New accounting software for SMEs

Orangeworks CEO, Siegfried Rousseau, said the company’s software has been tested by a number of business consultants with years of experience in the market, and has been described as far faster, more user friendly and technologically superior to other accounting packages on the market.

The technology has been specifically developed for the SME market, but is scalable up to thousands of users, depending on the hardware being used.

Orangeworks offers a full conversion facility from most other accounting packages, and Rousseau said it should be possible for a “reasonably sized company” to transfer all of its data into Orangeworks within an hour.

The software’s usability is enhanced by screens and drop down menus which follow a logical sequence, and users can build their own short-cut bar. It also features an SMS communication facility, which allows users to communicate easily with their customers, suppliers and other contacts.

“We have incorporated the most sophisticated technology into Orangeworks. It is driven by Microsoft SQL 2005, and features an exposed framework which allows users to integrate their custom solutions with Orangeworks software,” Rousseau said.

Rousseau said that the exposed framework allows users to send and receive data from the accounting system, but still follow the same validation of business rules as Orangeworks. This means that information that is processed on a custom system separate from Orangeworks, is automatically written to the Orangeworks database without compromising the integrity of the financial records.

Another major Orangeworks advantage is that the software automatically imports audited journals and the auditor’s changes to financial records back to the client, thereby reducing potential capturing errors and saving time. This is done via an encrypted file that is emailed to the client, which only that particular client can open and access.

Orangeworks does not charge an upfront fee on the package, but use a 'pay as you go' model. Clients only pay for the period the software is used - R125 per month per user, with no long term contracts required. The company will also provide users with a 14 day trial period.

After sales service includes an extensive business partner network, a call centre, a Live Chat support structure along the lines of MSN Chat, and an option to dial into the call centre via Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP).

Rousseau, who has ten years experience in information technology specifically in the accounting sector, and his team of developers began developing Orangeworks a year ago in a bid to provide the latest technology at an affordable price.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about the end user and providing the right tools to them to do their job as effectively as possible. We are passionate about developing and providing an accounting software package that achieves this – and have an exorbitant coffee bill to prove it!"