According to Karan Khanna, product manager for Microsoft"s forthcoming Small Business Accounting (now in beta testing), Microsoft is aiming for a release of the platform in the first half of 2006. Microsoft had previously announced product availability in late 2005. From the transcript of The .NET Show featuring SBA:
"ROBERT HESS: Now Christin mentioned that we were in the beta phase right now in this application. When does it actually come out into the market for real?
KARAN KHANNA: The plan is in the first half of next year you would have the application available. But it"s in beta right now. "
The application, targeting small (1-25) businesses, is currently in beta testing. An SDK for ISVs should be available soon and those interested should visit the ISV Community Center for SBA. The .NET Show episode includes demos of development with the SDK as well as code samples. Other exciting news for developers is that, because user security for SBA is built into the SQL database (MSDE is supported), the platform will allow direct access to the database from third party applications or even end users" - import/analyze via SQL ODBC in spreadsheets, for example.