Microsoft has previewed its SMB SaaS accounting product, Project Madeira.  I have a software package of my own, Project Thunderbird. You look at your finances and then drink yourself into a stupor until the results look like something that will make you happy. ... Last week, I was working at my computer and a friend dropped by. Every time I hit a key, an insult would spew out. "You haven't got a clue what you're doing. I've known hard drives that are smarter than you."

Avalara has certified a connection to Rockton Connect, an accounting application built on Dynamics CRM. Built by Rockton Software, Connect is designed for the QuickBooks-level financial software user. The certification from sales-and-use tax vendor Avalara means those who use the Rockton product can utilize Avalara's cloud-based software engine to perform sales tax calculations.

Unit4 has demonstrated a Digital Assistant at Connect, its user conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Unit4 Digital Assistant is scheduled for availability next year. Built on the company's People Platform Premium Edition, the new product combines information from a variety of sources and performs activities on its own initiative and can be configured based on user preference.