Analysts believe the application service provider model, or ASP, is gaining traction with small businesses that are seeing immediate benefits of anytime access to secure data. Gartner, Inc. projects that 30 percent of small and medium-size businesses will choose an ASP to provide their enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management or supply chain management functions by 2006, up from 10 percent in 2003.

Anytime, Anywhere Access
The ASP model is particularly useful to those who spend considerable time outside their office or manage the finances of multiple offices.

"We are traveling photographers, and our office is wherever we are," said Danya Henninger, a partner of Imagic Digital of Mays Landing, N.J., a commercial photography and multimedia production company. "QuickBooks: Online Edition lets us track expenses, create estimates and invoices, write checks and pay bills from anywhere in the world. Having all of our financial data at our fingertips when we're working on site has helped us win new business while out of the office."

Hassle-Free and Secure
QuickBooks: Online Edition customers have confidence that their financial data is safe. Customer data is stored on secure, firewall-protected servers that are automatically backed up hourly in two separate locations. And because the software is hosted online, subscribers always use the latest version, without the hassle of installing new software, networking users, upgrading or maintaining a server.

"The recent hurricanes sent many businesses in our area scrambling to back up and protect their computers from getting ruined," said Holly Hill, bookkeeper of Growing Leaders, a student leadership training organization in Alpharetta, Ga. "With QuickBooks: Online Edition we could focus on our safety because we knew our financial data was secure."

Multiple Simultaneous Users
QuickBooks: Online Edition can support up to 20 simultaneous users, connecting small business owners, their employees and accountants with up-to-date business financial data. Customizable user-permission levels control who can access specific data and what they can see and do.

"We can access our entire customer database and financials from anywhere in North America, thanks to QuickBooks: Online Edition" said Douglas Manness, general manager of 4-M Enterprises, an IT services firm in Winnipeg, Canada. "I can update our customer information and quotes wherever I am and everyone at the home office can view it in real time. This is the best and most affordable small business solution for accounting and business data. It bundles many features you would commonly find in software 10 to 20 times more expensive per month and user."

Pricing and Availability
QuickBooks: Online Edition subscriptions start at $19.95 per month for up to three users. Access for subscribers' accountants is free with registration. Support is provided at no additional charge. For more detailed product information or to access the 30-day free trial, visit www.qboe.com.