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LOS GATOS, Calif., March 22, 2005 – Intacct Corporation, the leading provider of ERP On Demand, and IBM today announced that Accounting Outsource, Inc., a provider of business process outsourcing services, has selected the joint Intacct and IBM Web-based ERP solution to manage the financial operations of its multi-entity franchise customers, including IHOP and Panera Bread.

Delivered over the Web for a monthly fee, Intacct’s ERP On Demand — Outsourcer Edition has helped AOi’s franchise clients improve their back-office productivity by more than 30 percent. Powered by IBM’s e-business Hosting Services, Intacct’s patent-pending multi-entity functionality gives franchisees a unified, real-time view of all their stores’ sales figures, budget projections and invoices, which AOi posts with support documents attached for easy online approval. Consolidating multiple business operations in a centralized Web interface enables business owners to redeploy staff, adjust inventory and restructure finances in response to dynamic market changes.
“Intacct is the perfect solution for managing complex franchise networks,” said Richard E. Beil, president of Accounting Outsource. “When we approached several IHOP franchisees about managing their business processes, we knew Intacct’s multi-entity ERP platform would give us an edge over the competition.”

Intacct ERP On Demand — Outsourcer Edition is the first Web-based platform for accounting firms and business process outsourcers to remotely manage customers’ back-office processes anywhere in the world. The product comprises financial, supply chain, professional services and business analytics applications. Once data is entered, AOi can provide IHOP, Panera Bread and other franchise clients with highly customized performance reports and strategic financial advice, effectively acting as a virtual CFO. The software-as-a-service model lets AOi implement new customers in days, rather than months, without heavy capital expenditures and consuming IT maintenance.

In contrast to traditional software, which is sold for an upfront license fee, software as a service allows customers to purchase applications on a monthly subscription basis, with users accessing the software over the Web as needed. This approach appeals to small and midsize companies, which often lack the financial and technical resources required to buy and manage complex software systems.

“software as a service is how enterprises, outsourcers and ISVs want to buy and deploy software today,” said Robert J. Jurkowski, CEO of Intacct. “It’s the model that catapults AOi and other outsourcers into a league where they can win major brand accounts, such as IHOP.”

As a graduate of IBM’s Application Enablement Program, Intacct has worked extensively with IBM to take advantage of the growing market opportunity for new application deployment models and deliver its software as a service.

Through the program, IBM works with leading independent software vendors to assess, transform and deploy their software in on demand environments. By adopting alternative software deployment methods, ISVs can meet customer demand for subscription-based and hosted applications while experiencing faster application deployment times, shorter sales cycles and increased market reach.

Filed under: Intacct