Posted March 22, 2011 by QBO Dave Categories:Uncategorized
Update 03/25/11: We’ve restored QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Online Payroll and other services that were disrupted earlier today. We continue to monitor systems to ensure stability.
We deeply regret the frustration these outages have caused you. We are working to fully understand their cause and fix this problem.
In addition, we know this has disrupted many businesses and want to make things right for you. Those affected can call:
We thank you for your patience as we work to restore your trust.
Update 03/23/11: Over the past two days we had two service outages due to two separate errors made during scheduled maintenance.
In both cases we made network configuration changes that inadvertently affected connectivity to a portion of our servers. This blocked traffic to those servers for just a few minutes while we rolled back the change. In both cases it took us longer than we would have liked to restore service. This was due to the fact that when network connectivity was restored, there was a surge in traffic that caused the servers to overload. We decided to restore service at a purposefully measured pace to closely monitor the system and ensure it didn’t overload again.
Again, we apologize for the disruption to our service. We continue to work to improve the resiliency of our systems and our processes for implementing changes.
Original Post: We’ve restored service for QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Merchant Services, QuickBooks Online Payroll and other online offerings. As our systems come online, you may experience a slight delay when logging in. If you cannot log in, please wait a few minutes and try again. We appreciate your patience and apologize for this disruption.
Pay one vendor page is not working properly when selecting a vendor, it is not showing the bills associated with that vendor. This issue is already fixed however will be released with our May release. Workaround is to use Google Chrome as your browser.
Under IE, the description detail for transactions not honoring multiple lines on pressing enter. Issue has been fixed and will be rolled out to customers next thursday (March 24th) night. Using Chrome or Firefox will be a workaround till then. FIXED
Receive Payments missing amount input boxes for credit detail lines. This also causes an error to be thrown – “The Amount Received (plus Credits) can’t be less than the selected charges.” Issue has been fixed and will be rolled out to customers next thursday (March 24th) night. FIXED
Few Firefox 4 related issues will be fixed with our next patch release, which I believe is scheduled for 3/31. FIXED
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Over the next week (starting Friday March 18th) we are rolling out a few new features as well as some UI updates. Here is what you can expect from our upcoming release:
Homepage modules are now movable by default
Previously one had to press the Customize button before being able to move around a homepage module. You no longer need to do this and the modules can be moved around whenever you feel like moving them. Just grab and drag the module header with your mouse to move the module around. The Customize button also has been renamed to Add Content to Page, and as the name suggests press this if you want to add new modules. Below is an image of what the header looks like and what the buttons do.
Footer removal, where did the feedback link go?
You will notice that we have removed the site footer from all the pages except the home page. This is to give the user more screen real estate for data relevant to their business. With the footer gone, you should see a little more vertical space on pages like Reconcile, Registers etc which are confined to the browser view port. However you may wonder how to give in-product feedback since the feedback link used to be in the footer (we actually removed the link with our last release). The new location for the feedback link will be as shown below, in the menu navigation bar on the right. For the time being you will see the yellow feedback widget as below, till we come up with a fresh new look and design for it.
Few UI tweaks to increase page contrast
Many people have pointed out to us that pages seem too white. So we are introducing some color tweaks to our pages to help reduce the whiteness and improve contrast while at the same time not introducing too many different colors. See the screenshot below (click the image to maximize) for details. Most pages will still look consistent. The highlights of the color changes include adding a light grey background for forms and changing table headers to dark blue or darker grey.
Invoice List & Printing Packing Slips
If you didn’t notice in the above image, we added a new button on top of the invoice page for an Invoice List. Below is a screenshot of that page. On this page you can select and print multiple invoices. You can also print packing slips by clicking the packing slip option in the Print drop down.
Control after how long you want to be logged out due to inactivity & a new UI when you timeout
Many have in the past mentioned that our 1 hr inactivity timeout is too less. So now we are giving you an option to extend this time after which you will be automatically logged out due to inactivity. By default it is still set to 1 hr, however now you can choose between 2 or 3 hrs. To change this setting, via the menu go to Company > Preferences > Company sub section > Log out after inactivity. Choose your desired time and click save at the bottom of the page. Below is a screenshot of this setting. We have also added a new UI for the inactivity timeout / re-login. Once you timeout, you will be presented with a new mini-login screen. Enter your user name or password to get back and continue where you left off. Clicking cancel will take you back to our main login page. With this new UI we eliminate 2 more window based popups in QuickBooks Online.
Intuit App Center
QuickBooks Online has started to integrate with 3rd party apps. You now can see a new menu on the top right corner of any page linking to the Intuit App Center. This new menu will also show any apps you have signed up for and are integrated with QuickBooks Online. Save time and boost productivity with apps like Bill.com, AuditMyBooks and Expensify. You sign in with a single ID and can easily switch between apps via the App Center. The app center menu is shown in the image below and is accessible via the Intuit logo on the top right corner of any page.
Connect to PayPal via Online Banking
Note: Unfortunately we are tracking some issues with PayPal, will keep you folks posted.
You can now connect your QuickBooks Online company with your PayPal account. To set it up just go to the Online Banking option under the Banking menu and click Set Up Connections.
QuickBooks Online Access via SMS (currently in a limited beta)
Note: Not everyone will have access to this right away.
Some users will notice a small beta notification on the footer of the homepage. This is for the new SMS mobile access. Click the notification to launch the setup which looks like the screenshot below. Once activated, use the commands listed to get information from your books. This is a fresh new feature and is still in beta so if you have feedback about it or encounter any issues let us know. Over time you may see more features added to it.
New supported browsers added
We have removed the warning pages from both Firefox 4 (windows and mac) and Internet Explorer 9 (windows only). QuickBooks Online should be mostly usable on them. Due to the nature of browsers and how new these are, there still can be potential issues. Make sure you upgrade to the final release versions if you are running beta versions of them.
We are at the moment tracking a few plugin related issues for PDF viewing. These are not QuickBooks Online specific issues but 3rd party browser issues. So, while using IE9 if you will notice your PDFs downloading as opposed to opening in the browser window, update your Adobe PDF Reader. Likewise an update is needed for the PDF plugin for Firefox 4 on the Mac (Windows users should be fine). Keep an eye out on Mozilla’s plugin website for an update to it. Also keep an eye on this blog, I will post updates when needed.
If you encounter more issues with these new browsers report them here or on the community forums or via in-product feedback and optionally give a screenshot of the issue.
Internet Explorer 7 users: As before we highly recommend that IE7 users upgrade to a modern browser. You will see a warning in product about the same. You can ignore it, but please upgrade soon.
Internet Explorer Compatibility View: Some users running IE8 or IE9 might get a warning suggesting to get out of compatibility view mode. To do so, see the image below
We are noticing some issues with using QuickBools Online on Firefox 4. These issues are related to page refreshing or navigating away when using one of the drops downs in product. We are working on a fix for this. FIXED
As some of our users would probably know that Microsoft is scheduled to has released Internet Explorer 9in a few hours (9pm PST). Likewise Firefox 4 is also nearing its released and can be gotten from here.
If you are wondering whether QuickBooks Online will work on these new browsers, then the answer is yes. You can (and probably should) upgrade to these new browsers if you wish too. If you are already using Internet Explorer 9 beta or Firefox 4 beta, please upgrade to the final releases as soon as they become available.
When you login using these new browsers, you will get a beta warning message for a few more days (from the time of typing this blog post). We plan to remove these warnings with our next release coming Thursday (March 17th for some, March 24th for others), till then you just need to do an extra click after logging in.
After upgrading to these new browsers, you may need to update your Adobe Reader. Firefox 4 on the mac requires a PDF plugin to view PDFs. Unfortunately this plugin is not ready yet, but a beta version of it is available. So perhaps mac users should wait out a bit on upgrading to Firefox 4 unless you don’t care about printing that much. Keep an eye out on Mozilla’s plugin website for an update to it. Also keep an eye on this blog, I will post updates when needed.
If you encounter more issues with these new browsers report them here or on the community forums (preferred, so that others benefit from it too) or via in-product feedback and optionally give a screenshot of the issue. Note that Internet Explorer 9 is only available to Windows 7 and Vista users.
Internet Explorer 7 and Compatibility View Mode Users README
Internet Explorer 7 users: As before we highly recommend that IE7 users upgrade to a modern browser. You will see a warning in product about the same soon. You can ignore it, but please upgrade soon. If you are a Windows 7 or vista user, please upgrade to IE9, otherwise IE8.
Internet Explorer Compatibility View: Some users running IE8 or IE9 might get also get a warning suggesting to get out of compatibility view mode. To do so, see the image below or see our help page - https://qboe.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4504
If you have to use QuickBooks Online in compatibility view mode for some reason, post the reason on the community forums so that the issue can be rectified. QuickBooks Online should ideally not be requiring compatibility view mode turned on.
Tip for users on 64 bit Windows 7 or Vista
Use IE9 32 bit mode shortcut (when you install the 64 bit version, you get both, you will see them in the start menu as 2 separate icons). 32 bit mode features a new javascript engine that is much much much faster than what it uses under 64 bit mode. http://www.zdnet.com/blog/networking/installing-32-bit-ie-9-on-64-bit-windows/802. Basically launch IE9 from the start menu shortcut that doesn’t say “64-bit”
Posted February 25, 2011 by QBO Bermster Categories:Uncategorized
Many people have some great advice on getting rid of your baby. When you are ready to sell your company…emotionally and logistically it is not always easy. But there are ways to make it smoother…and possibly more lucrative.
We’ve pulled out some hot tips from some very helpful articles. If you are selling, you’ll likely need more than these articles to consult. However, it’s a good start to get you familiar with the landscape. Anything to add?
How to Sell Your Business New York Times
“First, get your books in order. Not being able to provide accurate financial statements in a timely manner can cause a deal to unravel in short order. Be sure to have the following on hand before you go to market:
“Just like a buyer has the duty to do due diligence, the seller has the obligation to inform. All of the professionals doing due diligence will operate on the assumption that you are telling the truth, you are in immediate hot water if you are caught doing anything but that. Also, typically lawyers, CPA’s and others will state explicitly in their reporting that they are operating on information that you supplied.”
Business Valuation 101: five myths to valuing a private business.
SCORE
“Quantifying the size of your discretionary expenses is often a critical determinant of the firm’s value. As such, owners should keep a tab on what these discretionary expenses may be so that, when they are ready to sell the business, they can document these facts to the buyer.
By doing so, the seller increases the buyer’s confidence that the business does legitimately generate the cash the seller claims and, accordingly, increases the buyer’s willingness to pay the asking price for the business.”
Posted by guest blogger Vijay, Product Development Lead at Bill.com
(Note: This integration requires QuickBooks Online Essentials and Plus and is for new Bill.com users. If you are a current Bill.com user, please contact us at sales@hq.bill.com for more information.
We at Bill.com are so excited to offer the only complete and paperless bill pay service built just for QuickBooks Online users.
Since 2006, thousands of small to mid-sized businesses have been using Bill.com to completely automate bill management. That’s why we’re so pleased that Bill.com for QuickBooks Online is now live on workplace.intuit.com. This has a deep integration to your QuickBooks Online data and bill pay workflow, from receiving bills, approving and paying them online to matching payments accurately in QuickBooks Online.
Do you currently use your Bank’s bill pay service?
Unfortunately, even with a bank’s bill pay, many of you still find yourselves drowning in paper bills, spending hours or days getting bills approved, and then more time manually matching payments to invoices. Because your bank’s bill pay service is not integrated with your accounting system, you’ll always have to re-enter data. Clearly, a bank’s bill pay service only saves a fraction of the time spent on managing bills.
Bill management is a process of multiple steps and paying bills online is just one step. To truly save significant time, the bill pay process needs to be simple and automated.
Enter Bill.com – the only paperless bill-pay service that works with QuickBooks Online
That’s why we’re thrilled about the launch of Bill.com for QuickBooks Online. It’s a real time-saver for your business and we know it’ll help you gain more control of your finances day-to-day.
Why Bill.com?
Bill.com is the only paperless bill pay service that simplifies the entire process of paying bills. Here are just a few reasons why Bill.com is the best bill pay service for QuickBooks Online users:
Go paperless. Only Bill.com lets you easily get your bills online. Simply email, scan or fax your bills and we’ll get them online.
Access and pay bills anytime, anywhere. Save your bills and other financial records in one place. It’s secure and unlimited!
Never re-enter data. Your Vendor List and Chart of Accounts are automatically entered into Bill.com.
Save hours by syncing to your QuickBooks Online in one step! Send all bills, matched to payment transactions, into QuickBooks Online with one keystroke.
Get bills approved quickly by collaborating online with vendors, colleagues, and your accountant.
Get a complete audit trail for every transaction from invoices to cleared check images.
If your team, accountant and even vendors are spending too much time paying, tracking and managing your bills, it’s really worth checking out Bill.com for QuickBooks Online.
As you know we recently added the ability to insert lines in invoices, estimates, sales receipt and charges. Over the next week we are rolling out an update to extend this functionality to other commonly used transaction forms. You will be able to insert lines in bills, checks, cash expense, credit card expense, journal entries, deposits and purchase orders. As before, just hover your mouse over a row, and then click + (on the left) to insert a line above or - (on the right) to delete a line.
New transaction history button
As we roll out an update, you will also see a new button on top of a transaction pages like on invoices, estimates, bills, checks etc. Open an existing transaction and click this button to see that particular transaction’s audit trail history.
Updates on common technical issues
Few people reported that the PAID stamp on invoices doesn’t print dark enough. This issue might be caused by a 3rd-party PDF plugin of your browser. If you are seeing this issue using any plugin other than Adobe’s, you might consider switching to the Adobe PDF plugin for your browser. That should get the PAID stamp back to being dark when printed.
Also if you didn’t notice, there was a preference added to turn the PAID stamp off if you didn’t want it. If you are one of those people who want it turned off, look at company > preferences > form delivery > customize forms > customize button > paid stamp checkbox under header information.
Few Firefox users in the past have reported their registers page being blank and the need to refresh it often to see the registers page. While we have improved upon the situation, however if you are one of those users still experiencing this you might consider giving Firefox 4 a try and post (either here or on the forums) if it solves your issue. Some have confirmed that this issue doesn’t happen in the newer Firefox version. However Firefox 4 is currently in beta right now, and a final release of it is expected in about a month. If you prefer to use Google Chrome instead, then that is a good alternative too, since this issue doesn’t happen on it.
Few people have asked about this following popup that you get once while working on the customer center. You can trust that site . The page is basically using client side storage technology. You can learn more about Google gears here. I believe you only see this popup while using Chrome.
For those using IE7 please consider upgrading to a modern browser like Chrome, Firefox. You will have a smoother browsing experience in general.
Posted February 3, 2011 by QBO Bermster Categories:Uncategorized
Remember that Health Care bill last year? It included a little clause that would have a big effect on small businesses. It would play out like this: Anytime you buy something from someone over $600 you’d be required to send them a 1099. Imagine buying a computer from BestBuy and then being required to send Best Buy a 1099.
In order to change this, the Senate and House will have to repeal it. Last night, the Senate did.
What happened? The Senate voted on several amendments to S.223, FAA Re-Authorization bill. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) offered Senate Amendment 9 calling for repeal of the new 1099 reporting requirement and would be paid for with unspent discretionary funds offset, except for Department of Defense, Veteran Affairs, and Social Security Administration. It passed with an 81-17 vote.
The house still has a chance to vote before any changes go into place. However if this doesn’t get repealed, QuickBooks Online will be changing how we handle reporting to help make this new requirement easier to track and manage for you.
Posted January 27, 2011 by QBO Bermster Categories:Uncategorized
Since we first introduced QuickBooks Online ten years ago, small businesses have sent 155 million invoices, logged $1.3 trillion in expenses, and entered a whopping $5 trillion in revenue — a sum equivalent to one-third the U.S. Gross Domestic Product — using the service.
Over the years, QuickBooks Online has evolved with the needs of small businesses to save them time and instill self-confidence managing their finances, so they can focus on what they love — running their businesses. Recently, we added a feature to the product called Trends that enables small business owners to compare their income and expenses with other businesses in similar locations and industries. Extracting insights from Trends, small business owners can identify ways to cut expenses and boost sales, or more broadly see how their industries are performing. We also recently added inventory management capabilities and refreshed the user interface to further simplify accounting tasks.
You can read more about recent updates to QuickBooks Online in today’s news announcement. Or, share the infographic below to celebrate ten years of small business success with QuickBooks Online. Click the image for an enlarged view.
1. Make sure you send the 1099-MISC form to your Recipients by Jan. 31, 2011.
Deadline is getting close! Track1099 e-delivers your 1099′s to the Recipient by sending an email with a secure link, requiring them to enter the last 4 of their Tax ID number. This ensures security, complies with the IRS rule to receive “consent”, and allows the Recipient access any time to their 1099.
2. File the 1099-MISC with the IRS before Feb. 15, if you’re sending paper or by Mar. 31, 2011, if you e-file.
E-filing with Track1099 reduces the hassle of printing and snail mailing. If you only have one 1099, you only pay for one, though we do offer discounts for larger volumes.
3. Double check correct Tax ID numbers with your vendors; having the wrong SSN or EIN can expose you to the possibility of IRS fines.
By using Track1099 to e-deliver, you get a double check on the correctness of your Recipients’ Tax ID numbers, reducing the chances of an error being sent to the IRS.
4. Make sure both the IRS and the Recipient have received their 1099-MISC’s.
If your Recipient loses their paper 1099-MISC, guess what — you’ll need to resend. With e-Delivery, their 1099 is never lost. They just go back online and retrieve it. In our IRS Status table, at a glance you may check on the status of both the IRS e-file and the Recipient e-delivery.
5. Reduce IRS paper waste.
In 2009, the IRS received 85 Million 1099-MISC forms, the vast majority of which were sent to the Recipients via paper. This is a stack of forms more than 10 miles high. Please do your part for our environment and e-deliver as well as e-file.
Sincerely,
Sharon Lindsey West and the Team at Track1099 . (Check us out…and e-deliver and e-file your way to big time savings.)
Posted January 5, 2011 by QBO Bermster Categories:Uncategorized
As we reached the final days of 2010, we took the pulse of small businesses in America to hear both their biggest challenges and greatest rewards from 2010 as well as their perspective of what’s to come in 2011. While small businesses are still feeling the brunt of the recession, they enter 2011 motivated to grow and with realistic expectations.
In our survey of small businesses, 65 percent of respondents said starting their own businesses was their personal passion. Despite the hardships brought on by the recession, 85 percent of those respondents said the passion is still there, driving them forward. Also, an impressive 66 percent of respondents said they expect their businesses to grow in 2011 despite the rocky economy.
Here’s what else we learned from the front lines in our small business survey. Click the infographic for an enlarged view.
. The page is basically using client side storage technology. You can learn more about 
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