MSFT offers contact manager as a stand-alone

Integrates with Microsoft Office Accounting 2008

Microsoft is turning up the heat on customer relationship management leaders Goldmine from Frontrange and Act! from Sage with their move to go retail with MS Business Contact Manager.

It’s all part of the battle for the small business owner’s computer desktop. But accountants are also watching closely because the Microsoft CRM package is positioned to be another on-ramp, like MS Office, into the small business.

To be sure, MS Office Accounting’s actual downloads lags behind Business Contact Manager’s 2 million registered users. But it’s clear that Microsoft’s ultimate goal is to go head-to-head with Quickbooks and Peachtree as well.

For the small business owner who is already using MS Office, Business Contact Manager is a no-brainer. And Office Accounting gets better every year.