"In the past, associations have not needed robust fund accounting," Shy says. But that has changed as the needs of associations have become more complex.

Abila has moved in direction of associations under its new owner, Community Brands, which formed in April with its purchase of Abila and Aptify, an association management application. Community Brands was built on the structure of another association management software company, Your Membership.

"One of the things we are doing is taking our MIP product and cross selling into the association market," Shy says.

Community Brands expanded its portfolio in August with the purchase of another membership package, Configio. Despite the number of association applications the parent markets, Abila still represents a big chunk of Community Brands' business. "Half of our customers are in the nonprofit solutions group," Shy says.

Bob Scott

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Bob Scott has provided information to the tax and accounting community since 1991, first as technology editor of Accounting Today, and from 1997 through 2009 as editor of its sister publication, Accounting Technology. He is known throughout the industry for his depth of knowledge and for his high journalistic standards.  Scott has made frequent appearances as a speaker, moderator and panelist and events serving tax and accounting professionals. He  has a strong background in computer journalism as an editor with two former trade publications, Computer+Software News and MIS Week and spent several years with weekly and daily newspapers in Morris County New Jersey prior to that.  A graduate of Indiana University with a degree in journalism, Bob is a native of Madison, Ind