Amazon.com and Intuit Inc.
are
rolling out a new online boutique for QuickBooks-related apps.
The two companies said they are looking to spur small businesses to consider
QuickBooks Software Add-ons and to get involved with the Intuit Developer
Network.
The Amazon-style storefront will be selling a variety of different small
business applications that will seamless work with QuickBooks 2003 products.
Developers, which are members of the Intuit Developer Network, are creating
a variety of applications, which small business owners can simplify their
finances, sales and automation of customer relationships.
Intuit says that a study it conducted showed more than half of QuickBooks
customers are most interested in working with software applications, which
specifically address the interests and needs of their particular industry.
“We know from our research that many small businesses, which already use
QuickBooks, also use another application and there is a huge time-savings
because these applications actually share the data,” says Michael Thacker,
spokesman for Intuit.
Intuit’s QuickBooks has more than 2.6 million small business customers,
which utilize a variety of different small business accounting applications
within the software program.
“Small businesses have a variety of different needs, and we’ve found with
QuickBooks that some of these third-party software developers are able to
create applications which meet the specific interests of particular small
businesses,” Thacker says.
The Intuit Developer Network currently has more than 16,000 members, mostly
business software applications developers, consultants and companies.
“Under the terms of the agreement, Amazon.com will process the transaction
for the customer while the respective IDN (Intuit Developer Network) member
will manage inventory and order fulfillment, and customer service and
support with the software product,” the companies said in a joint statement.
Thacker said the latest version of QuickBooks 2003 came out last fall, and
he would not say when the next version of the software would be out.
“We have published several new editions of QuickBooks 2003, back in May we
came out with versions for non-profits and the healthcare industry,” Thacker
said.
Thacker said later this week on Thursday Intuit will announce it is coming
out with a new QuickBooks Software Developer Kit (SDK). He said the SDK will
offer some new functionality, including a feature that will allow
third-party applications developer allows for applications on LANs.
