Tech Briefs.

* GEAC BUYING CLARUS CORP.: Construction industry software vendor Geac Computer Systems has signed an agreement to acquire the financial and human resource management systems business of Clarus Corp., a $40-million company with approximately 300 customers across North America. The transaction is expected to close sometime around November. In a separate matter, earlier this year, Geac said that it plans to heavily recruit CPAs as advisors trained to recommend its software products to clients in the middle market.

* SOLOMON ENTERS APPLICATION SERVICES PROVIDER ARENA: Joining the ranks of rival accounting software vendor Great Plains, Solomon Software has launched an application service provider program to deliver its Solomon IV software to small and midsized companies. In an announcement to resellers at its annual conference, Solomon said that its ASP will enable customers "to outsource the management of their financial and business systems, and to simplify their in-house technology systems." Under the program, end users lease their accounting software and access it via the Internet from servers operated and updated by the vendor. Great Plains, Solomon's chief rival in the middle market, rolled out an ASP for its Dynamics software late last year. Solomon also has established a special program with tech leasing firm First Sierra Financials that will allow customers of its ASP both to apply for the service and obtain financing for it online.

* CENTURY BUSINESS SERVICES BUYS TECHNOLOGY FIRM: In one of its largest transactions yet, the accounting industry consolidator has acquired Tri-Tek Information Services Inc. and will make that $30-million, St. Louis-based technology services firm part of its CBiz Interactive Division. "Tri-Tek's wide range of information systems services complements our Web-site building, e-commerce and Internet capabilities, and significantly enhances our CBiz Interactive Division," said Fred M. Winkler, CBiz president and chief operating officer. Century, which ranked No. 7 on Accounting Today's Top 100 Firms list last year, had 1998 revenue of $363 million built primarily by acquiring accounting firms and other business services firms much smaller than Tri-Tek.

* AUSTRALIAN VENDOR PLANS BIG IN PRACTICE MANAGEMENT: Out to establish itself as a practice management software powerhouse, Australian accounting software vendor Solution 6 Holdings has signed a $30 million agreement to acquire CMS/Data Corp. from Hummingbird Communications Ltd. CMS is a vendor of software for professional services firms, whose 240 customers include accounting firms Deloitte & Touche and Grant Thornton. "For some time now, it has been clear that the accounting, consulting and legal industries, particularly amongst the larger firms, are converging. Solution 6 wants to ensure that we are first in the market to take advantage of the enormous opportunities that will present themselves," said chief executive Chris Tyler.

EPICOR ADDING ELECTRONIC COMMERCE TECHNOLOGY: Epicor Software Corp. plans to extend its Platinum ERA accounting/enterprise software line by developing an ERA.net-Commerce product that will support electronic commerce functions, such as Internet-based corporate procurement, product catalogs and electronic storefronts. The product, to be built on Microsoft's BizTalk framework, is scheduled for rollout by year's end. "Epicor has selected BizTalk as the foundation of our e-commerce strategy because of our shared vision to provide highly functional, rapidly deployable solutions to middle-market enterprises," said Epicor product marketing vice president Mike Pennell. "BizTalk provides a complete business-to-business framework that will allow our mutual customers to take advantage of opportunities in a rapidly changing Internet economy."