Orlando IT Pro: SBA/BCM databases on the SBS server: You heard it first

JJ Antequino hung out with us again at the OrlandoSBS meeting and just as he was about to leave during Blain’s presentation he dropped a huge bombshell about SBA: SP1 for SBA and BCM is out guys. I think half the room fainted at the suggestion that you can now store a BCM database on the SBS server. Here are some details and of course the download:

– We can now import Outlook Contacts into Business Contact Manager
– New Manual Payroll Check Tool – including the much anticipated Excel tool!
– Memorized Documents
– More flexible Cash Basis reporting
– Support for importing QB2005 data files:
* For importing master records only QuickBooks 2002 through 2005: Basic, Pro, Premier, Enterprise, and Accountant
* For importing all data QuickBooks 2004 and 2005: Pro, Premier, Enterprise, and Accountant
– New Accountants Import Wizard – allows a accountants database to be imported into the current database!
– New Reporting tool for jobs and time and materials
* Ability to report on job estimates versus actual
* Ability to report jobs progress; invoices versus quotes
– Import Bank File dialog box – You can use the Import Bank File dialog box to import bank transactions into Microsoft Office Small Business Accounting:
* If the financial institution that you do business with is not listed in the Select a Financial Institution for Online Services page in the Online Banking Setup Wizard.
* If you have accounts that you have not set up for online banking.
* Imported bank files must be in the .ofx file format.

So much for just getting started though. This is JJ’s second blong entry and he’s killed virtually 90% of the headaches posted in public newsgroups about BCM & SBA. JJ has been one of the biggest supporters of our Orlando IT Pro group and I just wrote a killer review of what he and the Microsoft team have done for us in Orlando. I’m on this global SBS Group Leads list and we have the best Microsoft backed group on the planet, bar none. JJ has brought us stuff from the WWPC in the past, driven 100’s of miles to attend remote SBS group meetings, helped partners at TS2 events he was not even presenting at. He is the TS2 guy as far as far as Florida is concerned. That is also the team that works with partners and actually takes feedback and makes things happen with it. Why do you think Action Pack will now include Visual Studio 2005, Virtual Server 2005 and Windows XP 64bit edition? TS2. These guys listen, they do stuff. Now do you see why I’ve been inviting you out to these shows for years?

Speaking of backing us, Blain Barton came over and held an excellent presentation on SQL Server 2005 for us at this months meeting. You can’t buy presentations like this folks. Blain went from defining the database and covered everything from Access up to SQL Server 2005 mirroring and SAC in 60 minutes. Blain usually presents Technet Seminars to enterprise/midmarket folks and I think everyone that attended would agree that I did not lie when I said that you will not find this caliber of a presentation for SBS/SQL anywhere. The versatility is key — I could have put together an overview of SQL 2005. But Blain was able to entertain people brand new to SBS and even field questions from the guy in the back of the room that spent the meeting in SQL 2005 and VS2005. Some things you just can’t fake.

So…. Time to move to Florida folks 🙂