SECURITY DELAYS AND PROJECT GREEN.
Accounting software resellers who compete with Microsoft Business Solutions may have even longer to compete against Great Plains, Solomon, Axapta, and Navision than they thought. Last week, one newswire said that Microsoft would postpone key updates to developer tools and SQL Server. Some analysts were saying Longhorn, the next operating system, might be several years off, although the first beta is supposed to ship this summer. Project Green, which has been three years away for each of the last three years, seems to be moving further into the fog. Waggener Edstrom, the Microsoft PR firm, gave the following description: “With regards to Project Green, developing this next generation business applications suite is an ambitious project and, much like Longhorn, is several years away from availability.” Somebody told me that it looks like MBS has stopped talking so much about Project Green. Maybe it should be called Silent Green?

CORRECTION .
A couple of issues ago, I incorrectly listed the distributors that are handling the Microsoft Retail Management System. The two distributors that are selling the product are Tech Data and ScanSource. Mea culpa.

NEW FRONTIERS IN TECH SUPPORT .
Lacerte ended a pilot Indian tech support program for its tax preparation software on February 9, to the cheers of users who viewed the outsourced support as one of the worst ideas since Alexander Hamilton looked at Aaron Burr across the Weehawken field and remarked, “Aw, this guy can't hit the side of a barn.” However, one accountant on a Lacerte discussion group said the Lacerte support was helpful and that the reps have apparently been taught to make a connection. After the accountant responded he was in California, the rep asked how the Lakers were doing. The U.S. accountant replied, “that I haven't been following the Lakers because I am too busy buying my new Edsel, and how I love it. He [the tech rep] agreed that the new Edsels are very nice. He helped me, which is all that matters.”

EMAIL PROBLEMS .
The accounting publications, Accounting Today, Accounting Technology, Practical Accountant, and WebCPA, have had some difficulties with an overly efficient spam blocking system at our new haunts. The system very decisively blocked email from the public relations firm representing our sister company, RIA. It was rejected as spam. My correct address is robert.scott@thomsonmedia.com (not case sensitive). The proper syntax is firstname.lastname@thomsonmedia.com, but you cannot substitute Bob for Robert. Also, the company decided to change some of our female writers' names to their married names even though they continue to write under their unmarried names. That is a continued subject of discussion. Also, the company name is Thomson Media. There is no “P” in Thomson. (Another subject of continuing discussion.)

ANOTHER REALLY BIG SHOW ?
Best has officially announced that it will bring all its acquired companies under the big tent for its Insights reseller conference in Orlando in June. It already looks like Best has avoided most of the mistakes Microsoft made last October with the first Worldwide Reseller Conference, the blend of Stampede and Fusion that was a lot more Fusion than Stampede (except for the drinking). I think even Microsoft shared my conclusion that WWRC I (or, as I like to call it, MBS Accounting Lite) in New Orleans was strong on food, entertainment, and drink, short on organization and content. The show was moved to Toronto (although spending a lot of time in Toronto will probably trigger heavy drinking.) The thumbnail descriptions for the general manager keynotes and breakout sessions look like Best will actually be talking about product more than vaporware, and about competitors, rather than people who don't actually compete in our market, the way the Microsoft bigwigs did in the Big Easy. And the Best content looks well organized and focused. But then again, Best execs don't have to spend all that time explaining what they are doing about software security.

AN UNPAID ADVERTISEMENT .
Tired of getting sterile challenges by such programs as Spam Lion, Spam Assassin, or Spam Cop, when you're trying to convince someone to accept your email message? If you want a loving touch in your email challenges, try the Spam Mom, the latest product from Bob's House O' Spam. You get home-like care with responses such as “Clear up your mail box, right this instant!” or “Stop bringing your dirty viruses into my nice clean system!” and “Why do you keep sending all those awful messages? Why don't you send me something nice for a change?” And finally that old favorite, “You never visit. Pick up the phone once in a while. Enough with the email, already.” So visit Bob's House O' Spam, under the freeway next to the Viagra sign. Bob's House O' Spam, We can mail it. We can stop it.

CAMDEN DEPARTS .
Matt Camden has joined the Pursuing Other Opportunities Club after resigning his position as chief technology officer at Clifton Gunderson, where he headed the reselling and consulting operations that are part of Clifton Gunderson Technology Solutions. A bunch of people were looking for reasons to poke holes in the official story, which is that this is an amicable parting. Matt notes it is an awful big job—he was responsible for both internal IT and consulting and reselling. The fact that the unit will close the fiscal year in May with more than $13 million in revenue—more than $1 million over budget—suggests that he's not getting run out of town. It also suggests he can be pretty choosy about what he wants to do next. CGTS ranks No. 9 on the Bob Scott Top 100 Var list, which will be published in the April issue of Accounting Technology. I'm confident we'll hear from the people who aren't on the list and feel they should be.

INTUIT, WHEN THE MUSIC'S OVER ?
Intuit has reported separation packages for its recently departed in its SEC filings, and it's good reading. Tom Alanson, who headed the consumer tax group, received $333,595.50 (11 months' salary), and a $219,000 bonus. Dan Manack got a $156,000 lump-sum separation and a $187,000 bonus. Very interesting was how Intuit treated two executives who joined in August, but left in January. General counsel Nick Spaeth, who switched to a similar job at H&R Block in his home town of Kansas City, repaid $87,500 from his sign-on bonus and $229,175 from a one-time bonus. Tom Weigman, chief marketing officer, did not have to repay his $200,000 sign-on bonus and got a $25,000 payment from Intuit for terminating a 12-month lease of a residential property. That sounds like “Take the money, just leave.” There has been so much turnover that executive hires are being asked to return their bonuses before they start work. Apparently when they gave Intuit CEO Steve Bennett a lot of publicity about his adherence to the Sigma Six principles, they neglected to mention that he makes liberal use of the Deep Six theory of career planning. Well, sometimes in business, the music is your ONLY friend.

ON WALL STREET .
Now that the accounting publications have moved to the tip of Manhattan (the Battery to you New Yorkers, the Bronx is up and the Battery is down, for out-of-town readers, clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am…), things are certainly different. The homeless here accept wire transfers and credit cards. … There's also a nice farmers market here on Tuesdays and Thursdays, mainly bread vendors in the winter. Ah, it brings back my days on a bread farm in Indiana running barefoot through the yeast fields. This is not far from where the Dutch gave the Indians $24 in beads and trinkets for the world's primest real estate. The Indians walked away chuckling because they bought the place for $4 in beads and trinkets a couple of days earlier.

INTUIT MANAGEMENT. THE NEXT GENERATION .
This week Intuit named Brad Smith as the vice president of its consumer tax business (which Alanson had headed until he decided to leave in January). Smith previously ran Accountant Central, formerly known as accountant relations, which he took over in February 2003 when he joined the company. Jill Ward, vice president of vertical business management solutions, now adds Accountant Central to her portfolio. Intuit reaffirmed guidance for verticals revenue growth of 15 percent to 25 percent for the current fiscal year. What this suggests is that under Ward, this group (which includes FundWare and Master Builder) is close to achieving the amount of revenue that Intuit expected a year or two ago when it bought them. By the way, the latest version of QuickBooks has a macro that automatically generates press releases with the headline “Intuit Announces Management Change.”

NEW FRONTIERS IN PR .
You'd think that things must be slow at Intuit given the following: A public relations firm representing the company called and asked if I was interested in the company's view on Accpac's acquisition of Best, or something like that. The PR person offered Charles Var as the Intuit interview. Var works in the public relations department inside Intuit, handling QuickBooks. In all fairness to Intuit, this wasn't exactly what the company had in mind, according to Var. I must admit this is the first time a public relations firm has offered me the chance to interview a pr person.

K.C. AND WAYNE'S INDIAN ADVENTURE .
Wayne Harding, the veteran CPA and techie, has landed his latest in a series of jobs with Accountants in India, the latest from the QuickBooks cowboy K.C. Truby, who gave us Bridge21. I'm trying to imagine Truby, with his cowboy hat, turquoise belt buckle, and boots, strolling the street of Bangalore. K.C. and his outsourcing band are also doing Webinars on the outsourcing business. I've started the new Accountants in Indiana. You can send your return for processing and they send you the TV schedule for high school basketball games for the next two years.

RANDOM THOUGHTS .
The people worried about Supreme Court Justice Anthony Scalia going on a hunting trip with Vice President Dick Cheney are missing the real issue. This could be one of the few times a defibrillator is classified as outdoors sports equipment. … Speaking of Cheney, his recent reappearance to attack Democratic resident candidate John Kerry caused Cheney to be dropped as a possible subject of the TV show “Without A Trace.” Kerry meanwhile enumerated several countries that he says agree with his foreign policy position, including Vanuatu, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Belau. … Cheney promised to continue the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. He also promised to continue hunting for the Philosopher's Stone, the Seven Cities of Gold and the Holy Grail. Survivalists accused the government of hiding those objects at Roswell, N.M. Liberals demanded an international panel be appointed to determine their rightful ownership.

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Consulting Insights March 22, 2004 (next issue mails April 2, 2004)
By Bob Scott, Editor
robert.scott@thomsonmedia.com

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