IBM has started selling a turnkey SMB appliance integrated with Intuit's QuickBooks software called the Smart Cube. It starts at $7,745 and includes e-mail, calendaring and Big Blue support.

There's also access to remote services such as managed security and hosted data backup and recovery services through IBM's cloud services.

The Intuit box is based on Intel's Xeon chip and Novell's SUSE Linux operating system and sounds like what Oracle CEO Larry Ellison is talking about doing when he takes over Sun and its hardware. Both Larry and IBM compare such things to Apple and its iPhone. IBM has other Power-i Cubes as well as Linux ones in the wings that it'll be selling into other markets.

IBM claims the Intuit device can be up and running in four steps with no manuals needed to run the thing.

It's part of a scheme called Smart Business that IBM piloted in India late last year. The Intuit machine marks its introduction into the U.S. and IBM will move it through the channel. The channel is supposed to have more access to SMBs.

The proposition includes an online Smart Market marketplace where users can get other third-party software that IBM gets paid to list and a web-enabled Smart Desk dashboard for maintenance, updating applications or subscribing to those remote application services.

IBM hopes to capitalize on the U.S. stimulus bill, which expands deductions for small and medium businesses investing in technology, doubling the amount they can write off when purchasing new equipment.

IBM Global Financing has set aside $2 billion to finance purchases under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

IDC says SMB spending worldwide should reach $674.4 billion in 2013.

The integrated QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions manages finances, inventory, sales, purchasing and payroll and is geared to companies with 20-500 employees. Over 60,000 businesses use QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions.