ACCPAC makes a PASS at public accountants

ACCPAC Africa has announced a new accounting services delivery platform designed exclusively for practising public accountants. Dubbed PASS (Preferred Accountant Subscription Services), the offering forms part of the broader ACCPAC Online service and enables accountants to enhance service levels by combining their professional services with ACCPAC's accounting and business management software - all via an Internet-based, software-as-a-service delivery model.

Jeremy Waterman, MD of ACCPAC Africa, says the new business model allows accountants to privately brand online services, effectively placing their firm on every client's desktop, every day. "The result is a direct relationship without the need for a middleman or third-party organisation.

"We deliver the business accounting solution via our ACCPAC Online PASS programme and the accounting firm becomes a 'virtual' application service provider, leaving all management of the hosting infrastructure and application provisioning to ACCPAC," he adds.

With the ACCPAC Online PASS programme, Waterman says customers purchase accounting software subscriptions and related professional services directly from their accountants. "This provides accounting professionals with an entirely new revenue source as well as a conduit for increased professional services billings all year round," he notes.

Since the service access is via the Web, both the accountant and the client can simultaneously view accounting data from anywhere. Problem-solving becomes a real-time, 'no appointment necessary' function that adds value that clients can appreciate.

"This eliminates accounts for travel time or printed research forays and enables customers to get what they need at a reasonable price. It also allows accountants to offer real-time business management advice, assisting in a proactive rather than reactive fashion, rather than seeing the books once a year at tax time," explains Waterman.

"With ACCPAC Online PASS, we're bringing accountants and businesses back together, and we see a huge benefit to both parties. Accountants are positioned to add value and find new billing opportunities while the business uses its accountants more effectively," he notes.

The service uses the existing infrastructure of ACCPAC Online Africa, the ASP venture backed by ACCPAC International, KorbiNet, UUNet, IBM and Microsoft, and provides the necessary IT infrastructure powered and protected by the Unicenter TNG. Service delivery and management functions are generated by the iCan Provider Suite - a service management solution that enables service branding and metering, service level management, multi-tiered billing and automated application provisioning in a hosted services environment.

Beyond infrastructure and data security, the PASS programme delivers ACCPAC Advantage Series as the customisable, flexible foundation for an integrated set of solutions including HR, CRM, warehouse management, e-commerce and others.