2012 Readers’ Choice Awards

As in every year that we’ve held the Readers Choice Awards, QuickBooks was once again the voters’ favorite in the categories for small business accounting, construction/contractor accounting, mid-range accounting, retail/POS and not-for-profit, with programs from Sage Software coming in second many of those categories. Intuit also led in the fixed asset category, with Thomson Reuters’ Fixed Assets CS coming in second and Sage’s FAS in third. LessAccounting.com emerged as a new number three in the small business accounting category, as did Wasp Barcode Technologies, which placed second in the retail/POS accounting group.

For the group of programs designed as add-ons to QuickBooks to help small businesses transition to a paperless office themselves, Bill.com’s online payables and receivables system received the most votes, followed by SmartVault. (Click for larger images.)

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GENERAL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES

ASP/Hosted Solution Providers

Insight: As more and more firms and businesses realize the benefits of the cloud (anywhere/anytime access, less IT requirements, easy to ramp up or down), many are turning to Application Service Providers (ASP), who can take most software programs that are usually installed on a PC or network, and put them on a remote server that allows users to access it just like a web-based program, even if the program isn’t available in web format. In short, it lets businesses take everything to the cloud. Although ASPs have been around for more than a decade, they’ve taken off in the accounting space recently, and so this category is new for this year. The leading vote receivers were Cloud9RealTime, Right Networks, Real Time Data Services and CPAASP/InsynQ.

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Outsourced Technology Services

Insight: Whether for your firm or for a client, sometimes specialized skills are necessary, but they may not make sense to permanently add to your staff or firm. The same goes for your technology, and that’s where outsourced business technology services can give a helping hand. Not outsourcing out of the country, just finding a technology provider who can do your occasionally-needed tasks more efficiently. The leaders in this category this year are eFax, Right Networks, Postini, CPAASP/InsynQ and CPA2Biz Email Solutions.

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Laptop and Desktop Computers

Insight: Here’s a simple one: What brand of computer do our readers prefer? Dell continues to lead the pack, with HP, Toshiba, Apple and Compaq following.

 

 

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Smart Phone

Insight: The early years of the smartphone were dominated by Blackberry. Then came the iPhone and everything changed, but that didn’t mean Apple would own the top of the mountain forever. The Android platform soon became a serious challenger, with multiple phone manufacturers and carriers offering various devices. Blackberry is still a player, of course, and so is Microsoft and Palm. The biggest change in this year’s results are right at the top: A year ago, Blackberry was ahead of the pack at 38% and 10% ahead of its nearest competitor. This year, the iPhone and Android are fighting it out at the summit, with Blackberry coming in third.

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Tablet Computers/Devices

Insight: Just as the iPhone revolutionized smartphones, the iPad ushered in a new era in personal computing devices, merging the functions of a smartphone with the power of a laptop. Following the iPad, which has a significant lead in this new category, several other tablet developers have arrived on the market, with the Kindle quickly charging into second place, followed by models from Samsung, Motorola and Sony. About 50% of our voters cited a preference.

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Printers & Scanners

Insight: In most cases, the paperless office is not completely paperless, so what favorite brands of printers are our readers most loyal to? The top remains the same this year, as HP continues to lead and is followed by Brother, Canon and Fujitsu.

 

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Office Supply Store

Insight: Sometimes we shop for office supplies online, but sometimes we still prefer a local store. As with last year, our readers’ favorite office supply store is Staples, followed by Office Depot and Office Max.

 

 

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OUT-OF-OFFICE

Favorite Form of Physical Exercise

Click for larger image.