CPA2Biz Launches This Month in Partnership with State Societies.

• Position: Brief Article

CPA2Biz -- the profession's own business services portal -- is starting to rollout its content, products and tools this month. CPA2Biz is a comprehensive business services provider serving the needs of both the CPA profession and, through the CPA, the small to medium-size business community. Formed in Mar. 2000, the portal is a direct outgrowth of the highly acclaimed CPA Vision Process. The AICPA and state CPA societies are excited to offer this rich and dynamic resource to support CPAs and their professional needs.

CPA2Biz is currently structured into two operating divisions: the Professional Services Division (PSD) and the Application Solutions Division (ASD). Through the PSD, which is scheduled to go "live" this month, CPA2Biz provides AICPA and state society members with a comprehensive suite of products and services that will address most of their professional needs. CPA2Biz's Professional Services site will provide in-depth information and services through vertical online "Resource Centers" which are organized around areas of practice or industry specialization.

"While the PSD is officially launching this month, it will only get stronger over time," says Erik Asgeirsson, vice president of the PSD. "We will be adding new content every day and by the end of this calendar year, we are planning on having significantly more `Resource Centers' covering most of the major areas of practice for CPAs."

The Application Solutions Division, which is scheduled to launch late this calendar year, is developing a comprehensive business services hub that offers an integrated suite of best-inbreed business applications. One group of applications is directed toward the management of a CPA firm. The other group is directed toward the needs of small to medium-size businesses.

"Consistent with its role of being the profession's business services portal, CPA2Biz levels the playing field for both CPA firms and the small to medium-size businesses they serve," says Bill Reeb, CPA and vice president of the ASD. "Our goal is to provide CPAs with affordable, state-of-the-art business applications -- solutions that were, until now, available only to much larger organizations. By streamlining internal business processes,with its integrated suite of business applications, CPA2Biz is being designed to free CPAs and business managers to focus limited resources on those core activities that create competitive advantage rather than on the minutia of managing the...