Letters - Giving the clients time.

Your article (Solution 6 to scrap software products, 8 March, page 10) seems to create a negative spin on one of the most positive transformations seen in the area of IT software to the professional accountancy marketplace.

In September when the Solution 6 and Viztopia Software businesses were put together, Solution 6 had an excellent tax product but lacked strength in the accounts preparation and practice management functions. Such weakness had resulted in Solution 6 predicting a considerable UK loss for the year ended 30 June 2001.

Six months later, having run a series of seminars, a plan has been communicated to our users which will see PerTAX, Viztopia Accounts and Viztopia Practice Management as the Solution 6 mainstream products. In order not to bully our clients into converting to Viztopia Software, existing products will be supported until 30 June 2002. This will give clients 21 months from the amalgamation to plan and co-ordinate their conversions. The volume of clients wishing to convert has been exceptional and the forecasted losses have been eradicated in six months.

I would like to point out that 35 staff were not made redundant from any part of the UK operation including out Nottingham office.

I appreciate this opportunity to clarify the current situation.

Laurence Milton, managing director.