As the marketplace for business planning software matures, it is being cleanly divided into two separate branches. The first addresses the needs of established companies that are looking to validate the performance of the company and gain insights into decisions for growth, acquisitions and business valuation. The second more directly meets the needs of entrepreneurs and small businesses that are seeking initial or additional funding, or otherwise need presentation pieces to demonstrate business performance.The tools for mature companies are now termed "business intelligence" or "corporate performance management" software, and the tools for small business go by the historical name of "business planning software." Both categories utilize historical data to make forward projections that are charted graphically for quick comprehension (often through a management "dashboard"), though business planning software contains more descriptive text.

MACDONALD JOINS DELTEK

I am often asked what differentiates firms that are successful with technology from those that struggle. My standard response is that firms struggle with technology when they view it as overhead, but they invariably profit from it when they value it as a strategic asset.

The Microsoft reseller was quite candid—Sage Software’s MIP nonprofit package was better than what Microsoft offered for the same purpose, and less expensive. Similarly, even though the latest version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 was substantially better than the previous package, it was still nowhere as good as Sage’s SalesLogix.

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.