"Critical Update"
As Christmas was upon us, Intuit pushed out a rather suspicious 'email' saying that there was a critical update for QuickBooks, it didn't say what version, what it was for, or even how it would impact your desktop products.
In some versions, especially 2015 and 2016 the update may have already slipped into your product using their 'push' method of behind the scenes updates. This update involves the way that connected services are 'connected' to your desktop products and supposedly strengthens the 'security' associated with such connections.
It impacts all desktop version of QuickBooks 2013 thru 2016, and all flavors of those versions (Pro, Premier, Enterprise, Accountant, etc.). I haven't really heard anything 'negative' about installing these updates, so if you use connected services chances are you should go right ahead and update. Of course, if you have been holding off on any prior updates for any number of reasons, you can't install this latest update without those being installed as well, because Intuit updates via the regular auto-download/install are cumulative.
.
"QuickBooks 2015 - Release 9"
Intuit also issued Release 9 for QuickBooks 2015, the most major change is related to Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance, Intuit says that this updates involves migration of MSXML code base from 4 to 6 to address PCI (Payment Card Industry) Compliance standards.
- For users concerned with PCI Compliance, you should consult your IT professional to remove MSXML 4.0 from your system and complete the upgrade process.
- Once MSXML 4.0 is removed from your computer, the following third party apps that require MSXML 4.0 will not be supported: Contacts Sync, Scan Manager, and Shipping Manager.
In other words you can either install this release and perform the associated change in MSXML from 4 to 6 and be 'credit card compliant' and loose your ability to use Contacts Sync, Scan Manager and Shipping Manager; or not install Release 9 (and therefore not need to remove MSXML 4) and therefore be out of "credit card compliance" but retain the ability to use Contacts Snc, Scan Manager, and Shipping Manager.
By the way, while these 3 Intuit related products (Contacts Sync, Scan Manager, and Shipping Manager) all require MSXML 4.0, they may NOT be the only products on your computer that require MSXML 4.0, you may have other applications that might require this Microsoft XML version and which might NOT work with the newer MSXML 6.0 version. You definitely should consult with your IT Professional BEFORE installing Release 9 in my opinion.
It seems with Intuit and PCI compliance we can't 'have our cake and eat it too.'