Companies to Provide Resource for Accountants They are jointly developing the Accounting News Network, a Web site that will provide accountants with access to up-to-date technology, late-breaking news and accounting-industry information.
NEW YORK/REDMOND, Wash. – July 11, 1996 – Microsoft Corp. and Faulkner & Gray, a leading publisher of accounting industry news, today announced they are jointly developing the Accounting News Network, a Web site that will provide accountants with access to up-to-date technology, late-breaking news and accounting-industry information.
“It can be challenging for businesses to get the technology information they need because there is so much data to wade through,”
said Matthew Davis, accounting industry marketing manager at Microsoft.
“The Accounting News Network provides a single resource for accountants to get information that is relevant to their businesses, such as current news, technology updates, and ideas on how to use the tools available to better serve their clients.”
Experts Provide Accounting News and Information
The Accounting News Network, which is scheduled for launch in August, will contain a wealth of editorial information, productivity ideas and products provided by Faulkner & Gray editors and other leading industry professionals. It will also include content that will not be found in any publication.
Some highlights of the Accounting News Network will be the following:
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Articles from Faulkner & Gray’s numerous publications, including the Practical Accountant , Accounting Today , Accounting Technology and the Electronic Accountant . The publications’ editors will post additional daily content that will address the needs of accountants as they implement technology.
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A comprehensive calendar section that will include conference information and dates, tax filing dates and new accounting product introduction dates
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Submissions from industry experts analyzing professional accounting and tax topics
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An
“Accountant’s Productivity”
section, which will feature software tools that can be downloaded and used instantly to make accountants more productive in all spheres of their work, from tax planning and reporting to making presentations and courting new business -
Discussion sites where accountants can exchange information on business practices, trends and the uses of technology
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A link to Faulkner & Gray’s Electronic Accountant Home Page, which will provide additional in-depth news, information, software upgrades and accountant chat groups
“There is a tremendous amount of confusion on the Internet, and it is not an easy task for anyone to find useful information quickly,”
said L. Nicholas Deane, senior vice president and group publisher of Faulkner & Gray’s accounting division.
“The Accounting News Network will offer the information and tools most relevant to accountants, all collected in one easy-to-navigate location.”
Microsoft, F & G Answering Needs of Small Firms
By teaming together, Microsoft and Faulkner & Gray are directly answering the need of all accountants for low-cost, easy access to professional information, services and products.
“The combination of Faulkner & Gray, which provides excellent accounting content, and Microsoft, which provides top-notch productivity tools, is a very big add for the accounting profession,”
said Val Steed, CEO of K2 Enterprises, a technology training firm for CPAs, and a member of the strategic planning committee and information technology executive committee of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).
Microsoft and Faulkner & Gray realize that the role of CPAs has expanded to include activities outside the traditional base of auditing and taxes. More and more, clients view their accountants as trusted advisers and are turning to them for consultant services. They expect their accountants to help them better understand their businesses and how to make them more efficient and profitable.
Many accountants, though, lack access to the abundant information they need in their new role as information resource centers. Because most firms are very small (90.2 percent of all accounting firms have fewer than five registered CPAs), they lack the time and financial resources to reach and remain at the cutting edge of their profession. Moreover, the advisory role can create additional expenses for marketing, software and other productivity tools.
The Accounting News Network will help give accountants access to the information they need as trusted advisers, as well as provide them with the means to maintain and build up their businesses. It furnishes tools and information to increase productivity and reduce costs while providing knowledge from experts and advice from peers on how accountants can expand their businesses and become information resource centers for their clients.
“Having this kind of instant access to information is going to be very valuable to accountants,”
said John Graves, editor of the Internet Bulletin for CPAs and former director of technical services for the AICPA.
“It will help CPAs market and manage their practices. And online access to Microsoft® products will undoubtedly help accountants become more productive.”
The Accounting News Network will be located at http://microsoft.com/industry/acc/
Faulkner & Gray, a Thomson Financial Services company, also publishes magazines, books and newsletters in the areas of payment systems, health care, general business and banking.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft is either a registered trademark or a trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
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