Cougar Mountain Newswire

August, 2007

Version 12 is here!

It’s here—Version 12 of CMS Professional Accounting, FUND, and Point of Sale is now available! One of the key elements that went into the design of this newest version was direct feedback from you, our customer. After the release of Version 11 we conducted a survey to find out what functions our users felt the software lacked in addition to creating a Customer Advisory Panel to provide us more in-depth and detailed information on some of the features. From there we began to build Version 12.

This update includes a host of new features and specialized tools designed to give you more in-depth reports, tighter security, and better control over daily, time-consuming operations.

Just one example of how we’re making life easier is the creation of the Snapshot Reports, Common-size Reports, and the Financial Analysis Report. Not only do these documents give owners and managers a synopsis of their business’ performance, all three provide the information required to secure financing by banks or investors.

Some of the new time-saving features include:

• Unapplied Payment Transaction Type - this feature was specifically designed from Cougar Mountain customer’s feedback and allows the entering of unapplied payment transactions in Accounts Payable. Now users can cut a check to vendors or allow customers to pay for an invoice before it’s posted.



• Snapshot Reporting - now you can view a dashboard of information and graphs to quickly view some of your most important business data.



• System-wide File Maintenance - reindexing one or more modules is a tiring process. With Version 12 we have created an option where users with the security rights can reindex all the modules with one click. An additional enhancement to this feature allows reindexing of all modules before backup and the backup can be stopped if the reindexing fails.



• Filter GL Spreadsheet Export Report - instead of exporting all information from the general ledger module, loading it into an excel document, and sorting through to find information, this feature allows users to ‘fine tune’ and locate the information first before it’s exported. This cuts down on human errors and saves time when looking for specific data.



• Create additional custom reports - separate and save custom reports modified from the originals in every module. In addition, users can have multiple custom variations of the same report—each with minor variations but able to show users completely different information.



• Print Customer Statements from AR Customers Window - print one statement or closely monitor a single customer’s account.



• E-filing now available - CMS Professional Payroll now offers e-filing through Aatrix eFile services. Now W-2s, state and quarterly tax forms can be filed electronically—an incredible time saver.

CLICK HERE for more information on Version 12 or contact your Account Executive at (800) 388-3038.

Denali 2.6 Released!

Earlier in July another module, Bank Reconciliation, was added to the Denali family with the release of Version 2.6. This latest addition will help users cross-reference business transactions with bank statements to make sure business records are clean and accurate. In addition you can now process thousands of checks because of the speed and power our Denali products offer.

The new module also gives users the ability to flag missing checks, manage multiple bank accounts, track down questionable transactions, quickly review financial information for each account, track expenses by department, and control who has access through a multi-tiered security system.

Denali is Cougar Mountain Software’s next generation of accounting and point-of-sale solutions. Our Denali products have more speed and power than our CMS Professional lineup with an increased ability to network multiple users without sacrificing functionality—a perfect solution for mid-sized companies or those smaller companies experiencing growth.

CLICK HERE for more information on Denali 2.6 or contact your Account Executive at (800) 388-3038.

Cougar Mountain Road Show
Next stop: San Francisco, CA and Portland, ME

The Cougar Mountain Road Show continues full-steam ahead! Our off-site sessions are a great way to learn how to use your CMS Professional software, learn new tricks and features for making your business more efficient, or to simply brush up on your knowledge. They’re also a great venue for networking with other CMS users and offer the opportunity to explore some of the country’s most popular destinations.

The next stop is scheduled for October 8-11, 2007, in San Francisco, California—home of attractions like Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate Bridge! Attendees will stay at the Chancellor Hotel on Union Square and are free to explore “the City by the Bay” during the lunch period and after training ends each day. CLICK HERE for more information on the San Francisco training seminar or call an Account Executive at (800) 388-3038.

Two weeks later the Road Show jumps across the country stopping in Portland, Maine, from October 22-25, 2007. This will be the first off-site training session held in the Northeast—a good location for any “New Englander” that hasn’t made it to other training sessions because of the distance. Or simply use it as an excuse to visit New England during the autumn season. CLICK HERE for more information on the Portland, ME training seminar or call and Account Executive at (800) 388-3038.

R&R Report Writer Upgrade

Report Writer announces the debut of ReportWorks∞ Infinity—a program that entitles users to all future updates free of charge. What makes this newsworthy to Cougar Mountain customers is that ReportWorks∞ Infinity is included with our CMS Professional Version 12 upgrade (a $500 value). Those on older versions of R&R Report Writer (Version 11 or earlier) can upgrade to Infinity for $500.

Some of the new ReportWorks∞ features include a Data Dictionary for help when linking tables, additional drop-down menu options, and additional fonts, logos, and emailing options.

For more information visit the CMS Professional Version 12 page or call an Account Executive at (800) 388-3038.

eFile with Aatrix

There’s no question that filing W-2s, state and federal tax reports electronically saves time and money. Now any CMS Professional Payroll user can say goodbye to the folding, stuffing and mailing of tax forms with the help of Aatrix’s eFile service.

Along with CMS Professional Payroll, Aatrix's eFile Center facilitates eFiling of any of the supported state and federal quarterly tax reports and W-2s to one site for processing. After reviewing a tax form in Cougar Mountain, simply select eFile and the information is sent directly to the Aatrix Payroll eFile Center. You'll receive confirmation that the file was received via email and when it is sent to the appropriate agency. Aatrix guarantees on time delivery of the file.

Going paperless has never been easier!

CLICK HERE for more information or call an Account Executive at (800) 388-3038.

Useful Tools

Do you like cool gadgets? Do you have to be the first to own the newest and coolest piece of technology? If you answered yes to theses questions, then you’re probably an “early adopter.” And as an early adopter you probably own just way too many technological gadgets – PDAs, cell phones, iPods, beepers, key remotes and so on and so forth. I know I can’t hold them all in my pocket or purse. Not to mention misplacing them somewhere. But that’s the burden we early adopters bear.

Now there’s a new device introduced to us that will, in fact is, revolutionizing technology and communication as we know it. It’s the iPhone. And as an early adopter you should already have one, or are about to get one. The bottomline is you can talk/text/IM, read, listen and watch anything using this one device. We know how this affects you personally – the pride of ownership, of being the first, of being ‘in the know’ Now how can this benefit you and your business as well?

Because the iPhone is a high-tech internet device and its browser supports all standard web technologies, it supports web-based applications such as one of our third party add-on products – Substruct Mobile? Substruct Mobile offers a mobile web-based application for inventory control and receiving as an add-on to CMS Professional.

To learn more what this application can do for you, read the article in the Cougar Mountain blog, or call your Account Executive (800) 388-3038.

Cougar Forms

Need payroll checks, invoice forms, or custom labels that are compatible with your Cougar Mountain Software? Call (800) 454-1660, or email, service@cougarforms.com today and ask for the Current Special Order offer. Blank documents from Cougar Mountain Forms & Supplies, Inc. are IRS approved and guaranteed to work with your Cougar Mountain software.

CMS Celebrates 25 Years

Though it was a solid month after the “official” anniversary, Cougar Mountain Software celebrated its 25th year of business with the release of CMS Professional V12 and Denali 2.6 with a catered picnic and the traditional anniversary cake.

Since 1982 we’ve been a leading developer and producer of point-of-sale, accounting, and nonprofit accounting software. This is truly an accomplishment when so many software companies continue to collapse or transport their production and services overseas. We want to thank our customers (some have stayed with us since the days of DOS) for their patronage. We pledge to continue to produce innovative software with the tools and features you need to operate a profitable and efficient business.

DonorPerfect

Cougar Mountain and DonorPerfect have collaborated on a great new feature. Now customers using both software programs don’t have to manually re-enter donation information from DonorPerfect into Cougar Mountain. DonorPerfect can now export this information into a file that can be imported into the General Ledger module of Cougar Mountain’s FUND software—saving users time and reducing the risk for errors.