Sarbanes Oxley Simplified.

Sarbanes Oxley Simplified, CD-ROM, 2006, Competence Software Inc., $99.

Support: Text of Sarbanes Oxley, glossary, and references.

Over the four short years since Sarbanes Oxley was enacted, it has caused more headaches and compliance issues for America's publicly-held corporations then could possibly have been imagined. With the grand purpose of protecting investors by improving financial disclosures, the Act has, in all probability, achieved its intentions.

But the costs and difficulty of compliance still cause corporate executives to lose sleep--especially those who sign the certifications required by SOX, as the Act is affectionately called. This is why programs like Sarbanes Oxley Simplified from Competence Software have become a necessary part of a public corporation's training program.

Covers the requirements

Sarbanes Oxley Simplified is a useful CD-ROM program that meets the specific need of providing compliance training on this complex law. It is straightforward in its presentation of the material and, in most parts of the program, directly quotes from the Act itself. It is thorough in covering the 11 titles and 66 sections of SOX and specifically targets the 302 requirements on certification and the 404 financial control rules with their own separate lessons. Each lesson ends with a self-test to measure proficiency. The program also includes the full text of the Act that is fully searchable and linked to an integrated glossary of terms.

There is nothing fancy or elaborate about this desktop software program. You start by providing your company name, industry type, and choosing a graphic that resembles your organization's office building. Beyond that, the program is fairly simple and uncomplicated. It is very much like a PowerPoint presentation without the presenter. You read the slides, take in the content, and test your knowledge before going on to another lesson. I could have done, however, without the two advertisements for other Competence Software programs in the lessons.

As a self-paced program you do not need to complete the lessons all in one sitting, as it remembers what you last completed. The program also allows for multiple users to save their individual progress data.

Gone missing: applying the law

While the program is complete in its coverage of SOX, it will not provide you with a comprehensive knowledge on how to apply the law. It is like the difference between watching a cooking show so you know how to prepare a meal and actually getting in the kitchen to do it yourself. This program will not help you do the latter. For financial executives charged with implementation of SOX provisions in their company, this program will not cut it. For other staff who just need to understand the law and the importance of compliance, it will do the trick adequately.

I wonder if the price of $99 per user would be too much to spend for a larger company. An in-house produced program could do just as well at providing this type of compliance training at a much lower cost per user but perhaps without the ability to track progress and certify completion in a self-paced format.

Recommendation

Sarbanes Oxley Simplified cleanly does what is says it will do: provide the user with an understanding of the purpose and importance of SOX. If your needs go beyond that, this is not the program to purchase.

Review by John-Paul Morgante

Product Ratings

Sarbanes Oxley Simplified

Ease of installation      *** 1/2
Holds user interest       **
Production quality        **
Degree of interactivity   * 1/2
Quality of interactivity  * 1/2
Documentation             *** 1/2
Value of Content          **
Instructional Value       ** 1/2
Value for the money       * 1/2
Overall rating            **