has upgraded its zCalc fiduciary practice system, adding an advanced estate tax calculator program for determining federal and state estate taxes.

Williams, Pitts, & Beard, PLLC is a well respected and distinguished CPA firm providing a myriad of financial, accounting and litigation services, ranging from corporate and personal tax planning and preparation, to cash flow, budgeting analysis and estate planning.

Poor bill payment practices by the Federal Bureau of Investigation resulted in some of the bureau's wiretaps being turned off by the phone company because of late payments.

Intuit officials disclosed their 2008 accountant strategy, saying they would target both full-service firms and tax-driven firms this year.

Amazon.com has come up with an unusual way to sell its tax prep packages this season, featuring characters from NBC's TV series "The Office" as examples of the kinds of taxpayers who might try out different packages.

Lots of businesses are using entry-level accounting software bought at retail, and find that these packages do the job nicely. At some point, however, it's likely that your clients' businesses will grow to the point where these store-bought solutions no longer do the trick.There are lots of reasons why this can happen. One of the more frequent reasons is that there are more staff in the business who need simultaneous access to the accounting application. Most of the entry-level systems available today are limited to only a few simultaneous users, which presents a problem if you have a client who needs to provide access to 10, 20 or even more users.

INTUIT DEBUTS ONLINE PAYROLLQuickBooks parent Intuit has introduced a Web-based payroll system for small businesses. Intuit Online Payroll guides employers through the steps of setting up the system, paying employees and taxes, and filing tax forms. The system includes automatic calculations, to-do lists and e-mail reminders when tasks are due. The system currently does not integrate with Intuit's QuickBooks. Paychecks and pay stubs can be printed right away or issued through a free, built-in direct deposit service. The system provides printable tax forms for federal filings, as well as many state filings, including Forms 940, 941, W-2 and W-3.

Few firms are willing to do what it takes to attract the best and brightest talent. How many CPA partners have a son or daughter in public accounting? If you can't make the profession attractive to your own children, how can you sell it to their peers?Today's workforce is not as complex as some may think. In fact, most employees are merely looking for the basics: challenging assignments, opportunities to grow as professionals, authentic work/life balance and economic rewards.

Tax Compliance Inc. has released version 4.0 of its Property Tax Management System with new features for processing tax bills, creating customized reports, linking to external files, and handling airline property.

Intuit said its Lacerte and ProSeries professional tax prep products would flag any returns that cannot be filed until mid-February because of the delayed patch for the alternative minimum tax.