One of my regular readers asked my opinion about Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007 which has now launched. I don’t follow Microsoft as closely as others but this certainly caught my attention.
The first things to say:
- US only
- Bundled with Office 2007 Small Business Edition but can be downloaded separately provided you don’t mind the 338MB download. Only feasible on a DSL line.
- Requires Vista
- Desktop only application but with file transfer ability to third party services and clients
To get real value out of the product, you’ll need to tap into other services some of which require fees. Presumably Microsoft will get a rake from these.
At first glance it’s a perfectly decent desktop application. But will it help clients make a better job of running their businesses? Small businesses need to take care of cash flow. They need online access to banking information and payment services as well as an online presence. Microsoft provides access to all of that. Some services make a charge, but if you’re using payroll processing or bank processing services then you expect to pay. Right?.
It also includes integration to Outlook, another important tick in the box. But only if you’re using Outlook with Business Contact Manager 2007. Finally, Microsoft is addressing the professional connection by releasing Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007 (what a name! what’s wrong with MOAP?) which includes linking mechanisms that allow the professional and client to exchange (not share) information.
So what do I think? I’m impressed. Much of what Microsoft is doing is necessarily rooted at the desktop. There’s only a nod towards SaaS and when you look at all the products it’s drawing from, it’s no surprise that at second glance, it looks clunky. So knock it down if you want on usability. I’m thinking something else.
They’ve taken small steps towards offering that ‘eat-all-you-want’ style of Office services that will genuinely help businesses survive. They’ve recognised that it is in the value add that business can thrive. Especially service businesses. And they’ve wrappered much of it around Outlook, which has pretty much become the defacto desktop communications and time management application for business today.
In other words, they’re looking a bit like the automotive industry that Erik Keller discussed the other day. Perhaps this offering is like a bare bones, not quite finished early Ford Mondeo. Designed by virtual organisations, sourced through competitive bidding from global organisations organised around a marketplace, and assembled in strategically placed plants. Delivered through the network.
Hmm – I wasn’t at all sure about the automotive analogy the other day. I’ve changed my mind. It has merit. But then I know other organisations are looking at something similar. More later.
Stefan meanwhile continues to build the Lotus. You know – the one with the business support service component.
UPDATE: CRN has a detailed technical update that most professionals should understand. The bottom line: ticking a lot of boxes.
