Access claims accounting software first

Vendor promises a financial director on every desktop

Access Accounting has launched what it claims is the first software package that acts as a 'point and click' on-screen financial director.

The accounting software vendor launched Executive Desktop, which delivers fully formatted statistics, trends and analysis to a Windows desktop, at the Softworld accounting exhibition in Birmingham last week.

"The system is so simple that people with little or no experience of accounts software can produce reports with the speed and efficiency of a financial director," said Alistair O'Reilly, managing director at Access.

Tony Barrow, Access' sales director, said: "This will allow employees instant access to their firm's financial data. Managing directors, for example, can click on the desktop icon and get any financial information they require, such as the company's top 10 debtors or creditors.

"The managing director can instantly view cash flow graphs which would usually take a financial director hours to come up with."

Barrow claimed that the product competes with rival Sage's Informer software. "We are very confident of winning market share, because this is a true Windows product, not just DOS with lipstick," he said. "We demonstrated it at one of our dealer conferences and the response was very positive."

Cliff Jenkins, managing director at Access reseller partner E-Advantage Solutions, expected a good take-up.

"This is a very straightforward product. I have been selling accounting packages for 15 years, and this is the first one to actually give managing directors access to all of their company's financial information at the click of a button," he said. "I am very confident it will sell well to my existing clients, and help me to attract new clients as well."

A Sage representative said: "We welcome the competition; keeping a close eye on what our competitors are up to helps us maintain our market-leading position."