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.

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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.

For the third consecutive year, information security - the processes and procedures designed to protect information technology systems from internal and external threats - has remained the country's No. 1 technology concern, according to the results of the 2005 Top Technologies Survey of the American Institute of CPAs.

Despite acknowledging the impact of higher producer prices, chief financial officers expect higher capital and technology spending at their companies during the next 12 months, according to a recent survey.

LEXISNEXIS BUYS INTERFACE: Interface Software, which makes the Interaction CRM software line for the professional services market, has been acquired by LexisNexis. Terms were not disclosed.

Intuit Inc., a high-volume provider of business and financial management software, said that its PayCard debit cards will now be accepted at roughly 24 million MasterCard merchant locations worldwide.

Technology researcher Gartner Inc. has agreed to acquire research competitor Meta Group for $162 million in cash. Gartner, which reported $858 million in revenues in fiscal 2003, will pay $10 per share in cash for Meta, which posted revenues of $122 million last year.

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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.

Best Software named Marc Griffin to the post of senior vice president and general manager for its Nonprofit Solutions arm, filling the void left by the departure of Kent Hollrah in June 2004. In his new role, Griffin will be responsible for the day-to-day planning and operations for the MIP Fund Accounting and MIP Fundraising product lines. He comes aboard at Best following a 20-year career with ADP, where he served in a variety of management posts in that company's Dealer Services Division. He will be based in Austin, Texas

Lorrie Norrington, who served for three years as executive vice president at software provider Intuit Inc., has resigned from the company, which is headquartered here, to pursue a chief executive post. Her resignation was effective Jan. 7. Norrington came aboard at Intuit after heading several divisions at conglomerate GE, with the understanding that she would succeed incumbent chief executive Steve Bennett. Last year, however, Bennett announced his intention to lead the company for an additional five years. According to federal filings, Intuit will pay Norrington some $915,000 as part of a severance package, and a $640,500 performance-based bonus. In a statement, Bennett said, "Lorrie made significant contributions to Intuit in a number of areas over the last three years -- growing our QuickBooks and Quicken businesses, rebuilding our outsourced payroll business, and substantially improving the Intuit-branded small businesses. Her strong leadership skills and business acumen have made a positive, lasting mark upon Intuit. We thank her for a terrific job and wish her well."