For many of the 5,000 or so attendees at Convergence 2005, it was not so much new technology or keynote speeches by titans such as Bill Gates, but the catch-phrase "evolution versus revolution" that circulated throughout the three-day user confab.

When you mention "soft skills" training, many accountants roll their eyes and discount the importance of such efforts. This may appear to be a reasonable reaction, but is it good business? If you think for a moment, the answer is that it is not.

The data storage market in midsized enterprises is projected to grow by 35 percent in 2005, according to IT researcher and consultancy Info-Tech Research Group. Meanwhile, spending on data storage will outpace spending on servers, telephony and even security software, according to the results of a poll of more than 1,400 IT decision makers. Info-Tech said that storage area networks are currently the hottest segment of the storage market, and it expects them to grow roughly 40 percent within midsized enterprises in 2005. IT decision-makers participating in the survey cited regulatory pressures such as Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA, continuity planning, and the popularity of multimedia as drivers of data storage growth. "We expect the demand for SANs to increase sharply as vendors move down-market from their current Fortune 1,000 focus," said Dr. Curtis Gittens, senior research analyst at Info Tech. "As prices continue their sharp decline and SAN products become more commoditized, storage technology becomes increasingly accessible to midsized companies."

Financial management software provider Serenic Corp. has unveiled Version 4.0 of its flagship Serenic Navigator product for nonprofits. The enhanced offering features a redesigned menu pane (graphical user interface) that mirrors Microsoft Outlook's menu system, thus easing navigation, as well as the addition of industry-specific applications, including time- and-effort reporting, integrated fund-raising/donor management, and utility billing. The latest version also provides advanced Web services and XML support, which allows for the rapid deployment of Microsoft .Net portal applications for non-accounting users using Microsoft's Sharepoint services.

Integrated online solutions provider NetSuite Inc. named Best Software veteran Adam Ross to the post of vice president of channel sales. In his new role, Ross will spearhead the company's channel sales initiatives for its NetSuite, NetSuite Small Business, NetCRM, NetERP and NetCommerce products. Prior to coming aboard at NetSuite, Ross served as national sales director for Best's customer relationship management division. He also was manager of strategic accounts. NetSuite's channel program was launched in 2002.

Nearly 95 percent of information technology departments are delivering IT projects either late or below satisfaction, according to a recent study by the Info-Tech Research Group. The companies that participated in the survey listed unrealistic time frames, inadequate staff and poorly defined project scope as the top three reasons for the poor response. As a result, just 11 percent of those polled view technology as a "strategic weapon." "While 95% is a high percentage, it is sobering that this number is not surprising to many business leaders," says Frank Koelsch, executive vice president of Info-Tech Research Group, based here. "The fact that almost every IT department is failing on some of their projects is both a major contributor to, and a major symptom of, the misalignment of business and IT." The poll included responses from 1,400 midsized companies throughout the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

WennSoft, an independent software vendor for Microsoft, revealed Service Management for Axapta, a multiple language and currency enterprise resource planning application with a foundation in the wholesale and services industries. Designed as both a Web-based and server-based application, the new product can run on either Microsoft SQL or Oracle databases, and offers four areas on functionality: service call management, maintenance contract management, mobile computing and Web-enabled solutions. The new offering features tools for warranty tracking, installation, work orders and field-service operations.

Microsoft Corp. has released module extensions for its Great Plains 8.0 Professional Edition -- enhancing the areas of business intelligence, industry functionality and expanded customization. The new business intelligence layer, which will be made available in the last week of March, includes a number of tools such as analysis cubes for Excel, key performance indicators for Business Portal users, and integration with Microsoft's Accelerator for Sarbanes-Oxley. "As the world at work changes and evolves, the innovative technology of Microsoft Business Solutions grows and changes to keep pace," said Jeff Young, general manager for Great Plains, in a statement. Allowing users to pull information directly from the SQL server database, the new OLAP cubes feature transforms the SQL data into an Excel interface for analysis. This allows CPAs and financial officers to see trends and examine the data in ways specific to the user's needs. Modules for nonprofits and public sector organizations are also included in the new releases with a new grant management module. This extension integrates with another new release -- the analytical accounting module. The enhancement will extend functionality for these organizations so that they do not have to manually manage and calculate their grants. And budgeting features within the new product permit users to create budgeting trees and budgeting summaries on a variety of levels. The Microsoft Great Plains Extender module provides expanded customization, with the ability to add new windows to user-defined fields, capture detailed notes and track exact information. Other modules include Microsoft Business Portal, which provides security-enhanced data access policies that enable users to safely extend the Portal to their customers; a Microsoft Business Portal Human Resources Management Self-Service Suite, which allows timecard status functionality; analytical accounting updates; and Microsoft Great Plains Professional CRM Suite, among others. The 12 new modules range in price from $625 to $7,000, and are available for downloading at Microsoft's Web site, www.microsoft.com.

Payroll services provider PayCycle has named James Heeger as chief executive of the online concern, headquartered here. Heeger, who most recently was senior vice president of Adobe Systems, succeeds company co-founder Rene Lacerte as CEO. Lacerte will remain with the company as chief financial officer and as a board member. Heeger had served as president and CEO of Fotiva Inc., a photography software company, before it was acquired by Adobe in 2001. While at Adobe, Heeger oversaw the launch of the Adobe Creative Suite, as well as other flagship products such as Adobe Illustrator CS, and Adobe InDesign CS. Prior to that, he spent several years at Intuit, where he was CFO and later senior vice president and general manager of Intuit's small business division. He helped grow the QuickBooks installed base to more than 2 million small businesses and extend the franchise into payroll. "His expertise will accelerate our strong momentum as we continue to innovate and build our small business payroll leadership position," said Rene Lacerte in a statement.

Tax and financial software provider Creative Solutions Inc. has rebranded its entire product portfolio under the name CS Professional Suite. Some of the products under the newly christened CS Professional Suite umbrella include Client CS, NetClientCS, UltraTax CS, Payroll CS and File Cabinet CS. The company said that the change was enacted to better position each suite and its component products. "We believe that moving to a suite strategy more accurately communicates how tightly Creative Solutions products are integrated," said chief executive Jon Baron

NetSuite Inc., an online business applications provider, has unveiled NetFlex, its first "outside" integration product for customers linking NetSuite products with disparate software. The company said that NetFlex, will be available in April. The new software will be hosted online with the rest of NetSuite's products, free of charge and with automatic upgrades. However, the company said that some charges may be applied to the initial integration, depending on the complexity of the process. "The key trend for 2005 is the move by companies to one system to run their entire business," said NetSuite chief executive officer Zach Nelson in a statement. "The icing on the cake is that NetSuite's NetFlex solution is simpler to manage - now and in the future -- with standards-based Web services and customization, as well as seamless upgrades. NetFlex is comprised of three parts: Web services, customization and a toolset. The three parts work together online to help NetSuite's master record communicate with desktop add-on software automatically. Using Web services and an XML-based interface to access data stored on a user's NetSuite record, NetFlex is based on the Simple Object Access Protocol standard. By using SOAP, the new application will support any other platform utilizing the SOAP standard, such as Java and Microsoft .Net. The new product also offers point-and-click personalization and configuration. This customization supports role-based dashboards like those containing search summary analysis; allows business and industry-specific terminology to be applied through the NetSuite, i.e. changing "customer" to "client;" lets users track additional data points; and permits the customer to create tabs to share information. NetFlex AppBuilder, the toolset, allows customers to create their own database tables, navigation tabs, dashboards and other applications that house data, user interfaces, data validation or business processes.

-- Sage Ltd., which lost the right to use the Sage name in the United States four years ago after a court fight, has purchased the rights to the brand in this country and will phase out the name Best Software by March 2006. The company did not disclose the terms of its purchase of the rights from Quick Technologies, a Dallas-based company. Sage lost the ability to use its own name in this country in 2001, and adopted the name Best Software for its U.S. operations. "The good news is that we've gotten good at branding," said Ron Verni, the CEO of Best's U.S. operations. Best had boosted its named recognition into the 20 percent range, "and we're climbing toward the 30s," he added. While the company will have to start its efforts again with the Sage name, "We haven't lost all the equity in that name," Verni said. International business is a major reason the company wanted to be able to use the name Sage in all markets. "Our European partners were as anxious as we were to get the name. We are starting to see more global business," Verni continued. A major challenge for the company is that the names of its products, such as Act, MAS 90 and Peachtree, are generally better known than the company name. Verni says that Best will outline the transition at its Insights reseller conference in May. Setting the deadline at next year will give resellers time to make changes in their materials.

Avalara, a provider of on-demand sales and use tax services for small and midsized businesses, announced its integration with three additional Microsoft products. Users will now find AvaTax and AutoAddress+ available for Microsoft Business Solutions' Navision, Small Business Financials and CRM. Avalara made the announcement at last week's Convergence 2005, Microsoft's annual user conference. "Both of these solutions - AvaTax ST and AutoAddress+ -- are on-demand Web-based solutions," said Avalara's chief executive officer, Jared Vogt, in a statement. "This approach keeps end users' costs low while ensuring that they are always working with up-to-the minute solutions." AvaTax ST, an online sales and use tax calculation product, will now be available for Microsoft's Navision and Small Business Financials. The application was already integrated with a number of other systems, including MAS 90, 200 and 500, and Accpac, but broke into the Microsoft ERP market by announcing integration with MBS's Great Plains last month. AutoAddress+, Avalara's online address validation service, is now integrated with Microsoft CRM. The online address validation application checks with local post offices over the Internet to ensure that the address provided for the customer is an existing address. Recently, Avalara announced a marketing and technology partnership with STF Services Corp., a provider of electronic forms in the tax industry, to license SuperForm from STF. The licensing allows Avalara to create tax returns on top of their tax calculation products. Christina Opalka, director of marketing communications, who attended the 5,000-attendee Convergence confab, said that the company was looking beyond tax calculation and returns. "We are working to be a customer services provider," said Opalka, who estimated that it would take the company about four to five years before their goal was reached.

I think it matters, and I'll share my rationale shortly. But first, let's explore the difference between these roles.As a consultant, you're typically engaged to solve a specific problem, to manage a project, or both. Each client sees their consultant as a subject matter expert to whom they can look for answers and solutions to the question, "What should we do?" in a particular area. They may also look to their consultant for help in implementing the recommended solution.

BLACKBAUD ANNOUNCES 4Q RESULTS; LAUNCHES STOCK BUYBACK PROGRAM: Nonprofit software vendor Blackbaud Inc. posted a fourth-quarter loss of $4.3 million for the period ended Dec. 31, compared with a loss of $129,000 for the fourth quarter of last year.Meanwhile, systemwide revenue rose 17 percent, to $35.7 million, compared with the fourth quarter of 2003. License revenue increased 15 percent to $6.8 million; services revenue rose 21 percent to $9.9 million; and maintenance and subscriptions revenue increased 17 percent, to $17.6 million, over the comparable period of fiscal 2003.

Ask five practitioners to define the term "practice management," and the chances are you'll get several different answers. Several of these would probably incorporate time and billing. To be precise, however, practice management and time and billing are related, but they aren't quite the same thing.No one knows how and why these two terms started being used interchangeably. Most likely, it's because time and billing is an integral component of practice management, and because many of the early practice management offerings on the PC were essentially time and billing applications.

Perceptions and old habits are hard to break. In the CPA profession, training is associated with continuing professional education. However, in today's environment, training and learning are broader in scope for several reasons.Training reaches well beyond just the accountants and their CPE requirements. Yet firms still devote limited resources to training and learning while expecting employees to "get it on their own."

Beginning in April, end users will see extensions of Great Plains Version 8.0, and by the end of 2005, Version 8.5 will be available, along with Business Portal 3.0, according to Microsoft executives speaking at last week's Convergence 2005 confab. Jeff Young and Dave Coulombe told Convergence attendees that Excel integration with Great Plains will also be enhanced to include another level of functionality, such as deeper access to "slice and dice" data more quickly, and a more inclusive dashboard. A move towards more Web-centric features will also be apparent, as Version 8.5 will provide more Web and integration services to extended portal applications. The duo said that this upcoming release of Great Plains will also include automatic upgrades, a customizable home page in the Business Portal software, along with an Extranet page built-in, and a set-up checklist. A major crowd-pleaser at the meeting was the unveiling of a newer and more customizable Smartlist builder. The upgraded tool allows users to link to as many as 32 different pivotal tables. The next version after that -- 9.0 -- will be a bigger move towards the Web. The 2006 release will be a fully .Net-enabled application, said Coulombe. However, Doug Burgum, senior vice president for MBS, said in a separate question-and-answer meeting later that MBS has no plans as of yet to produce a browser-based software application. Burgum said that there was not enough demand for the products today to warrant the investment, and MBS didn't want to make current users feel that their server-based products were becoming obsolete just yet. "There may come a time in the future," said Burgum, but "we don't want to kill our own progress with visions of our future." By the winter of 2006, Great Plains 9.0 will be released, along with Business Portal 4.0. And two years down the road, Great Plains Version 10.0 and Business Portal 5.0 will be unveiled.

Despite the Securities and Exchange Commission giving the okay for companies to voluntarily file reports using XBRL, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. being poised to require quarterly call reports in the tagged data format, the United States still lags behind Europe, Asia and Australia in the adoption and implementation of the Extensible Business Reporting Language.Now more than five years old, XBRL is the financial reporting derivation of Extensible Mark-up Language, or XML - a framework that establishes individual "tags" for elements in structured documents, allowing specific elements to be immediately accessed and aggregated.

With a choice of features such as multiple-language settings and a large partner base of about 2,000, Navision is growing in the United States at a clip of roughly 30 percent, according to general manager Mogens Elsberg. Addressing attendees at this week's Microsoft Convergence 2005 confab, Elsberg said that the U.S. is expected to become the fastest growing and largest user nation of Navision applications in the coming months. Navision 4.0 -- rolled out in October-- is available in 30 different languages and has been shipped to over 23 countries. That number will extend to 42 come May 1, 2005, as another 19 countries are added to the list. And a total of 1,000 new users will be added to Navision's customer base. As part of Microsoft Business Solutions' Wave Map, Navision plans on sailing out Navision 5.0 by the end of the third quarter of 2005 during Wave 1. The newest version will utilize Microsoft's SharePoint and Business Portal server to allow non-financial users like sales managers and executive officers to see a selected view of the company online. The enhanced Navision will have shortcuts, allowing users to personalize their product, explained Elsberg, "This is what we mean when we say empower users." Plans for Navision 6.0, to be released in 2007 to 2008 in MBS Wave 2, could not be detailed as of yet, said Kati Hvidtfeldt, group product manager for Navision. Said Hvidtfeldt, "Nothing is set yet. It depends on what the technology trends are at that time."