| Accounting is the measuring, and disclosure | | | | |
| or provision of assurance about information | | | | Accounting is tied to the invention and |
| that helps managers and other decision makers | | | | dissemination of the double entry bookkeeping |
| make resource allocation decisions. How to | | | | process. |
| become an Accountant. | | | | |
| | | | Different Accounting Software Solutions |
| Accountants in the US are called Certified | | | | available today: |
| Public Accountants and in the UK and Canada | | | | |
| are called Chartered Accountants. | | | | ACCPAC web-based accounting, launched the |
| | | | ACCPAC Online web site in 1999 which allows |
| Chartered Accountants in Canada are expected | | | | end users to run ACCPAC from a simple browser |
| to know all US CPA knowledge as well as a | | | | for a small monthly rental fee. |
| Canadian Accounting body of knowledge. In | | | | |
| order to become an Accountant an | | | | Intuit's QuickBooks for the Web represents a |
| undergraduate degree is required and then a | | | | new product from scratch. Microsoft Small |
| period of articling is required which can | | | | Business Manager is a new player on the block |
| take as long as 5 years with gruelling exams | | | | which is a scaled down version of Great |
| and an exhausting series of finals. | | | | Plains Accounting Software. |
| | | | |
| In her notes compiled in 1979, Professor | | | | Netledger centralized net computing renamed |
| Linda Plunkett of the College of Charleston | | | | Oracle Small Business Manager Peachtree. This |
| S.C., calls accounting the "oldest | | | | product was the older Peachtree Office |
| profession"; in fact, since prehistoric times | | | | Accounting product and is also a web-based |
| families had to account for food and clothing | | | | solution. In 2000, Peachtree added a |
| to face the cold seasons. | | | | web-based module to its' flagship Peachtree |
| | | | Complete Accounting product called Peachtree |
| Later, as man began to trade, they | | | | Web Accounting. |
| established the concept of value and | | | | |
| developed a monetary system. Evidence of | | | | SAP mySAP - web-based accounting featuring a |
| accounting records can be found in the | | | | limited number of SAP modules. |
| Babylonian Empire (4500 B.C.), in pharaohs' | | | | |
| Egypt and in the Code of Hammurabi (2250 | | | | So it appears that there are 2 different |
| B.C.). | | | | types of Accounting Software: |
| | | | |
| Eventually, with the advent of taxation, | | | | Web Based Accounting: which is one |
| record keeping became a necessity for | | | | application on a Web Server running |
| governments to sustain social orders. Perhaps | | | | everybody's application. |
| the most significant benefits to contemporary | | | | |
| accounting has been the introduction of | | | | There are of course advantages and |
| computer programs to assist in the accounting | | | | disadvantages to this type of application, |
| function. | | | | immediately coming to mind is confidentiality |
| | | | and the security of the Servers being used as |
| Computer programs were introduced in business | | | | well as possible breakdowns. |
| and government organizations in the 1950s, | | | | |
| and the most important applications of | | | | Advantages are of course in being able to use |
| computers have been in the areas of record | | | | unlimited Server Resources. |
| keeping, balancing , and transaction | | | | |
| recording. | | | | And then there is PC Based accounting which |
| | | | everybody has tried and is Bill Gates |
| Accounting uses various bases of measurement, | | | | favorite. |
| mainly the cash basis, the accrual basis (or | | | | |
| historical cost) and variations of these; all | | | | Advantages; |
| of these functions are greatly assisted by | | | | |
| the use of various accounting software | | | | In-house control of everything but subject to |
| programs. | | | | limited resources. |