Intuit introduces the QuickBooks 4.0 line — easy-to-use, customizable accounting & small business management software

Business Wire, Dec 11, 1995

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 11, 1995--Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) today introduced new versions of its QuickBooks line of accounting software, the No. 1 selling small business accounting software.

The new QuickBooks 4.0 line redefines the category because it is extremely easy to set up, it is customizable by industry, and it provides an integrated business management solution.

"After having achieved market leadership with QuickBooks, we wanted to lead the accounting category into the next generation of products," said Scott Cook, chairman and co-founder of Intuit. "We believe that the QuickBooks 4.0 line could transform the accounting category the same way that the original launch of QuickBooks did in 1992."

A whole new way to get started: The revolutionary EasyStep Interview

Since the launch of QuickBooks, accounting software has become much easier for small business people to understand and use. Yet Intuit research revealed that set-up can still be daunting. "Most people who start small businesses are not financial experts; more than 85% don't have full-time bookkeepers, and two-thirds don't understand debit and credit accounting. They want software that they can set up and start using right out-of-the-box," said John Monson, General Manager of Intuit's Business Products Division.

The new EasyStep Interview makes the initial start-up with QuickBooks easier than ever before. With QuickBooks:

-- A series of simple questions guides new users through setting up their business.

-- The Easy Step Interview is customized by industry -- questions, examples and advice are tailored to the user's industry, making set-up decisions much faster and easier.

-- Upon completion of the Interview, QuickBooks 4.0 is streamlined and configured to work the way the user does.

Easy out-of-the-box customization

"Every small business wants software that is tailored to their industry and their unique needs. Industry specific software is available for some types of businesses, but it is not widely used because it is too expensive, difficult for non-accountants to set up and use, and inflexible," said Monson.

The QuickBooks 4.0 line brings industry-specific customization to the millions of small businesses who are looking for an easy, Windows-based solution that will meet their specific needs. In the new 4.0 line:

-- Custom documentation for more than 20 industries helps users set up key transactions, reports, menus and ways of using QuickBooks specific to their type of business.

-- Custom fields for items, customers, vendors and employees facilitate tracking and reporting information specific to the user's business.

-- Users can choose from several different methods of handling income, including invoices, statements, cash sales, and direct entry into customer and bank account registers.

-- Forms and reports can be customized in more ways than ever, including adding and reporting on customized fields.

Integrated business management

While accounting is an important component of business management, Intuit research suggests that small businesses are increasingly looking to their accounting software to help them manage their business in a broader sense.

"Small business people define business management in a variety of ways," according to Monson. "In focus group after focus group, we heard people talk about business management. Several areas of concern emerged, including tax management, contact management, and business management advice. And for many service businesses, business management is the integration of time tracking with their accounting software."

The QuickBooks 4.0 line delivers an integrated business management solution. With this line of solutions:

-- QuickBooks delivers extensive tax management capabilities, including unique links to the market-leading income tax preparation products, TurboTax, and TurboTax for Business. Further, users can send their QuickBooks data file to their accountants, who can link to QuickBooks data using the market-leading tax software for accountants, TurboTax Pro Series. Plus, QuickBooks now prints out a variety of payroll tax forms, including W-2s, W-3s, 940s, 941s, and 1099s.

-- Powerful contact management features are available such as customer note-taking and call back scheduling, mailing label and Rolodex card printing, and even a new mail-merge feature that works with leading word processing programs. These features make it easier than ever to keep track of information and communicate with customers.

-- Users can also get valuable advice and insights into managing their business by referencing the business and legal libraries available on the CD-ROM product. The libraries include expert tips from noted small business advisors such as Jane Applegate and Paul & Sarah Edwards.

-- For the 40% of small businesses with time-tracking needs, QuickBooks Pro delivers business management by providing integrated estimating, time-tracking, and job-costing. This product, launched in July of 1995, is unique in that it seamlessly integrates business management capabilities required by almost half of all small businesses.