Intuit to unveil new products, acquire Omware

NEW YORK: Financial software concern Intuit Inc. will unveil on Monday a raft
of products for small businesses that go beyond services now offered in its
well-known QuickBooks accounting software, the Wall Street Journal reported in
its online edition on Monday.

Intuit, based in Mountain View, California, is readying higher-priced
versions of QuickBooks for businesses with more than 25 employees, as well as
specialized versions of the product for certain industries, such as small
retailers and accountants, the newspaper said.

Among Intuit's competitors are Microsoft Corp and Oracle Corp. Also on
Monday, Intuit will announce its $42 million purchase of closely held software
provider OMware Inc., of Sebastopol, California, the newspaper said.

OMware makes a business-software product for construction companies called
Master Builder, offering accounting and job-estimating services.

The OMware purchase reflects Intuit's new focus on delivering more complex
services for small businesses, including human-resources management and even
software to help companies administer employee-retirement plans, the newspaper
said.

The strategy, dubbed "right for my business," is an effort to
revitalize QuickBooks, which has experienced somewhat sluggish sales recently.

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