Simply Accounting is 25 years old, but only because it started back in Richmond, B.C. that many years ago.
This product has remained popular for a long time enjoying more than 85 per cent market share in Canada. One of the reasons for its popularity is because Sage and before that Accpac constantly kept reinventing it; making it relevent to small business owners each year. To prove this I searched the online archives of CDN – Computer Dealer News and I viewed news articles about Simply Accounting from as far back as 1997. To give you a sense of what I mean here are a sample of some of the headlines: Canadian SMBs need to be more financially literate, Digital signage developer turns to Simply Accounting, Sage releases Simply Accounting 2009, Software tools ease tax time blues, Sage is taking Simply up market, Simply Accounting boasts rich new features, Simply Accounting for accountants, Simply Accounting goes bilingual, Simply Accounting gets simpler for new users, Simply Accounting gets a Web/Department store, Accounting VARs start adding new business to their ledgers, Accpac seeks resellers to pull accountants out of DOS age, and Accounting package goes for integration.
This sample of headlines comes from the Internet Age. I can tell you there were plenty more when we just wrote for print publications. I think it is a credit to the folks who started Simply Accounting in Richmond, B.C. Accpac was acquired by CA, then Best and Best turned into Sage and throughout all these moves the leadership of these companies from Charles Wang, David Hood, Ron Verni and now Sue Swenson had the good sense of keeping the future product development of Simply Accounting in Richmond, B.C.
Another example of how Simply Accounting continues to keep relevant in the market place is in the 2011 edition of Simply Accounting. Sage has added mobility and business intelligence to Simply Accounting. Features such as mobility and business intelligence I can tell you are at the enterprise level and cost a fortune. Now small business owners can have similar functionality. For example, Sage has integrated Payment Boss with Simply Accounting 2011, which helps business owners get paid immediately in the field using a 3G-enabled mobile phone.
Is the HST driving you nuts, well the Simply Accounting team has figured that out too.
Congratulations and happy 25th.
One quick hit before I go. Also celebrating 25 years is top solution provider Unis Lumin. CDN wants to contratulate John Breakey and Morro Lollo on a quarter century of excellence.