Microsoft unveils Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007 and Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007, much to the delight of accounting fraternity. The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant is offering Accounting Express for free and promoting it via a slick new Web site, ideawins.com. I just wonder what the other accounting software vendors think about this.

For VARs, Microsoft has set up another Web site, oapipeline.com, to help them drive sales of Office Accounting products by promoting other Microsoft products that can be combined with the accounting software to form larger solutions.

Accounting Express is limited but is no toy. Microsoft combined both products into a single install, so users only need to add a key to activate the Professional trial version. Accounting Professional is priced at $149, and the full activation key will be available early in 2007. Upgrading from Microsoft Small Business Accounting 2006 is $99. Express users will be able to activate the full Professional version as well from their install without having to download new software.