Intuit and Microsoft Join Forces to Spur Innovation and Expand Cloud Opportunities for Developers and Channel Partners

Did you see the announcement made today by Intuit and Microsoft to integrate the capabilities of their cloud services platforms, the Intuit Partner Platform and Microsoft Windows^® Azure platform^TM, to enable developers and channel partners to deliver web-based solutions to the millions of employees within businesses that use QuickBooks^® financial software?  This is significant in that it instantly gives Microsoft developers the ability to develop applications for Intuit's loyal customers and will open up to them a new landscape of sales prospects who are looking for small business solutions.

More specifically, the Intuit Partner Platform will give Windows Azure developers the ability to build applications that their customers can use to take advantage of their QuickBooks data, and give them instant access to a pre-built channel for acquiring customers via the Intuit App Center. Small businesses will be able to click from the QuickBooks Pro and Premier 2010 toolbar to visit the Intuit App Center where they can find, buy and use Web-based business applications built on or integrated with the Intuit Partner Platform.

The companies, who have been strategic partners for more than 20 years, expect this to jump-start development and distribution of new, innovative web-based applications to help small businesses meet current business needs and provide new opportunities. The free Windows Azure software development kit (SDK) (Beta) for Intuit Partner Platform is available today at .

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