Xero now available in Australia
We’re happy to announce the Australian version of Xero is now available. You can read the full release notes here. This is another huge milestone for us – it’s the third market we have entered in just over a year.
We know there’s huge demand for an alternative to MYOB and we’re very proud to say the wait is finally over.
Australia’s 2.5 million small businesses can now join the thousands of businesses already using Xero in New Zealand and the UK.
We’ve worked closely with Australian businesses and accountants to make sure Xero simplifies the management of GST and the preparation of Activity Statements.
We’re also pleased to announce that two of Australia’s largest banks will be providing automated daily bank feeds soon after launch.
Pricing is $49 for the first organisation, $24 for additional organisations (AUD, exclusive of GST).
As a special limited time offer, if you already have a New Zealand based Xero subscription, adding an additional Australian organisation will only cost $24 (AUD, exclusive of GST). Contact sales@xero.com for complete details.
If you know any Australian business people or accountants please send them a link to our sign up page so they can try Xero for free.
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23 comments
Ed
Congratulations! So, when will the US version be launched?
E.
[...] to hear that Xero have fully launched their Australian offering. Fact is that Australia is a huge market [...]
1 October 2008 #
[...] blogged about the launch here and already got some coverage in The Age newspaper. I did offer to fly over and do a roadshow [...]
Hi Ed,
We will have a global version early next year that should work for the US. Once we have some US customers onboard we’ll be looking for feedback on US specific features.
Do you you have any specific thoughts on features we should be doing for the US market?
Hi Rod
I would like to be able to bulk import invoices into the system. The thought of having to key in every single transaction that we process every day is unthinkable.
I’m also having trouble convincing my accountant to consider Xero as an alternative to MYOB. Any tips?
Regards
Wai Hong
Sarah
Hi Rod
You said Xero will have Global version coming our early next year. So would that mean it will be out before the end of February?
Wai, send us their phone number or an email through support and we’ll call him.
Sarah, we hope to have it available before then. Always hard to tell with software but currently the schedule is well before the end of February.
Chris Dawes
I’m a little worried my data is being stored in the USA. This means any USA financial storage laws affect my data….
Why isn’t there a sql cluster in Australia?
Hi Chris, we have some aspects of the system in the US, Australia and New Zealand for performance and convenience. Having a central database allows our customers to roam around the world and have excellent performance where ever they are. I’m in Hong Kong today and can still check what’s going on in the business. I have no idea where my GMail or Hotmail data is stored or any of my cloud based application.
If we hosted NZ customers in NZ the performance would be unbearable in the UK and vice versa.
The data served on Xero is very small. A years worth of accounting data is probably about the same as a single hi-res photo. For Web 2.0 apps 99% of the volume that hits the browser is css, js and other resources. This static information only changes on a version update so we house that close to our customers. So when in the UK I hit our UK Content Node.
This is a perception issue though and one the industry is working on. This is one of the reasons we selected a global hosting partner like RackSpace who can help and lobby on international data protection issues.
We made the call that at this stage of the SaaS industry and in the small business space convenience and speed is more important. But we’re watching and listening.
Congrats to all at Xero! Awesome news – and I hope the buzz that you have had in NZ translates well across the ditch. I’m sure it well.
As a CA and Business Advisor here in NZ who was an early acdopter of Xero, I can recommend the product to any forward-thinking accountants or consultants. We now have 20-odd business clients on or currently moving to Xero – none are asking to go back to MYOB funnily enough 
James
Rod,
I think I share Chris’ concerns.
Already I believe the legal situation in the US is that the federal government basically gets to rake through any and all financial information stored in their jurisdiction (such as US servers), on the pretext of preventing terrorism.
Somehow, that doesn’t sit well with me.
I understand you made the decision for reasons of performance, but I’m not sure you addressed Chris’ concern.
@James, there is no perfect answer yet but our thinking is that for most small businesses, while not ideal, it’s not a show stopper for most right now. It will become an issue for Enterprise SaaS vendors first so we’re watching it closely. A good example of technology ahead of governments.
Microsoft is starting to mention geo-databases so we expect to see some more thinking and debate about this issue over the next few months.
So what are the 2 major Australian Banks and when will they be available for feeds.
Elliot
Andrew – NBR interview stated “two major banks will offer feeds from mid-October” – So any day now.
I would guess it is 2 of the banks that own NZ banks – as these would be the easiest to convince (as their NZ banks have taken it on board)
The NBR interview was not accurate. Our official release was more loosely worded ‘soon after launch’.
http://www.xero.com/downloads/pdf/announcements/300908-xero-takes-on-myob-in-australia.pdf
Sorry about that confusion but rest assured we are working hard on the feeds but they are not days away. There is a lot of work we have to do around provisioning and processes but we are getting there.
Feeds do make Xero come alive but Xero still works great with uploading OFX files.
I would like to see live feeds from ANZ.
Great work on the product, you guys are ahead of the curve!
Matthew B
Cannot be far away now till the big announcement??? must be on finishing touches… Fingers crossed CBA is one of the first up and running!
We’ve just annouced NAB is first up, with feeds live in December. More to come.
alan
If I am buying xero in Australia do I have to pay GST if it’s from the cloud? Does this apply to all SaaS products?
@Alan – yes our prices for Xero are GST inclusive – you’re purchasing in Australia in Australian dollars from our Australian entity so in this case the service is subject to GST. This would vary across SaaS products if you purchased something out of Australia – their tax laws may come into effect. Regards, Catherine
Is 29$ the minimum fee? don’t you have something for individuals not small organizations? I guess 29 box is a bit high for individuals.
Thanks for the feedback
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Yippeee!
Finally it’s here. How friendly will xero be for an ecommerce website like mine? Would be interested to know.
Regards
Wai Hong