Intuit will roll out the next version of its Quicken personal finance software this weekend, adding features designed to let users more easily update their information.
Quicken 99 will be closely watched, as it represents Intuit's concerted effort to draw Quicken users online through product features. Also, Quicken's one-time vise grip on the market for personal finance software is under siege from Microsoft's Money, which is slowly chipping away at Quicken's market share.
One feature that could keep Quicken ahead: Using the Internet to remotely update finances.
A new feature called WebEntry would allow someone to enter information on the road, or at work, Intuit officials said. Users will be able to log onto a secure site on the Internet and enter in financial data, which they can later download to their computers.
Will it draw users online?
The WebEntry feature may lure more Quicken users online. While the product has a large installed base, many of its users think of it as a local application.
"Intuit has built this 10 million user base, and the majority don't use it online," said Nicole Vanderbilt, an analyst at Jupiter Communications. "This is a great first step in moving users towards more Web- based usage of their services and products."
Another feature, QuickEntry, lets users runs a "mini-application" to enter transactions, instead of booting up the whole program.
Intuit has also added alerts to Quicken 99, which point out instances where a user could save money. For example, it might alert a user when mortgage rates in his or her area fall below the amount that he or she is paying, and suggest refinancing.
WebEntry marks an even stronger tie to the Internet for Quicken 99. Both Intuit and Microsoft have been adding networked features to their personal finance programs, mostly centered on the bill payment area.
In Quicken 99, Intuit has updated its download information from multiple banks and financial institutions with one button. It has also placed more links to its Web site, quicken.com, offering investment information and finance tools.
The software will be available starting at $US19.95 for the Basic version upgrade, after a $US10 rebate. The Quicken Financial Suite, which includes Quicken Deluxe 99 and TurboTax, will start art $US59.95 after a $US40 rebate.
