A pair of software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers is riding the growing movement of financial management software to the cloud as quickly as they can. Intacct announced strong growth in 2009 despite a generally poor economy. Xero (pronounced zero), a New Zealand-based company, is targeting small businesses, including businesses with as few as three people, for as little as $19 per month.

Traditionally, financial management software was licensed and deployed on-premises. Packages from companies like Peachtree or Oracle were feature-rich, big, and costly, and required a dedicated server. Beyond the acquisition cost, the software was costly to support and maintain. In addition, sharing information among users was cumbersome.

SaaS and the cloud change the nature of financial management software. Rather than acquiring, implementing, and accessing a heavy-footprint software package on-premises, users log on to their cloud-based financial system with just a browser. The application and the data reside at the cloud provider. more

So cash is king, once again. Not that it ever was dethroned; it’s just that, for a while, it shared its perch with other corporate goals, like growth. Not anymore. Credit is tight and sales are down, so companies have to wring all they can from the funds they have on hand. This prompts the question, Just how do you do that? more

Perhaps the biggest surprise for corporate taxpayers in the President’s budget, released yesterday, is the absence of a proposal to scrap the entity classification rules — aka “check-the-box” rules — which many U.S.-based multinationals rely on to structure their offshore subsidiaries so as to minimize tax liabilities. The administration estimated last year that repealing check-the-box could bring in some $87 billion through 2020. But for now, at least, the idea seems dead in the dust.

So … is this a sign that the administration is easing up on its drive to reform the U.S. international tax system? more

Enterprise risk management (ERM) as a leadership development tool? Yes, sir — that’s how they roll in the southern Caribbean.

Can you tell I’m excited? During the past week I’ve spent — no, invested – time speaking with the CEO and top finance-IT executive at a $700 million company based in the relatively tiny Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The company’s ERM approach deserves the attention of a global audience. more