Have you discovered the current hot social  tool named Twitter? Think of it as instant messaging only instead of the message being private, it’s broadcast to everyone as a general comment.

Messages within Twitter are commonlly referred to as Tweets. They can be a maximum of 140 characters long which matches the US maximum for cellular text messages (aka SMS), one of the main ways that subscribers can read tweets from those they “follow”.

Twitter is used by people to keep up to date with what their friends are doing the day. The messages can be as innocent as indicating that someone is having a bad day at work. Often times during the day the Tweets will rant about particularly stressful events.

This is where companies have an opportunity to keep their ear to the ground and catch any type of early chit-chat on Twitter that might be unfavorable (or perhaps favorable) about their product(s).

Most companies know about Google Alerts which are saved searches that Google will use to send you messages whenever select topics appear in the news. Many companies have set up Google Alerts for themselves so that they’ll be instantly notified by Google whenever their company name appears online.

TweetBeep.com is a similar service only it’s designed to scan Twitter feeds for keywords that you designate. These keywords could be your company name – or possibly the name of a competitor. When the service detects the keyword in a Twitter feed you’ll receive an email alert with the name of the person who sent the Tweet.

By monitoring the Twitter streams you can stay on top of what’s being discussed about your company and have a chance to reward or defend any unfair (or complimentary) messages.

TweetBeep is currently free and available at http://www.tweetbeep.com

1. What is Sage MAS 90 and 200 Federal and State eFiling and Reporting?
Federal and State eFiling and Reporting is a new module in Sage MAS 90 and 200 4.3, added to streamline your tax reporting processes. Over 250 federal and state forms for Unemployment, Withholding, New Hire reports, W2s, and W3s are included to assist you with filing payroll tax information. You’ll be able to automatically eFile W-2s and 1099s to the appropriate state and federal agencies, print and mail the forms to your employees, or choose to use the fee based eFiling service.

2. How does Federal and State eFiling and Reporting work?
When you use the electronic forms within Sage MAS 90 or 200 4.3, they’ll look very familiar, as they are a replica of the printed government form that get in the mail, but on your screen they won’t be blank — much of the information will already be populated in the appropriate fields for you by your system. Simply select the form from within Sage MAS 90 or 200, view and edit the information easily on your screen, and once you’ve verified it’s the way you want it, the form is ready to print or eFile.

3. How do I file my information?
If you choose to print the forms and mail them yourself, you’ll be able to utilize blank, perforated W2 & 1099 forms, available for purchase from our Forms Division, without having to align pre-printed forms. Many state forms, such as Withholding and Unemployment, allow you to print on blank paper, and don’t require the purchase of any preprinted forms. You can also go completely green by utilizing our eFiling Service, offered on a transaction fee basis, to further streamline and simplify your tax reporting process. You choose how much of the service to utilize, from efficient filing of employee New Hire or Unemployment forms to a complete filing service for W2s and 1099s, with hardcopies sent to your employees, and to you for your records. You can also provide your employees with immediate access to their copy on a secure Web site. You only incur fees for the forms you choose to eFile. You’ll always be in compliance with our automated form updates. And every report is saved in its own history file for easy retrieval to reprint, edit, or eFile.

4. What is the pricing for Federal and State eFiling and Reporting?
Federal and State eFiling and Reporting functionality is automatically included with Sage MAS 90 or 200 4.3, and works with your Payroll and Accounts Payable modules. You also have no additional cost to your maintenance or support plan. You only incur fees for the forms you choose to eFile. No sign up fees, and no subscription fees. Use Federal and State eFiling and Reporting to save significant time so you can focus on other important areas of your business.

5. How does eFiling work?
Select the W-2 or 1099 form within your Sage MAS 90 or 200 software. After confirming your W2 or 1099 information is correct, click eFile and follow the simple instructions. If filing only W2s, you do not have to complete the payment info or signature page options. This enrollment site allows you to set up your password-protected, personal, efile management account. Enter your company information, other reporting details, and POA release to be ready to efile immediately. The site maintains a complete detailed history of all filings. Personalized messaging from our eFiling administrators provide details about your filing, as well as alerts concerning critical filing information.

6. What are the eFiling fees?
Unemployment, withholding and New Hire are $7.95 per form.

The fees for the W2 and 1099 eFiling service depend on how much of the service you want to utilize and how manyforms you file.

Complete W-2 or 1099 eFile Service
W-2s are automatically eFiled to the appropriate State and Federal agencies and printed and
mailed directly to your employees as well as posted to a secure website for immediate access.
$1.49/employee

Express W-2 or 1099 eFile Service
Files Federal W-2s, State W-2s and provides Employee W-2s on-line.W-2s are automatically
eFiled to the appropriate State and Federal agencies and distributed to your employees
electronically via a secured website.
$0.99/employee

Federal & State
W-2s are eFiled to State and Federal agencies $0.99/employee
Federal or State eFile either Federal or State W-2s $0.49/employee
$19.95 minimum applies to all W-2 fillings.

7. What forms can be filed electronically?
The complete list of electronically filed forms is found here.

8. What information is saved?
For each form, it is time and date stamped, the actual filed form is saved, and the history file is encrypted.

9. How do I get updated forms to ensure I’m printing or eFiing with the most current version?
Since over 20% of forms change quarterly, we’ve built in a simple, automatic updating process for you.
Sage MAS 90 or 200 will require an Internet connection, and you’ll need to be current on your
subscription plan. The system will prompt you for your Sage Software Online login and password. You’ll
need to know

10. How do I know my eFiled W-2 was received?
You will receive an email immediately upon the receipt of the filing. Your email will contain a unique
confirmation id number, and if you choose that service, the anticipated date that your employees W2s will
be mailed.

11. How am I charged for the eFiling fees?
Payments are made via a major credit card at the time of the eFiling.

12. What if my employee looses their W2?
Never fear, your eFiling history is stored for future viewing and printing, as needed.

13. What if I need to correct a W2?
Federal or State W2s are not actually filed until their respective due dates. In most cases, if the revised
W2 is re-eFiled by March 28th, your account is simply updated to reflect the revised information.
However, if it becomes necessary, you will have the opportunity to file W2Cs if you initially used the
eFiling service.

14. Can I send printed W-2s to some employees and do online delivery for others?
Yes, with the Complete Service option, you can choose to have printed W-2s delivered to some of your
employees and others online only. You’ll be billed at the Complete Service rate for employees receiving a
printed W-2s, and Express Rate for the employees who receive their W2 online.

15. How do my employees receive logins for access to their information?
Your employees will receive this information via their email addresses. Through the history file that is
created during the eFiling process, your Payroll Administrator will have access to all their information,
including passwords.

16. If I print my own W-2s and want to only eFile my State and Federal copies, can I still provide my
employees with the convenience of the online service?
Yes, for $0.20 per employee, you can provide your employees access to their information, in cases they
need an additional copy.

17. Where do I go to learn more about this exciting new product?
You can contact your Business Partner or your Sage MAS 90 and 200 Customer Account Representative
to discuss your needs and arrange for a demo. You can also go online to read our data sheet, or attend
one of our interactive product demo webcasts. Access the eFiling site at https://sagemas.aatrix.com/.

Download copy of Sage Software 2008 eFiling FAQ for Sage MAS 90 and 200

The Blackberry Storm seems on the fast track to your local Verizon store. An eagle eyed member of the Crackberry.com Blackberry discussion forum snapped photos of this display model at their local Verizon Wireless store.

As the first keyboardless Blackberry, the Storm has been widely anticipated by enthusiasts.

There have been far fewer leaks of this device than all previous Blackberry models. The keyboard is all touch with rumors that you can actually press on the screen and get feedback (aka – haptic). If the touch screen is widely adopted it could herald a whole generation of keyboardless berry’s.

This model Blackberry is expected to be exclusive to Verizon Wireless for an indefinite period of time. Some early rumors have the phone on an indefinite exclusivity period subject to minimum sales numbers.

The launch of both the Blackberry Bold and Blackberry Storm will also usher in the next release of the Blackberry Operating System 4.5 (or higher) whose most eagerly anticipated feature may be the inclusion of HTML email reading capabilities on all Blackberry’s. Unlike the iPhone, using HTML email on the Blackberry is dependent upon an outside service called BES (Blackberry Enterprise Server) or BIS (Blackberry Internet Service) which is a mandatory subscription that pushes email and web browsing to all Blackberry users.

via: Crackberry