In order to help small businesses manage their businesses more easily and productively, Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) today introduced QuickBooks® 2001 and QuickBooks Pro® 2001, the latest versions of its best selling small business accounting and financial management software.
Many of QuickBooks 2001's advancements center on making the product easier than ever to use. In-depth surveys and user focus groups helped Intuit make over 30 customer-requested advancements and improvements. These range from the ability to e-mail or fax invoices and estimates, provided through an alliance with j2, to more easily formatting and customizing reports from a single editing window. QuickBooks Pro 2001 also gives users the ability to set price levels on items and services, providing a flexible and convenient way to set-up wholesale pricing or negotiated discounts for special customers.
"QuickBooks 2001 works the same as the current QuickBooks. But it is one of the best upgrades ever with the new Online Billing service. QuickBooks helps businesses get paid faster," said Scott Cook, Intuit founder and executive committee chairman. "Some beta users have reported getting paid in as little as one hour!"
Get Paid Faster
Because cash management is one of the greatest challenges for small businesses, getting paid is critical. With QuickBooks 2001, small businesses can fax or e-mail electronic invoices and estimates directly to customers from within the program, saving valuable time.
In addition, small businesses can sign up for the new Online Billing service to payment-enable invoices sent by e-mail. This gives the small business' customers the option to pay with a credit card an embedded link. Beginning in January, it is expected that customers will also have the option to pay by transferring funds directly from their bank account. Confirmations of online payments received are automatically downloaded and captured in QuickBooks 2001. X.com will provide payment processing for Online Billing in QuickBooks 2001 through PayPalSM.
Powerful Report Customization
Reports are the payoff for small businesses entering their financial data in the product, giving them important information about their business. In fact, reports are the most-used feature by QuickBooks customers. Responding to this, Intuit improved reports in QuickBooks 2001 to give users far more flexibility and insight. QuickBooks 2001 allows users to more easily customize their reports, drag-and-drop and sort columns on the fly, as well as save and print reports in batches.
Get More Done with Ease
Because small businesses are doing more with less time, QuickBooks 2001 has been streamlined and made easier to use through several customer-requested enhancements. Examples include:
- Easier, Customizable User Interface allows users to navigate through and work within QuickBooks the way that works best for them. For example, the icon bar is easily customized to give the user one-click access to a view, window or feature they frequently use.
- Price Levels allow QuickBooks Pro 2001 users to set-up different prices for different customers, providing a flexible and convenient way to offer wholesale pricing or negotiated discounts for special customers.
- Streamlined Payroll Setup helps users select an optional payroll service based on the business owner's needs and taxability settings. These services help ensure accuracy and year-round compliance with state and federal tax codes.
New payroll customers using QuickBooks 2001 will receive a 60-day free trial of the Basic Payroll service. After the 60-day trial, users may choose to subscribe to the service for $129 annually, to help ensure compliance year-round, or opt to continue using the last free tax table downloaded until February 2002 and maintain compliance on their own. QuickBooks Deluxe Payroll service is also available for customers looking for a more comprehensive payroll service, including payroll tax depositing, filing and year-end W-2 preparation. Direct deposit is available as an optional feature with either Basic or Deluxe Payroll.
Doing More than Accounting
In addition to core accounting features and functionality, QuickBooks 2001 offers a host of critical business services to help users manage their company. These optional services include QuickBooks Site Solutions, QuickBooks Merchant Account Service, which is provided through alliances with Wells Fargo Merchant Services and Chase Merchant Services LLC, and the QuickBooks Shopping Source. Additional information about these and other services can be found at www.quickbooks.com.
Pricing* And Availability
QuickBooks 2001 and QuickBooks Pro 2001 are expected to be available by the end of December for suggested retail prices of $149.95 and $249.95 respectively. Upgrades of QuickBooks 2001 and QuickBooks Pro 2001 will also be available for $89.95 and $169.95 respectively. Customers can learn more about QuickBooks 2001 and QuickBooks Pro 2001 by visiting www.quickbooks.com or by calling 1-800-4-INTUIT (1-800-446-8848).
Optional services, including the fax feature, may require additional subscription or service fees and are subject to change. Internet access is required for Online Billing and other QuickBooks Business Services. Terms, conditions, features, service options and pricing are subject to change.
Intuit today also announced QuickBooks for the Web, a new way for small businesses to manage their finances on the Web.
