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To gain additional insight about out-of-thebox accounting software, ADMAR recently reviewed the newest edition of ExperTalk Accounting Software Survey. This is an annual study of eight leading mid-market suites that CTS (Rockville, Md., 301-468-8000, www.ctsguides.com) conducts through a poll of independent software consultants. A highlight of this useful but imperfect survey is its ranking of these accounting packages, which we summarize in the accompanying exhibit on page 4. As we reported in our August issue, CTS ranked Great Plains Dynamics highest this year.
Qualities of Competing Packages
As readers can see from our exhibit, the criteria that CTS uses to develop its rankings-performance, stability, flexibility, support, implementation, and customization-give a useful general sense of the relative strengths of these eight mid-market programs. At the same time, this information lacks the bite of software appraisals that actually "name names." As a result, we report these findings from the study.
* Great Plains Dynamics is the top system overall. While support has always been this suite's strong suit, the surveyed consultants indicate the program has improved its stability, flexibility, and performance this year.
* Platinum for Windows is ranked second, largely on the strength of ease of implementation and stability. Note that ratings of this system haven't changed much in recent years.
* MAS9O for Windows improves to third, close...