Epicor Software Corp., a provider of integration software for mid-market businesses, earlier this month released Vantage 8.0 -- an ERP application designed for manufacturers. The company said that the product, can be used for multi-plant management, allowing firms to synchronize their manufacturing operations on a global basis. Built on an N-Tier architecture system, the product combines Microsoft's .Net and Web Services technology. The new application aims at providing end-to-end services from point of sale to delivery for PC users in a make-to-order or mixed-mode enterprise. "One of the benefits we saw in Microsoft .Net technologies was the ability to build applications based on an SOA that have either a smart client, or a browser-based user interface, or both," said Paul Farrell, vice president of worldwide research and development for Epicor. With an Outlook-style menu, right-click functionality and grid entry, the new product must be installed on a Windows 2003, 2000 or XP platform. The application can be used, however, on either a Linux or a Microsoft server. Created using Microsoft's Visual Studio .Net 2003, Vantage 8.0 can access any Microsoft-based smart client device, like a handheld bar code scanner.

Avalara, a sales and use tax software provider for small and midsized businesses, revealed a new enterprise resource planning product fully integrated with Version 8.0 of Microsoft's Great Plains. AvaTax ST is to be used in combination with Great Plains for sales and use tax calculation, mostly for companies that sell in a number of different tax jurisdictions. The new software will instantly validate customer addresses, and perform tax jurisdiction research so that the correct amount is paid and can generate remittance reports for further evaluation, said Rory Rawlings, president and founder of Avalara, in a statement. For companies who sell in multiple tax jurisdictions, the software will create a single specific tax schedule for all customers, rather than one for every jurisdiction. The software will take into account sales tax information, customer exemptions, product taxability, amnesties and sourcing rules. Avalara will be at the Microsoft Convergence Conference in San Diego, March 6 to 9, 2005, to further explain and demonstrate the product.

Tax and financial software provider Intuit Inc. said that a double-digit rise in general and administrative costs, plus higher research and development expenses, trimmed second-quarter profits by roughly 1 percent, to $147.3 million, compared with the prior-year quarter. For the period ended Jan. 31, Intuit said that systemwide revenue rose nearly 5 percent, to $662.6 million, compared with the second quarter of last year. Intuit also said that its latest quarter had a $1.6 million loss stemming from discontinued operations, copmpared to a loss of about $455,000 for its last fiscal second quarter. With regard to the performance of its business units, Intuit said that consumer tax revenue rose 9 percent, to $141.1 million; professional tax revenue hit $150.6 million, a drop of 4 percent, while its flagship QuickBooks product climbed 10 percent, to $222.3 million.

As most everyone knows, e-business is the act of conducting business on the Internet.

Business and financial software conglomerate Best has launched a comprehensive advertising campaign targeting its client base of roughly 2.3 million small and midsized businesses.

KINTERA NAMES SCHENCK TO ACCELERATE ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT: Kintera Inc., the company that bought Fundware from Intuit, has named Jim Schenck as vice president of accounting and membership to direct the development of the company's accounting solutions. His duties will include the architectural design and development of Kintera's accounting solutions, including the support and enhancement of Kintera FundWare for the nonprofit and government sectors. The San Diego-based company bought the Greenwood Village, Colo.-based nonprofit division, formerly known as American Fundware, from Intuit in an $11 million cash deal in December 2004. Intuit, which acquired the unit in 2002, put it on the block in August 2004, citing lack of sales growth as the main reason for the decision.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, along with the Securities and Exchange Commission's accelerated reporting guidelines, appear to be improving the accuracy of companies' earnings forecasts, according to a report by management consultancy Parson Consulting.The percentage of companies among the Standard & Poors 500 index that missed analysts' earnings-per-share projections by at least 10 percent fell to 29.7 percent in the 2004 third quarter - the lowest level since Parson began the quarterly study in the first quarter of 2003.

Many accounting firms funnel time, energy and money into products to maintain network security. However, despite the continued efforts to secure their networks, the biggest threat to these organizations frequently comes in the form of the uninformed computer users on the inside. A security program is only as strong as its weakest link - that is where the human element comes into play.

CPAs become creative when pushed to solve problems without their traditional resources, and their primary resource has been an abundant supply of affordable labor. That has changed, and firms must look at ways to do more with less, while maintaining or increasing profitability.

Open Systems, a provider of business management and accounting software, announced the appointment of Darlene McQueen as partner recruitment manager. McQueen has 20 years of experience in the accounting software industry, most recently with Accpac International, now part of Best Software. She held the position of business partner account manager for the New England region. She also served as director of sales and marketing at RealWorld Corp., where she was employed for 15 years. In her role at Open Systems, McQueen will be responsible for recruiting and developing a reseller channel for the OSAS and Traverse products. "Open Systems is a refreshing change for the VAR community. With the recent acquisitions and consolidations, I think the VAR community has been forgotten. Many VARs are looking for a place they can call home. My goal with Open Systems is to educate the vast VAR community to one of the industry's best-kept secrets," says McQueen. "What partner doesn't want a product that provides open-source, unlimited-platform support, the best margins in the industry, and a friendly voice at the end of phone? We have partner-friendly programs designed to provide all the key components necessary for a partner to be successful and profitable," she adds.

Actuate Corp., a provider of enterprise reporting applications, has unveiled its Actuate Financial Performance Management Solution -- a product that generates real-time reports for department employees with fiscal responsibility. The solution uses enterprise information integration technology to pull information from finance, human resources, revenue, and budgeting and forecasting databases to create on-demand reports. Previously, financial information pulled using EII software would be updated roughly once a month said Richard Stark, Actuate's director of financial performance management. Accompanying the speedier delivery is a shift in responsibility from the finance department to line managers and executives. "The product distributes accountability," said Stark, "putting the line managers' hands in the fire." With the Web-based, XML-compatible application, managers can verify and validate expenses within their departments without waiting for a monthly report from finance. This, in turn, shifts responsibility for compliance with such regulations as Sarbanes-Oxley to the enterprise as a whole. "Finance trying to do forecasting is like driving from the back of the bus," said Stark. Stark added that suspicious activities, forecasting or discrepancies could be more easily monitored with the new software. The product offers information on who has reviewed the company's data, what data and when, as well as textual annotations to explain expenses and purchases. Costs start at $150,000 for a 50-user license or $560,000 for a 500-user license, and includes 50 days of on-site professional services as part of a customer service package and call center support program.

Accounting software provider AccountMate has entered into a distribution pact with CRM software developer Infotrac Solutions Inc. whereupon a customized Infotrac for AccountMate will be made exclusively to integrate with the AccountMate for SQL and MSDE versions. Infotrac for AccountMate offers enterprise-wide functionality, but is scaled down for small to midsized businesses requiring customized CRM solutions. AccountMate will market and sell Infotrac via its reseller community, while Infotrac will provide technical support and development of the customized Infotrac for AccountMate.

ReNew Group, a consultancy specializing in high-impact sales training solutions, has unveiled Trust - a Web-based client analysis application designed specifically for the accounting profession.

Microsoft Business Solutions is giving its struggling Small Business Manager software a new name, price promotions and increased marketing to give it a better foothold in the market.

Is your storage room rapidly filling with old computer equipment?

NORRINGTON EXITS INTUIT, SEEKING CEO POST: Lorrie Norrington, who served for three years as executive vice president of software provider Intuit Inc., has resigned from the company, headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., to pursue a chief executive post.

The Lacerte family has an unquestionable entrepreneurial tradition that drives them to start successful firms in the accounting industry. But it was technology, not tradition, that brought about the founding of PayCycle in 1999.

Time and billing software provider and Microsoft reseller ProVantage Software Inc. has released ProVantage 7.1, a version whose upgrades include the availability of new imaging functions capable of spanning four accounting modules within the ProVantage application.

Business and financial software conglomerate Best has launched a comprehensive advertising campaign targeting its client base of roughly 2.3 million small and midsized businesses. The effort, which is slated to appear in some 60 business and trade publications throughout the United States and Canada during 2005, represents the largest media buy to date for Best Software. The campaign, which trumpets the tagline "Your Business in Mind," uses a series of images, including a breakfast cereal box that says, "There has to be a better way to check my inventory than getting up every morning at 3:00 a.m." The campaign, developed by the Santa Monica, Calif.-based shop of Colby & Partners, a full-service agency, was designed to support an array of Best-owned products, including its Act!, Peachtree, Timberline, Accpac, SalesLogix and Abra lines. The advertising campaign debuted in the January issues of Inc., Entrepreneur, Fast Company and Accounting Technology, a sister publication of WebCPA. Best Software chief executive Ron Verni said that the impetus behind the campaign was "to tell business owners that Best is there for them, that we truly have their businesses in mind. When it comes to solving business problems, we are small business experts: We've been there." Best Software is the North American operation of European parent The Sage Group plc.

NetSuite has announced a new set of enterprise resource planning features for financial data to enhance regulatory compliance.