Intuit App Center Brings Innovative Web Apps to Small Businesses

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Provides Access to More Than 30 Applications From Within QuickBooks 2010; New Services Available to Developers

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- For the first time, developers and independent software developers building Web-based business applications have a ground-breaking way to reach potential customers - directly through desktop software.

The new Intuit App Center from Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq:INTU) closes the gap between QuickBooks desktop software and cloud computing. With a simple click from the QuickBooks(R) Pro and Premier 2010 toolbar, small businesses can easily find, buy and use Web-based business applications built on or integrated with the Intuit Partner Platform that help boost their bottom line. More than 30 applications created by third-party developers and by Intuit are already available.

Intuit is also making it easier for developers to build data-rich applications by offering more comprehensive integration with QuickBooks data stored on users' desktops. With the new Intuit Partner Platform API, Intuit Data Services, developers can integrate a broader range of QuickBooks data into their applications, including items, jobs, accounts and sales reps. Developers can also include accounts receivable transactions, such as estimates, sales orders, invoices and payments.

"With nearly 25 million potential users within the companies that use QuickBooks and an easily accessible way to discover new apps right within the software they use every day, the opportunity for developers to make money and succeed has never been better," said Alex Chriss, director of the Intuit Partner Platform. "We are fueling innovation by giving developers better tools and more data to create great apps that seamlessly integrate with QuickBooks. And we've made it easy for customers to find and buy the apps that help them do more in less time every day. It's a win-win."

API Enhancements Enable More Integration and Richer Apps

Several new features and enhancements added to the Intuit Partner Platform APIs will help developers build and federate more powerful applications and better manage their usage. Intuit Data Services are a new set of REST-based Web APIs that provide access to shared data in the Intuit cloud. 

    --  Billing Entitlements - Developers now have more pricing options for
        their applications. Billing entitlements lets developers set prices
        based on features included in a particular version as well as the number
        of users associated with their application.
    --  Self-Serve Google Analytics(TM) - Developers can use the powerful
        reporting capabilities of Google Analytics to track performance and
        usage of their applications on the Intuit Partner Platform.
    --  Intuit Sync Agent- An easy-to-use wizard in QuickBooks 2010 makes the
        customer setup process easier. Using the sync agent, customers can
        permit their QuickBooks desktop data to be made securely available to
        applications in the Intuit cloud. Users need to run the wizard just once
        when setting up their first Intuit App Center application.

New applications now available in the Intuit AppCenter include: Pixily Document Management, Central Desktop, FuelStation by ClickFuel, Expensify, MyFax and TableTop Dashboards and Reports by DreamFactory. The applications are available at http://workplace.intuit.com.

Growth of Open Source Community

Intuit's open source community, code.intuit.com has experienced significant growth since its creation in July 2009. More than 500 developers have registered and are contributing to more than 20 projects that will help others build new applications or improve existing ones.

New projects on code.intuit.com include Java-based testing utilities, an example Adobe(R) Flex(R) reference application integrating with Intuit Data Services and a Python library facilitating Intuit Data Services connectivity with e-commerce sites such as Yahoo!(R) Stores and eBay(R). In addition, third-party developers contributed to PHP, Python(TM) and Ruby SAML gateways from the Intuit Partner Platform developer community.

"The enthusiastic support of a community of developers and a ready customer base have a crucial, symbiotic role in the market success of any platform," said Phil Wainewright, CEO of Procullux Ventures, a commentator and strategist on software-as-a-service and author of the recently released report, "Redefining Software Platforms: How PaaS Changes the Game for ISVs."

"Market demand from customers helps encourage developers to adopt the platform, while their efforts to extend the platform's capabilities helps make it more attractive to a broader range of customers. With a robust set of development and business tools plus the millions of QuickBooks customers, Intuit is well-positioned to be a solid partner for ISVs looking to reach small businesses," Wainewright said.

Resources: 

    --  App Center Overview Video
    --  IPP Team Blog
    --  Intuit Partner Platform on Twitter
    --  Intuit on Twitter
    --  Intuit Press Room

About Intuit Inc.

Intuit Inc. is a leading provider of business and financial management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses; financial institutions, including banks and credit unions; consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services, including QuickBooks(R), Quicken(R) and TurboTax(R), simplify small business management and payroll processing, personal finance, and tax preparation and filing. ProSeries(R) and Lacerte(R) are Intuit's leading tax preparation software suites for professional accountants. The company's financial institutions division, anchored by Digital Insight, provides on-demand banking services to help banks and credit unions serve businesses and consumers with innovative solutions.

Founded in 1983, Intuit had annual revenue of $3.2 billion in its fiscal year 2009. The company has approximately 7,800 employees with major offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and other locations. More information can be found at www.intuit.com.

Intuit, the Intuit logo, and QuickBooks, among others, are registered trademarks and/or registered service marks of Intuit Inc. in the United States and other countries. For free trials and promotions, please see the websites listed above for the terms, conditions, and restrictions related to such offers. 


    Source: Intuit Inc.

Released October 27, 2009