Intuit drops restrictions on Quickbooks app development

Intuit, the makers of the Quickbooks financial software for businesses, is jumping on board the open source app frenzy. The company this week announced Federated Applications, an enhancement to the Intuit Partner Platform that allows any software developer to use the tools of his or her choice to create applications for Intuit customers.

The platform for app development has been around for some time but had been locked to specific programming languages, tools and platforms. Intuit's update removes those restrictions. The apps are made available to some 25 million small business employees who use Quickbooks. are made available in Intuit's application market place. In a statement, Alex Chriss, business leader for the Intuit Partner Platform, said:

Small businesses simply want the best products available that solve their problems, save them time and money and help them grow their business – and they want those products to work together. By opening our platform to all developers and technologies, we’re helping solve small businesses’ most critical needs under one unified and seamlessly connected ecosystem.

As small- to medium-sized businesses tap into the resources on the Internet, longtime software providers like Intuit are looking to expand their offerings to meet the needs of customers using advanced technology. Earlier this week, Intuit announced the acquisition of PayCycle, a privately held online payroll service for small businesses, for roughly $170 million.

Last month, the company announced Intuit GoPayment, a new service that will put credit-card processing technology into most cell phones and pave the way for electricians, tow-truck drivers or any other mobile workers who normally depend on sending a bill, collecting a check or sticking to a cash-only model to collect immediate payment.

Also see: Phil Wainewright: Intuit makes two-pronged PaaS and SaaS push