It now plans to develop as an established application service provider with Indialedger.com. The company is planning to add several utilities to its web-based accounting portal in the coming months.

The company is planning to launch an off-line module to beat the high telephone charges, which should available by mid-June. However, promoter and managing director Alok Agarwal of Matrix says that he hopes to start the module by June 15 and trial run is on, but there is a possibility that it might be delayed for a couple of days. Explaining the need for the off-line module, Agarwal said that the high telephone charges has been the only hindrance to the growth in popularity of the portal. He noted that after paying for a monthly Rs 400 for accessing the facilities on the portal, an user needing an average two to three hours uploading time, run up a Rs 8,000 plus phone bill, which was becoming a deterrent. The new off-line module will enable users to download an utility, enter the data and then upload it on the page. This will slash telephone cost in a massive way, Agarwal said.

Matrix had announced a free 30 day usage which is slated to close in a couple of weeks, with 10 per cent of the users already having registered. Agarwal is planning to provide its registered users with one extra login free, so as to enable chartered accountants to access the data uploaded by the users.

In mid-July, the portal plans to add another new feature for maintaining of receivables and payables, followed by one on trading inventory in mid-July. In mid-September, the portal will have facilities for issuing invoices and maintaining of inventory for manufacturing units.

These will be in addition to the portal-specific facilities like Saral form, application for permanent account numbers, information on various dates for filing of returns.

Agarwal plans a message board by end of this month, for various tax-related issues on which its own counsel will responding.