Watch out for emails from Intuit and other software and service providers that appear to be legitimate and make sense on the surface…
I was told by one of our friends/clients today that they had become infected after receiving an email from “software@quickbooks.com” which read something like this:
Subject: QuickBooks Update: Urgent
<Official Intuit QuickBooks Online logo here>
You will not be able to access your Intuit QuickBooks account without Intuit Security Tool (IST™) after 10th of April, 2011.
You can download Intuit Security Tool here.
After a successful download please run the setup for an automatic installation, then login to Intuit Quickbooks online to check that it is working properly.
—
Of course, they thought it looked official and followed the link through and actually authorized the installation of a malicious software package onto her computer.
Refuse to be a victim and stop clicking on every link that comes in email! If you question the authenticity, simply don’t click it!
If you require help in Greenville or Upstate SC, Homeland Secure IT is a phone call away! We provide computer and network security, anti-virus, virus cleanup & removal and computer repair and service. 864.990.4748 or info@homelandsecureit.com
In an earlier post I prematurely announced the release of Intuit Quickbooks 2011 as well as the whole suite of software from Intuit.
That release date was pushed back due to some technical issues, and as of today, they are now live!
You can click our affiliate link and save up to 20% on Intuit Quickbooks 2011 and other Intuit offerings….
Intuit Quickbooks & Quicken Authorized Affiliate Purchase at 20% off retail
It’s that time again! Intuit is releasing their fiscal year 2011 products on Monday, September 28th.
Products that have been updated include:
QuickBooks Simple Start 2011 is the easiest way to track sales and expenses. All your finance information is organized in one place, so you can easily stay on top of your business and be ready for tax time.
QuickBooks Pro 2011 makes accounting easy with tools to organize your finances all in one place. Complete tasks like paying employees1, invoicing, bill tracking and check-writing. Track sales and expenses, and easily share this data in Word and Excel2. With QuickBooks Pro, you’ll spend less time on routine tasks and more time on your business.
QuickBooks Premier 2011 has all of the great features you know and love in QuickBooks Pro, plus industry-specific, timesaving, ready-to-use reports and business planning tools tailored to help your company grow. Along with saving you time on routine accounting tasks, Premier makes it simple to monitor business performance, build forecasts and manage payables and receivables. Premier also includes tools for tracking inventory, creating purchase orders and setting pricing levels.
QuickBooks 2011 for Mac – Organize your business finances quickly and easily with QuickBooks 2011 for Mac. Get quick access to everyday tasks like invoicing, bill tracking, check-writing and payroll.
- Track sales and expenses.
- Share your data with Microsoft® Excel and your accountant.
- Save time completing routine tasks and paperwork and spend more time on your business.
QuickBooks Premier Contractor 2011 gives you standard accounting features, plus easy, timesaving tools designed for contractors:
- Create estimates, track change orders
- Manage job costs
- View job profitability reports
QuickBooks Point of Sale 2011 makes it easy to track and manage your inventory, sales and customer information––so you can concentrate on running your business.
Other products include QuickBooks Payroll, Enterprise QuickBooks, Online additions and multi-user versions of QuickBooks.
Removed from the Intuit line-up for 2011 are the Simple Start CD version, QB Online Basic, Getting started with POS, End User Certification, Setup and training, Cash Register Plus and Point of Sale Multi Store.
Click This Link & Save Up To 20%!
Homeland Secure IT is proud to be an Authorized Affiliate for Intuit… If you are considering an upgrade to QB 2011 or other Intuit products, you can click on the Intuit banner and receive a discount of up to 20% off the retail price!
We also offer installation and upgrade services as well as full computer & server support, service & repair in the Greenville and Upstate SC area!
Should you need to locate a QuickBooks Expert, we can refer you to one of several…
Still running an older version of Intuit Quickbooks or Quicken? Why not celebrate getting through tax season with a new version!? Homeland Secure IT is a reseller of Intuit products and can save you 20%. It doesn’t matter if you are in Greenville, the Upstate or even South Carolina, we can save you money on the product if purchased through us or online using a link we can provide.
Need help upgrading or installing? How about loading it on multiple computers, or setting up a backup of your server? We can help! Call us today and let’s see how we can help you.
KERRR-CHUNK!!!! Old style analog time clocks are starting to fade away... Slowly...
If you run a business that has more than a handful of employees, chances are you are using at Time & Attendance System already, and the chances are good that it is an analog time clock, the kind you stick a card into (after lining it up for the correct day and whether you are clocking in or clocking out) and it goes “KER-CHUNK!” and stamps the current time/date onto the card. If it is a really old one, then the person using it may have to not only align it properly, but pull a lever in order for it to stamp correctly.
Newer mechanical clocks will automatically feed the card into the machine and align it, then stamp it, and if you are lucky, it does it correctly, on the proper line, without over-writing the previous clock-in and hopefully with the correct time and date (If it compensated for daylight savings time without you manually changing it).
The problem with this type of technology is that it leaves a lot of room for error. First, you have to actually get your employees to punch in and out, correctly, and the machine itself has to function properly and be maintained, then there is the task of the person handling payroll actually reading the time cards and entering the data into their payroll system.
Now there are many options that can simplify your life. Let’s look at a few of those:
Web & telephone based clock in/out. These types of systems can be setup so that when an employee sits down at their terminal, they can clock in, by visiting a website or calling a phone number and entering a code. This is can be a good solution for those who have many locations, or even telecommuters. Though many offices now use this technology to eliminate the need for employees to go to a central location. It also can be used to keep track of time spent on certain jobs. The data is imported directly into your accounting software. No room for error here!
Mechanical time clocks with atomic clock: Who says the mechanical clock is totally out? They still are used in manufacturing plants with great success, but newer models will set the time and date automatically to keep the clock as accurate as possible. No more Daylight Savings Time mistakes with these.
Proximity card / badge clocks: These are becoming the new standard in time & attendance systems for many reasons. First of all it is a fully digital solution, the data is imported directly to your accounting software, there are no errors from employees mis-aligning the card, and it is a completely touch-free solution, making it perfect for any application where the spread of germs/virus is of concern. These are affordable and easy to use. Just wave your card near the unit and you are clocked in or out. If a card is lost, the user can enter their code.
Is "Buddy Punching" a concern? Not with this unit!
Biometric Terminals: The biometric or finger reader time clocks are perfect for making sure the person clocking in or out is actually the person that SHOULD be clocking in and out. In some applications, where a time clock is located in a secluded area, you will find that “buddy punching” is taking place. That is where an employee is running a few minutes late, or wants to leave a few minutes early and they call a fellow employee and ask them if they could take their card and punch them in/out. In addition to eliminating the buddy punch, this type of system also has the advantage of being completely digital, with direct input into your accounting & payroll software such as Intuit Quickbooks.
For those requiring additional security, entire hand readers are available.
Whether you are looking to replace your old mechanical time clock, or looking to implement time and attendance tracking for the first time, we can help you determine the perfect solution for your application. We are an Acroprint dealer and believe their products to be affordable, reliable and feature packed! Call us today and we will discuss your needs.
