Workgroup to distribute ACCPAC Simply Accounting

ACCPAC Africa has officially appointed Explix Technologies, trading as Workgroup, to distribute ACCPAC Simply Accounting in the local market.

According to Ann Cumming, Simply Accounting Marketing Manager at ACCPAC Africa, the move is consistent with the company's global strategy for the product - as a low-cost, entry-level business accounting solution. "Simply Accounting is targeted at the SOHO and small-to-medium business (SMB) market and lends itself well to a three-tiered distribution model," she says.

Cassandra O'Riley, product manager at Workgroup, agrees and points out that the focus of Workgroup has shifted to this market segment. "Simply Accounting fits our profile for a number of reasons: it is a worldwide market leader, it is affordable and it complements our existing portfolio of products," she says.

"When combined with Microsoft NT Server and complementary products from vendors such as Borland, IBM, Microsoft, Novell and Symantec, it allows us to offer a veritable 'pick list' of software needed to set up and run a small business."

The small business accounting system offers the basics in five integrated modules (General Ledger, Purchases and Payments, Sales and Invoicing, Project Costing, Inventory and Services). "It also incorporates more than 100 pre-packaged reports and unlimited custom reporting through incorporation of a full version of Crystal Reports," notes Cumming.

"The latest version takes care of all the details of running a business. As such, it's a boon for the small business owner, allowing him to spend time growing the business without having to worry about accounting complexities."

Endorsed by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB) and fully compliant with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Simply Accounting has long been admired for its strict adherence to accounting rules and simplicity by the professional accounting community. "And the full-time audit trail maintains true accounting integrity for users, saving time and money when completing year-end financial statements," adds Cumming.

Simply Accounting Pro is multi-user (up to six users) multi-company (unlimited) and provides full multi-currency support. The product is part of a family that includes Simply Payroll, Simply Fixed Assets, Simply Manufacturing and the recently released Simply Contact Master - a Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) module.

Cumming views the fit as a good one because Workgroup has emerged from Siltek a leaner and meaner organisation focused on a specific market segment. "They [Workgroup] have a large reseller base that itself serves the market this product is aimed at," she notes.

Workgroup's O'Riley concludes: "This appointment gives us the edge over our competitors because it enables us to add a leading business accounting product to our range, something that most of them don't have."