Netbooks.com Becomes WorkingPoint, Re-Launches Free* Cloud-Based Business Management AppNetbooks.com Becomes WorkingPoint, Re-Launches Free* Cloud-Based Business Management App

What's in a name? For Netbooks.com, it was confusion when the business-management vendor's name became the common term for low-cost mini-laptops. So the company is relaunching as WorkingPoint.com as it takes its small-business management app out of beta.According to CEO Tate Holt, WorkingPoint's new software went into beta in March, because Netbooks.com's previous product "just didn't perform." Offered for free* for the first user (*each additional user is $10/month), WorkingPoint lets business owners track income and expenses and then move on to true double-entry bookkeeping. It also extends to contact management and inventory control. "We start down the path toward CRM," Holt said.

WorkingPoint is targeted at sole proprietors and companies with up to 10 employees, and is especially well suited for startups. "With a SaaS model," Holt said, we can delvier a very broad feature footprint, for free. All they need is a broadband connection and our URL."

Holt acknowledged that basing your businss on a free service could be risky, but said WorkingPoint is based on the Amazon cloud and offers 99%+ uptime. Besides, he added, most truly small businesses aren't going to be put out of business if they have to wait 10 minutes for their business application. There's an easy export feature if companies want to back up their own data or switch vendors. The company is not currently contemplating a premium option with a guaranteed Service Level Agreement.

As for growing out of the service, Holt said "If we can do a great job for companies with less than 10 employees, I'm sure there will be companies with more than 10 employees who will continue to use us."

So what about that Netbook.com name? Holt says the company plans to sell the domain in a couple months. "People are interested and I'll be happy to take their cash."

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