Avalara, which makes Web-based sales-and-use applications has incorporated sales tax rate changes for 24 taxing jurisdictions in nine states that were implemented in August. The Bainbridge Island, Wash.-based company also updated jurisdictional boundary information in five states. It also added five new taxability rules to its database, covering such items as sales tax caps in Alaska, Arizona, and Florida, hosted software in Michigan, a change in rates on candy, soft drinks, and personal hygiene products in Illinois, a general sales tax holiday in West Virginia, and a sales tax holiday on firearms in Louisiana.

The new Act by Sage 2010 contact and customer manager integrates with social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Plaxo. It is compatible with a subscription-based Act E-marketing service, and is customizable to support various sales models. The application also sports a new look and user navigation.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Charles Schwab has set up a Web site for independent investment advisors called the Schwab Advisor Center that is designed to help them more efficient manage client clients. The site is located at www.schwabadvisorcenter.com,and integrates with Schwab Data Delivery, the company's data files delivery and data management application.

The new platform enables advisors to do the following: