Intuit goes global using mobiles

Intuit goes global using mobiles
Intuit aims to serve small businesses globally using Web accounting services on mobile phones

Richard Morochove
PC World
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; 12:19 AM

Intuit’s QuickBooks small business accounting software runs the back office for many of North America’s 31 million small businesses. Now Intuit plans to expand globally by targeting 10 Asian countries, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea. Collectively, these 10 Asian countries have 250 million small businesses.

You won’t see many notebook computers in the street stalls of Jakarta. Yet even a street sweeper has a mobile phone. So Intuit plans to grow globally by developing mobile-based versions of QuickBooks at its Global Business Division office, based in Mississauga, Canada.

I toured Intuit’s new Global Business office, located just west of Toronto, at its recent official opening. The building is equipped with the typical Intuit employee-friendly furnishings, including nap rooms and a yoga studio. An HD teleconferencing suite will cut down on the need for 20-hour long trans-Pacific flights to consult with employees based overseas. About 40 work here now, but eventually more than 250 will call the new office home.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Alex Linter, president of Intuit’s Global Business Division, said all the new apps will be Web-based because it’s easier to distribute.

I expect some aspects of Intuit’s new mobile technology will work their way into American versions of QuickBooks. And why not? The processing power and storage capacity of an iPhone 3G or BlackBerry Bold rivals that of the notebook PC I relied upon a decade ago.

© 2008 PC World Communications, Inc. All rights reserved

Commputer System Failure

I GUARANTEE YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM WILL FAIL, OFTEN AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME, DESTROYING ALL DATA NOT BACKED UP.

Failures relate primarily to electrical surges and computer hardware failures, some of which are due to excessive heat. You also can have conflicts between endless combinations of hundreds of thousands of different equipment items, programs, viruses, spyware, plus user error. Very few crashes are due to program errors.

Backup! Backup! Backup!

A QuickBooks user asks, “How do I backup my QuickBooks data file and is there a recommended backup routine?

Back up your company file at the end of each session or each day to a network drive; external hard drive; removable storage device such as a CD, USB flash drive, or Zip disk; or to a remote site over the Internet using QuickBooks Online Backup.

(Important: Do not store routine backups on your computer’s hard drive where you store your working data-if your computer’s hard disk fails, you may lose your backup files as well as your working data.)

You can:
1·Have QuickBooks back up your company file when it closes. This is the simplest option. QuickBooks runs the backup after the company file closes a certain number of times. You set the number of times the file will close before being backed up.
2·Schedule automated daily backups. This makes backups more convenient. QuickBooks runs the backup daily or on set days and times. You decide the days and times that QuickBooks should run the backup. Just leave the computer on and close the company file, and then let the backup run by itself. You can schedule a backup to a network drive, USB flash drive, or Zip disk.
Be sure to tell your QuickBooks what your Windows password is so it can run the scheduled backup.
3·Back up your company file manually. This gives you the greatest control. You open the backup wizard and manually make your selections, or you can set default options. You can back up to:
CD using Windows XP, Vista or 2000; USB Flash drive, Zip disk or network folder.
If you prefer, you can also create a reminder for yourself to back up the file.
4·Use a combination of the above. For example, schedule daily backups but manually run the backups you store off premises.

Whichever method you choose, you will need to set your options for backups including: the default location of your backup; whether to add the date and time to your filename; and the number of backups you want to store at the location you set. QuickBooks will use these settings each time it runs a backup until you change them.

If you’re backing up locally;
1. Each day, back up onto removable media to keep in the office.
2. At least once a month, make a backup copy to keep off premises.
3. At the end of your fiscal year, make a copy of your data to keep off premises.

http://marksgroup.blogspot.com/2008/10/quickbooks-user-asks-how-do-i-backup-my.html

QuickBase launches new features

QuickBase launches new features just in time for Christmas

Posted by ktrachy @ 9:03 pm on December 8, 2008
Tags: Add new tag, Collaboration, Database, PaaS, QuickBase, SaaS, Web Database
We launched a new version of QuickBase over the weekend (6am EST on Saturday to be exact.) The release delivers a range of new features that even Santa would be proud of. Included is QuickBase access for the iPhone and a cross-application reports tab on your My QuickBase page.

And there’s more… you will find new tools for improving control, manageability and security in your applications.

Acclivity Purchases MYOB US, Inc. – Strengthens Mac Product Development

Acclivity Purchases MYOB US, Inc. – Strengthens Mac Product Development

posted on November 25, 2008, by Ed

 

November 25, 2008 (Rockaway, NJ) – Today Acclivity, current US distributor of MYOB software, announced it has acquired MYOB US Inc. and its Mac (and PC) development team from MYOB Limited of Australia. Acclivity will now drive global development of MYOB’s Mac OS business management products – FirstEdge, AccountEdge and AccountEdge Network Edition.

Acclivity will continue to enhance and deliver these products to its US customers. Acclivity will also develop the Mac OS products for MYOB who will be its exclusive republisher in Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

Additionally, Acclivity’s new development team will continue to develop the Windows product line for their US customer base.

“This deal delivers benefits to our customers on several fronts,” said Scott Davisson, Acclivity Managing Partner. “First and foremost, it allows us to author the product roadmap for our US customers on Mac and Windows. We think they’ll be thrilled with the product direction in the coming years.”

“We’ll also be able to assert our Mac focus by building great solutions for small businesses that use Macs; an often underserved group,” Davisson said.

“This deal also allows us the flexibility to enter markets outside of the US,” added Tom Nash, Acclivity Managing Partner. “We’re now free to explore how we will bring AccountEdge back to Canada. By popular demand, I might add.”

Current MYOB US customers, as well as Australian and New Zealand Mac customers, will continue to use the same products and have access to the same support resources to which they’ve grown accustomed. “There will be no customer disruption,” Nash said.

About Acclivity LLC
Acclivity develops, sells and supports award-winning small business accounting and management software for Macintosh and Windows platforms. Acclivity also offers a portfolio of business services that help small business owners to better serve the needs of their customers, their employees, and themselves. For more information, visit Acclivity LLC.

Werck, Acclivity’s Dutch joint venture with Sofa BV, develops Checkout Point of Sale for Mac, used by retailers around the globe to manage their sales and inventory needs. Recent runner up for an Apple Design Award (Best User Experience), Checkout has revolutionized Point of Sale software by allowing retailers to quickly and easily start selling in fifteen minutes.