>Hi Jerry and John,
>
>I am a CPA that has a small client base. I have also developed an accounting application that I hope will generate revenue in the not to distant future. I would like to switch my priorities in favor of providing an accounting application as opposed to financial statement/tax return preparation. I run an apache web server to host my web site and also use it as a mail server. I'm not into computer consulting, but this may change in the future.

Being a CPA who can program his own GAAP is a huge bonus! I predict that you will enter into consulting... You have the WHOLE package to offer. I, on the otherhand, was self taught in accounting. I would always recommend that they have an accountant sign off on their income statement and taxes. That led to my securing several accountants as clients, when they saw they could customize the package.

>
>As an example of Microsoft's influence throught its control of the desktop and browser software follows. There is a emerging standard that would allow me to brand my application with special software that would guarantee anyone that downloaded my app that it was free of alterations or that it had been replace by a virus masquaradeing under the name of my app. If I paid $400.00 dollars for the signature software, anyone downloading my app would receive a message that Microsoft vouches for the security of the application. This only works for IE. If I want a signature that works with Netscape, I would have to pay Netscapes version of the signature software.
>To make matters worse, the authentication does not work with web server other the IIS. Apache confronted Microsoft with the problem stating that it was a bug in the Microsoft's software. Microsoft noted the problem posed no immediate threat to any data and any fix to the problem would be so pioritised.
>
>This provides a stong motivation for me to switch from an apache web server to IIS, so I could provide a signature in my software distribution.


Not really! You can do that WITHOUT paying anyone for a 'signature'. Use GPG encryption software. Zip, tar/gz or RPM your acct pkg and then secure it with a GPG wrapper signed with your private key. Post your public key on your website. Anyone who downloads your pkg can download your public key to unlock it. You can also have an M5 code posted on your site. After they unencrypt your pkg they can run a CRC test on it (with GPL crc software also on your site and compare it with the M5 key on your site.


>
>Also, Microsoft is so big that it has numerous conflicts of interest with itself. Consider another really bizarre example. Microsoft sells software to developers. The develpers go out and write accounting application in C, C++, VB, J+, .net, VFP, etc. and Microsoft benefit from this relationship. Then Microsoft turns around and Markets Great Plains, it own accouonting application, that directly competes with its own software development commuity. There is something terribly worng with this picture.

That is a good reason NOT to use MS software. You couldn't compete with them using and paying for their own tools. You can try, but you will eventually fail, or you won't achieve the income levels you desire.