Intuit Inc. kicked off the 2003 Intuit Developer Network Conference with keynote addresses, a hands-on innovation lab, and a showcase of third-party software that integrates with the best-selling QuickBooks® financial management products.
Now in its second year, the conference brings together application developers, accountants, information technology industry professionals and other influencers who are creating a new generation of software for QuickBooks and the small business market. "Building Powerful Solutions Together" is the theme for the three-day conference at the Fairmont San Jose.
Steve Bennett, Intuit president and chief executive officer, opened the conference with a progress report on the company's success in transforming the QuickBooks business accounting package into a mini-industry in its own right. Doing so has attracted developers and consultants with expertise in a wide range of industries, he said. The Intuit Developer Network has generated some 315 applications in more than 15 industries, and attracted some 23,000 members.
"This annual event brings together all the influencers that affect the small business community - to exchange ideas, discover business opportunities and help develop innovative applications relevant to the growing small business marketplace," said Bennett. "The conference gives third-party developers a sense of what small businesses are looking for, while letting accountants and consultants influence where products are headed. The conference has become an indispensable vehicle for penetrating the small business marketplace."
Handspring co-founders Donna Dubinsky and Jeff Hawkins, creators of the original Palm Pilot and the Palm operating system, followed Bennett. They stressed the importance of keeping the customer firmly in mind throughout the development process, a design philosophy also shared by Intuit. The pair underscored the significance of the developer and influencer community in creating complete customer solutions that address customer needs.
For the next two days, the conference will offer a mix of general sessions and extensive breakout sessions organized along three tracks: Building Alliances; Developing Innovative Solutions; and Growing Your Business. Other general session speakers will include Intuit's Scott Cook, co-founder and executive committee chairman; Dan Levin, QuickBooks Group senior vice president; Brad Smith, Intuit Accountant Central vice president and general manager; and Mark Bercow, vice president of the Intuit Developer Network.
Gold Level sponsors of the 2003 Intuit Developer Conference include Cisco Systems, IBM and Intel Corporation. HP, VeriSign and WebEx are Silver Level sponsors.
More information on the conference is available at http://www.idnconference.com. Information on the Intuit Developer Network can be found at http://developer.intuit.com.
