Google to run in Intuit small business software

 

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intuit Inc. will feature several of Google Inc.'s products, including search and advertising, in its QuickBooks accounting software aimed at small businesses, the companies said on Wednesday.

The deal between the two Silicon Valley-based companies marks the latest in a string of business partnerships where hardware and software makers have agreed to feature Google software.

Google is racing with Internet rivals Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. to win prominent placement within major computer products to fend off efforts by rivals efforts to strike similarly exclusive deals.

The partnership also promises to help small business customers attract new clients. It helps Google get more small businesses to buy ads and use Google services while allowing Intuit users to get more out of their QuickBooks software.

As part of that effort to make QuickBooks more attractive and help users list their products on the Web, Intuit also said on Wednesday it paid $60 million for San Francisco-based StepUp, which helps businesses reach local customers.

In a statement, Intuit and Google said they had agreed to a strategic alliance aimed at helping millions of small businesses promote themselves online with several Google services built into most QuickBooks 2007 products.

QuickBooks will encourage users to market themselves online by listing their businesses on Google Maps, creating and managing advertising campaigns with Google AdWords and posting their products for sale using its Google Base free Web listing service for publishing the equivalent of online classified ads.

QuickBooks 2007 will be available in coming months.

Intuit also plans to embed Google Desktop search into QuickBooks 2007 so users will be able to quickly find customer, retailer or financial information stored inside QuickBooks or on their desktop.

(Additional reporting by Eric Auchard in New York)

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