New Quicken ExpensAble Makes Expense Reporting a Job to Look Forward to; Intuit's Popular Expense Reporting Software Now Includes Custom Expense Forms and New Tools to Automatically Organize Expenses

Business Wire, May 13, 1996

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 13, 1996--Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) today announced ExpensAble 2.0, a new release of its easy-to-use expense reporting software.

New features include the addition of custom expense forms from some of America's best-known corporations as well as new tools that help business travelers automatically organize, analyze and report their business expenses. ExpensAble 2.0 makes it possible to produce accurate and detailed expense reports in one easy step that meet the requirements of any business, large or small.

ExpensAble 1.0, Intuit's first expense reporting program, became the top selling product in its category within the first five months of availability at retail. Intuit will build on the product's success by offering ExpensAble 2.0, a more feature-rich product suitable for a broader audience of users.

"No matter the size of their company or the nature of their business, employees who travel all face the same tedious and time-consuming task of expense reporting," said Scott Cook, chairman and co-founder of Intuit.

"ExpensAble 2.0 allows business travelers to capture expenses either on the fly or at the end of their trip and then, within minutes, produce expense reports that stand up under even the most intense scrutiny by their accounting departments. Our customer research reveals the unimaginable -- users of ExpensAble actually tell us that expense reporting can be fun!"

ExpensAble Automates Expense Reporting

ExpensAble offers users the ability to prepare expense reports anytime, anywhere and in any order with the same ease of use that has made Quicken the best-selling and most popular personal finance software. ExpensAble automatically performs all the necessary calculations and knows which expenses are reimbursable and which ones are not.

Any changes made to reports can be easily adjusted and recalculated, giving users assurance of completeness and accuracy. And, using familiar images such as an envelope as the interface for the products filing system, users can track which reports have been submitted, which have been paid and which have been partially reimbursed, including the amount outstanding.

From the initial input of information to the actual printing of an expense report, ExpensAble takes the users through a fast, customized, interactive session. The program's intelligent design provides a scalable program to meet an individual's specific needs. It guides the first-time user through a quick-and-easy to understand setup process.

In addition, it contains preset lists, shortcut keys and rapid calculation processes that expedite the process for the experienced traveler.

The product contains all the tools necessary to simplify the task of expense reporting for the novice or the pro: calendars to check travel dates, automatic sorting of receipts and autofiling names of expenses regularly inputted, take the hassle out of re-entering information that is regularly included in an individual's report.

New Features Enhance Information Input and Output

In this new release, ExpensAble adds a feature called Trip Genie. The Trip Genie provides an interactive process for walking the user through a variety of interview questions about his or her travel experience to uncover commonly overlooked expenses such as mileage to and from the airport, cab fares, telephone calls and tips.

To help international business travelers, ExpensAble has a Foreign Currency Genie that helps users figure out exchange rates for expenses.

The combination of Hotel Genie -- a popular feature introduced in ExpensAble 1.0 that breaks down the various elements of hotel stays -- and the two new Genies gives Quicken ExpensAble the industry's most comprehensive reminder process, which contributes to producing the most complete and accurate expense reports possible.

ExpensAble 2.0 has links to Quicken 4.0 for Windows and higher and Pocket Quicken, providing users with an easy solution for tracking and reporting expense information. The links between the products eliminate the need to enter information into both programs, saving users time and hassles.

It also includes a built-in electronic messaging feature so that users can send reports to their company via electronic mail (VIM, MAPI). By sending reports electronically, users can accelerate the time it takes to process and receive reimbursements.

Extensive Suite of Report Forms and Graphs

In addition to features that reduce the time spent on data entry tasks, ExpensAble offers users options for reporting information. ExpensAble 2.0 has a library of standard and customizable forms for creating an expense reporting layout best suited to an individual's needs.

For individuals who are required by their organizations to use a specific layout, Intuit will replicate any company's expense report form for a nominal fee. ExpensAble is also compatible with Microsoft's Excel 5.0 and higher spreadsheet program, providing users with an easy way to transfer data between ExpensAble and Excel spreadsheets.