Archive for November, 2009
Dreamforce 09: Positive Outlook at The FinancialForce.com Panel
Salesfore.com announced its collaboration with Unit 4 Agresso—FinancialForce.com—not too long ago, and at this week’s Dreamforce there was a panel to discuss the SaaS product. There has been talk for a while now that back-office applications are only crippling themselves by not moving into the cloud space (ERP vendors, especially, are receiving heat for balking at the idea of SaaS solutions), and FinancialForce.com has the potential to nudge accounting into the future.
Built on Salesforce’s Force.com platform, FinancialForce.com puts accounting data in the cloud, and panel members spoke to their happiness with the product. Included below is a video filmed by Dennis Howlett, in which Quattro Innovation’s Director of Operations, David Tan, explains why FinancialForce has been a good fit. Howlett also notes that these companies perhaps cannot fully attest to SaaS accounting because they haven’t had a full year with the product. Fair enough.
Many handling back offices are wary of putting certain data in the cloud, and this fear has left companies like SAP, Oracle, Sage, and others at the forefront of the financial software market. But the cloud more users flocking to the cloud, security concerns are decreasing, and a surge in SaaS accounting is a very real possibility. And it is all the more possible with newer companies demanding faster implementation times—one of the things Tan details at length in the video.
The reign of on-premise accounting software isn’t at its end, but FinancialForce.com, and the other similar platforms that will undoubtedly arise, will lead to its decline.
Popularity: 2% [?]
No commentsPeachtree by Sage Goes to The Middle East
This month, Sage Software announced a partnership agreement with ITE Distribution, which is one of Dubai’s top IT distribution conglomerates. Specifically, ITE will be broadening exposure in the Middle East for Sage’s Peachtree accounting software, and their ACT! contact and CRM solutions.
According to the contract, ITE will oversee all distribution activities for Peachtree by Sage and ACT!, from product launch, to in-store merchandising, to development with resellers. Particularly, they look forward to promoting Peachtree by Sage, with its capabilities to project cash flow, perform multi-year reports, give real-time alerts, and track expenses.
Regarding the motives behind the partnership, Sage cites they high regional demand for business and contact management applications. But the partnership will also bolster ITE’s position in the software market, as they were previously known as dealing mainly in hardware. Still, ITE put another feather in its cap earlier this year: they signed a contract to distribute Microsoft off-the-shelf software a couple months back.
Popularity: 3% [?]
No commentsSage Launches A Financial Certification Programn for Non-Profits
Sage wants its customers to be prepared for government financial regulations, and last month they launched a new certification program for the non-profit organizations using their Sage MIP Fund Accounting. The program helps non-profit professionals enhance their skills through continuing professional education (CPE) workshops, each lasting two to three days.
Seminar sessions are web-based, and tout certification in less time and at less cost than alternative programs. There has been a growth in non-profits in North America over the last decade, and the need for certified financial professionals is especially pressing in this economic climate. There are a number of certifications offered. From the high-demand disciplines, there are courses in Accounts Payable, Controller, Financial Reporting, and Senior Accountant. Other options include Budget Analyst, Financial Manager, Procurement, and Payroll, to name a few.
Sage reportedly serves 2.9 million SMBs and non-profits in the US and Canada, so these certification options are a good source of revenue. At the same time, it is a nice gesture to give financial experts a means of increasing their professional value.
Popularity: 2% [?]
No comments
