Enterprise Nation

Aqilla founders, Colin Christianson and Hugh Scantlebury, claim their web-based accounting software, Aqilla, was named after nothing more sinister than an available domain name and trademark. But their aspirations could make theirs 'a killer' app in what's becoming a competitive market.

It's a market I've written about before here on Enterprise Nation and one that's increasingly popular with home based businesses. Web-based solutions mean home business owners can manage their accounting on demand, through their web browser and essentially wherever they are.

What makes Aqilla different?

It uses open source tools wherever possible, so the company's giving something back to the world of IT, whilst developing a platform that's constantly improving. Not only that, but the boys - Colin and Hugh - are giving something back to the environment. One of their key aims is to encourage green practices, which Aqilla helps to do by reducing the need to print things out. Pricing is simple - £50 per user per month - and there are no setup costs or ongoing maintenance fees. Your data's safe too, thanks to state of the art security, automatic backups and disaster recovery procedures (I need one of those for my life!).

Its interface is clean and uncluttered and might be the first online accounting application to be considered a Google 'mash up'. Its dashboard has a similar look and feel to iGoogle. And that's no coincidence. It uses Google widgets to display new items, a currency convertor and calendar.

Aqilla is a welcome addition to the online accounting marketplace, not least because it's based in the London, so its tax handling is geared to UK users.

Find out more on the link below - and if you try it out, let us know how you get on by returning to this article and leaving a comment below.

• Aqilla

San Sharma is a creative thinker, blogger and designer, as well as a writer on popular culture, technology and business.

• www.sansharma.com