New partnership offers ‘twice the features for half the price’

A new trans-Tasman partnership promises to shake up the online accounting market.

Saasu, the online accounting software leader in the Asia Pacific area, is joining forces with Acclipse, a leading Australasian accounting practice supplier.

Under the deal, the companies will launch a jointly-developed accounting partner programme which will bring accountants and businesses together at a competitive price.

Marc Lehmann, chief executive of Australian-based Saasu, says the programme will allow accountants to offer real-time advice to their clients.

“Australasian businesses will get an irresistible deal on their online accounting system, a comprehensive system that includes fully integrated inventory and payroll functionality. There’s even a fully integrated point of sale module available as well”

Acclipse chief executive Mike Chisholm says the partnership is great news on both sides of the Tasman.

“Price plans cost about half that of one of our major competitors – and you’re getting a fully mature, feature-rich product from a company that has been in the online accounting business for over ten years, a big contrast to the online offerings from MYOB and Xero” Chisholm says.

“This means accountants and their clients are getting twice the features for half the price.”

Saasu’s simple to use and speedy online accounting system will be integrated into two of the New Zealand-based company’s popular products: Acclipse Web Manager and Acclipse iFirm, the online practice management system designed specifically for Australasian accounting firms.

Development has started on a single Saasu login within Acclipse Web Manager – which means businesses can login to their accountant’s website to access both their Saasu accounting system and any confidential documents and files their accountant wants to share with them in a safe and secure manner.

Development is also underway to integrate Saasu with the Acclipse iFirm suite, including a ledger for accountants to provide year end accounts.

The partnership is not your average joint venture – Lehmann is joining the Acclipse board, while Chisholm is joining the Saasu board.

“For me this is about the pursuit of a dream,” Chisholm says. “I’ve always wanted to build the ultimate solution for an accounting firm that truly connects the firm with their SME client – and with Saasu I believe we can achieve it. I personally consider Saasu to be Australia’s best-kept secret.”

Full details of the partnership will be revealed at roadshows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in September and New Zealand’s main centres in October.

For more information contact:

Mike Chisholm
Acclipse CEO
1800 83 68 69 or +64 29 245 7091
mike.chisholm@acclipse.com.au

Marc Lehmann
Saasu CEO
02 9233 6629 or 0434 033 945
marc@saasu.com

ABOUT ACCLIPSE

Acclipse is a leading provider of solutions to thousands of accounting firms in New Zealand and Australia, with expansion into the United Kingdom and India currently underway. Acclipse provides the tools and support to empower the business success of accounting firms. The Acclipse product range for accountants includes full workflow driven practice management, web management, document and email management as well as value-add client accounting (cashflow budgeting and benchmarking). For more information visit the Acclipse website at www.acclipse.com.au

ABOUT SAASU

Saasu is an online accounting software company with over 10,000 customers from around the world. With millions of transactions each year worth billions of dollars Saasu is a market leader in the Software as a Service accounting industry in the Asia Pacific area. Saasu is a comprehensive online accounting software system for managing business financials. Saasu has capabilities in sales, purchasing, inventory, payroll, ecommerce, CRM, point of sale, document and workflow management. Saasu’s strong online accounting API enables connection to hundreds of web applications, software products, payment services and banks. For more information visit the Saasu website at www.saasu.com

ROADSHOW DATES

Brisbane 15 September 2010
Sydney 16 September 2010
Melbourne 17 September 2010

Saasu appeared in SmartCompany this week in an article about successful Australian technology companies. It’s great to see Saasu customers Pollenizer and Qmcodes in the list also.

Interestingly, I’ve been reading the writer Brad Howarth’s LagrangePoint blog for years. He is one of the few Journo’s who has blogged from the beginning because he liked and believed in it and not because blogging was a threat to the media industry.

Why no Golden Egg picture?

While we appreciate the analogy of the “golden egg” used in the articles picture we decided to present our organic growth version. The eggs on the left are homegrown “naturally” and “organically”. In business it’s often referred to as bootstrapping or organic growth. The article makes this point about Saasu. The eggs on the right are barn/cage grown for speed to market.

Saasu’s strategy was to get an early start and grow organically with low risk. Traditionally technology companies raise lots of capital, go fast and run big monthly cash burns. Saasu’s investors were uncomfortable with this model due to the risk it places on the customers if we didn’t get it right, quickly. So we opted for the lower risk, lower cost model that leads to profitable, sustainable business.