Architecture approaches for Web GLs
software models that enable internet accounting or remote accounting

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bb.gif (594 bytes) True Web Ledgers, running in a browser or lightweight client, no local storage:

name reviews base price plus maturity why you use the service
BizTone Infoworld
ASPnews
InrntWeek
1st yr
free
25c / transaction Feb 1999 ERP over internet for multinational corps; wide/deep/custom 4-tier distributed java
Netledger TechWeb
CRNnews
ASPnews
NYTimes
CNET
PC Week
$5.00 / month   Aug 1999 Similar to Quickbooks clone-shared access but no ecommerce yet.
NetVeil   ~$100/mo   beta  
eLedger (my notes) $20/mo base   beta will support ecommerce on the host!
Sourdough (my notes) unavailable   components high-end IBM Sanfrancisco technology
SecuredBooks   n/a   beta Java applets
Accounter   Free   prototype  
FlagSys   $495/mo   operational  
RDS       operational  
IntAcct   $50/mo   operational  
QSP       operational U.K. company serves worldwide
MetalWare       operational metals industry
           

 

 

(Note that there are hundreds of different combinations of e-commerce models and accounting systems in the small business sector, which are outside the scope of this page. New services emerge literally every day.)   see http://www.gldialtone.com/links.htm
  • Web Storefront software or e-commerce service providers which provide 'connectors' to accounting packages
  • Midrange accounting systems Solomon and Great Plains that offer integrated storefronts and ecommerce modules, as well as remote access by Citrix and by web interfaces.
  • Replication solutions, enabling full-speed off-line functionality in a standalone accounting package, with replication or other background daemon pushing/pulling data to the Hosted Web GL
  • Traditional FTP with modern tools:  for example, enabling CPA to use the QBW file a while, then send it back.
  • Traditional remote control: dialup PC Anywhere: You login, use the system a while until the session crashes.
  • New remote control: e.g. accounting software on Citrix, WinNT Terminal Server, or Win2000AS or NewMoon Liftoff over a DSL connection.
  • Traditional Client/Server: You open the accounting system and run a fine grained connection to an RDBMS over the internet (not fun).
  • Java Client/Server: You open the accounting system and run a fine grained connection to a Java application server over the internet with Java Applets (even less fun.).
  • Linux or unix versions of traditional Client/Server: you either run terribly spartan character interface very nicely, basically with AppGen or telnet, or you run GTK or other X GUI, slowly over the internet.
  • Web modules such as timesheets or corporate purchasing desktops and portals
  • ISPs hosting storefronts as service providing transaction files for import to standalone packaged software
  • Web storefront software available for purchase, which provide ASCII integration to standalone packaged software
  • etc. etc. etc. see what I mean?