CA`s interBiz Financial Group provides Java-based financial management to North Ayrshire Council

interBiz Financial Group, a business unit of the interBiz Solutions division of Computer Associates International, Inc. (CA), recently announced that North Ayrshire Council is implementing Masterpiece/Net. This represents another implementation of an enterprise-wide Java-based financial and accounting software application in the UK.

North Ayrshire Council, a local government authority in South West Scotland, is implementing a radical restructuring of its existing financial management systems. The implementation is an integral part of a wider strategic IT overview, one which aims to deliver financial management information to the desktop, while addressing the Authority`s Y2K concerns. Masterpiece/Net was one of the first financial management solutions to obtain 100% Pure Java certification from Sun Microsystems, allowing access to all financial and accounting functions using any Java-based browser. The local authority is installing modules for General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Purchasing and Fund Accounting.

"A key objective for us was to be able to deliver better financial management information in a more timely and user-friendly way. For the Authority, the beauty of adopting Masterpiece/Net`s thin-client technology is that we are able to provide desktop access to in excess of 70 concurrent, authorized users across every service, while allowing the software to reside centrally rather than on every PC, effectively minimizing the demands on IT resources," says David Addison, head of revenues, North Ayrshire Council

North Ayrshire is also deploying Masterpiece/Net Application Customization Environment (ACE), a flexible toolkit that enables users to access financial data from the desktop tool of their choice. "The functionality of the ACE interface was immediately attractive as it enabled us to use familiar Microsoft Office 97 tools such as Access and Excel, therefore providing us with direct access to financial information held within the system," adds Addison.

Running on Sun Solaris E450, Masterpiece/Net ACE will provide a common interface to CA`s Ingres database and Microsoft Office 97, running both Excel and Access. The entire solution, which is also being integrated by interBiz Financial Group, is part of the upgrade path from North Ayrshire`s existing legacy systems. North Ayrshire will migrate from legacy systems for Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable, both of which were developed in-house by a predecessor Authority to run independently of the General Ledger.

"This enterprise-wide installation of Masterpiece/Net is one of the most innovative installations currently taking place here in the UK. For a local authority, ease of access to financial information is essential for the organization to improve its level of customer service, manage and increase its revenues as well as cost-effectively manage internal resources," says James Jones, general manager of Northern Europe and South Africa, interBiz Financial Group.

Masterpiece/Net is a comprehensive, Web-enabled enterprise financial management solution accommodating the multi-organizational, multi- national and multi-currency needs of thousands of organizations worldwide. Masterpiece/Net is the first 100% Pure Java certified, financial management application to obtain 100% Pure Java certification from Sun Microsystems, providing the flexibility needed where financial responsibilities are disseminated to large numbers of employees.

Masterpiece/Net includes an expanded Euro functionality, and Masterpiece/Net Release 1.2 has received the BASDA EMU Accreditation from Ernst & Young, The Netherlands, for multi-currency conversion and triangulation.