RSSMicrosoft Offers Free Accounting Suite
By Nate Mook | Published October 30, 2006, 12:46 PM
Upping the ante against Intuit, Microsoft on Monday released a new accounting software package for small and home businesses. The most alluring feature of the offering may not be its Outlook-like interface and Office integration, but rather its price: free.
Office Accounting Express 2007 is largely a basic accounting suite aimed at those who currently use pen and paper or a spreadsheet to manage their finances. Startups and eBay sellers are among the intended audience, Microsoft says.
Businesses can use the software to sell products online, create and send invoices, track expenses, automate bank account and customer payments, store contact information, and access more than 20 predefined reports. Support for eBay and PayPal is built directly into Accounting Express.
To simplify setup, Microsoft has included a startup wizard, and the software can important data from Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Money, and Microsoft Office Excel.
Although the product itself is a free download, Microsoft has bundled seven third party services, some of which are available for additional fees. These include processing payroll through ADP, accessing reports from Equifax, and sharing of books with an accountant via Office Live.
For businesses needing more functionality, Microsoft will launch Office Accounting Professional 2007 early next year at a cost of $149 USD. Inventory management, multicurrency invoicing, multiuser access and fixed asset management are among those featured added to the Professional version.
Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007 is available for download now from FileForum.
I hope M$ reams intuit good. We have to have 5 versions of Quickbooks because the databases aren't compatible with any other version or backwards compatible.
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|I can't wait until MS decides to turn on ADP and Equifax. Their day will come too. I remember when MS and Symantec shared straws at the soda bar once. They gazed into each others eyes and then MS slipped the condom off when Symantec dropped the napkin. Ouch!
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|I just don't trust anything Microsoft any more. What with their silly Vista "only make one change/transfer" crap.
I'd almost rather pay for Quickbooks just so Microsoft doesn't get the business.
You know they'll pull that stuff where you get hooked using the program and then they start charging you for bug-fixes or whatever.
Giant corporate greedy poopheads.
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|yeah! I agree with you DudeBoyz, M$ is nowadays releasing softwares which implements more anti-piracy features covered up in the name of security, rather than user-friendliness and customer care.
The WGA is the worst feature, where a genuine user needs to prove himself that he has a original copy. It is only a burden to genuine users, not an advantage!!!, because pirated windows users always have a way to circumvent the WGA and get what they want.
Still worse is when a person with valid license is told that his copy is not genuine by WGA and stop him from getting his updates.....
Come on M$, you are better of by reducing the prices than to spend more and more on anti-piracy measures. The WGA is getting worser and worser, and the new license agreement are still worser. You are naturally loosing your customer base....
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|If all your looking for is a free general ledger and cashbook this one will download in a fraction of the time - www.responsive.co.nz
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|DS3 at work and I am getting 30kb/s I guess the whole world is getting in on this before MS changes its mind :)
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|for those like Donzy on dialup who don't want a big download, quickbooks online is about $19.95 per month paid monthly...not sure if they still give you a 30 day free trial or not.
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|Yeah, I would sooo... rather pay $19.95 per month than make the effort to download a free 338MB software.
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|Nice one MS, but 338Meg download for a "stripped down" version is not for us on dial-up
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|Then get with the times and obtain a broadband connection. Why is penetration so low in the US?
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|dumba** Jordanr05 - The infrastructure still isn't available in all areas believe it or not. It isn't cost-effective to run expensive lines and networks to areas with a spread-out customer base, such as in rural areas. Satellite also isn't a good option for many due to the cost. You're a retard with a keyboard.
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|Wow. You sure showed me you e-thug. Never thought a simple question could enrage someone so damn much lol. Must be one of em' proud Americans. Back to class kid.
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|I'm with you Jordanr05... no need of the last line dude posted... little netiquette is needed for this lad.
Urbefly probably can't get HighSpeed cause he's rude to the Cable Guy too... hehe. :o)
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|Well, why not? The US customer pays a fee to enable universal access to voice and data.
Here in China, you don't ask if ADSL is available, you simply dial 10000 and tell them you want it. Presto, ADSL is installed on your line within a week, usually 3 days.
And they offer a student rate of 2.5 RMB (you do the conversion) per day.
I thought the USA was an 'advanced' country. Guess it is turning into a backwater. Pity, that.
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|Cool beans; this should help those that are on very tight budget.
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|For sure. This will definately help out entrepreneurs too.
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