Microsoft to subtract Finance Manager

Microsoft confirmed Tuesday that it will pull the plug on its Finance Manager online accounting service in a month, as the software giant pushes Finance Manager customers to migrate toward desktop applications from its recently acquired Great Plains unit and toward other software applications.

While Microsoft will continue for the moment to provide other services through its bCentral network, a portal for small businesses, it will also slowly nudge users to other desktop applications such as Office, FrontPage and Publisher, according to Satya Nadella, the bCentral's vice president. In the case of Finance Manager at bCentral, Nadella said that most users prefered to have their accounting data on their desktop rather than have it hosted off-site. He said Great Plains' new Small Business Manager allows small companies to keep track of their finances.