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the Free CMSWire NewsletterMicrosoft, Industry Partners Deliver Tools to Help Simplify Corporate Financial Compliance
Starting today, companies seeking to comply with new federal financial reporting regulations have a powerful new tool at their disposal: software and technology-architecture guidance from Microsoft Corp. that will help partners readily build custom solutions to compliance challenges.
Microsoft announced the general availability of the new Microsoft(R) Office Solution Accelerator for Sarbanes-Oxley, which is designed to help partners build solutions based on the Microsoft Office System. Companies using an Office-based solution can document and review their internal financial controls and use the Microsoft Office Solution Accelerator for Sarbanes-Oxley to help meet other compliance requirements mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
of 2002.
Available to Microsoft Office System customers at no charge, the new tool is third in a series of accelerators aimed at helping companies handle key business issues in a cost-effective way using software they already license. This accelerator helps address the ongoing need of publicly traded companies to meet stringent new requirements for reporting, auditing and quality control under sections 302 and 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
“The Office Solution Accelerator for Sarbanes-Oxley sped up our compliance process by providing an easy-to-use tool for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of our section 404 controls documentation,” said Stacy Lax, director of internal audit for RemedyTemp Inc., a national provider of clerical, light industrial, information technology and financial temporary staffing services. “Using the accelerator, multiple individuals or teams in multiple locations can now collaborate on intelligent task management and reporting. The methodology of the accelerator can also be used for other projects, such as internal audit management.”
The Office Solution Accelerator for Sarbanes-Oxley extends the value of existing software investments by building on the Microsoft Office System products that many companies already use or are likely to soon deploy. Compliance solutions based on the accelerator are easy to use and administer and are fully compatible with other Microsoft products.
Partners Help Customers Meet Sarbanes-Oxley Challenges
Publicly traded companies face significant challenges and resource investments when it comes to Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Companies affected by the act are held to a new level of accountability, and executives must demonstrate financial transparency and good corporate governance to investors.
Microsoft technology partners — including more than 30 independent software vendors, systems integrators and accounting firms — are rallying to offer support for companies' Sarbanes-Oxley compliance needs. Using the accelerator, Microsoft partners can customize solutions to make it easier for individuals, divisions or entire corporations to access and manage needed compliance information.
“At Microsoft, we are committed to helping to address our customers' compliance needs through working with our industry partners,” said Peter Rinearson, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Information Worker New Markets division. “The Office Solution Accelerator for Sarbanes-Oxley is a great way for our industry partners to quickly build customized solutions that help companies comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.”
Microsoft's broad network of partners can be of great help to companies that need to meet Sarbanes-Oxley requirements. For example, accounting firms offer key subject-matter expertise, including information-rich content libraries for documenting and improving internal controls. Systems integrators provide technical support to implement solutions that help meet customers' growing compliance needs. Independent software vendors (ISVs) provide solutions built on top of the accelerator that address additional areas, such as business intelligence and records management. Together, Microsoft's partners help customers quickly set up a compliance infrastructure that can support a variety of control libraries and methodologies.
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