The Tech Gap

GLL Interviews Thomson VP about Virtual Office

As a South Dakota native, and now-returned resident, I have to confess that the significance of the  "first day of hurricane season" has previously been pretty much lost on me. Until today, that is. I am attending the Florida Institute of CPAs Accounting & Business Expo in Orlando and somehow (go figure) this day seems to have some special meaning for Florida residents. Maybe it's the pounding they've taken over the past few years or their still-fresh memories of their neighbors a few states west. In either case, the CPAs here at the show are most definitely interested in products and services that might help the weather the next big one. I had a nice conversation with Teresa Mackintosh, VP of Marketing at Thomson Creative Solutions and we discussed what she's been hearing at their booth --- from both existing customers and those looking for new solutions.

[Interview runs ~6 minutes.]

gll




MP3 File

AICPA's Top 10 Technologies Released

The AICPA today officially released its 2006 Top Ten Technologies. [Note: I emphasize "today" because, as a member of the committee that determined the technologies to be presented I have had the results for quite some time. I, however, chose to honor the AICPAs embargo date and did NOT write about them until today. Others covering this type of news were not so honorable and printed the list last week. As an editor and as a member of the AICPA's Top 10 Technologies, I am embarrassed for them.

Now --- that said --- below is a reprint of the Top 10 and the 5 Honorable Mentions. In as much as I helped draft this document I have taken it, without comment, directly from the AICPA's press release.

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For the fourth consecutive year, professionals who sit at the intersection of information technology and accounting have selected Information Security as the number one technology to watch in 2006, according to the results of the 17th annual Top Ten Technologies survey of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Four new technologies join six holdovers on the 2006 list:  Assurance and Compliance, IT Governance, Privacy Management, and Spyware Detection and Removal.   

The following are the 2006 Top 10 Technologies. Those new to the list are so noted.

1. Information Security. The hardware, software, processes, and procedures in place to protect information systems from internal and external threats. It includes routers, perimeter firewalls, IP strategy, intrusion detection and reporting, content filtering, anti-virus, anti-spyware, password management, vulnerability assessment, patch management, personal firewalls, wireless security strategies, data encryption, locked facilities and user education.

2. Assurance and Compliance Applications (e.g. SOX 404, ERM). Collaboration and compliance tools that enable various stakeholders to monitor, document, assess, test and report on compliance with specified controls.

3. Disaster and Business Continuity Planning. The development, monitoring, and updating of the process by which organizations plan for continuity of their business in the event of a loss of business information resources due to impairments such as theft, virus infestation, weather damage, accidents, or other malicious destruction. This also includes business continuation and contingency planning.

4. IT Governance. IT governance is a structure of relationships and processes to direct and control the enterprise in order to achieve the enterprise's goals by adding value, while still balancing risk versus return over IT and its processes.

5. Privacy Management. Privacy encompasses the rights and obligations of individuals and organizations with respect to the collection, use, disclosure, and retention of personal information. As more information and processes are being converted to a digital format, this information must be protected from unauthorized users and from unauthorized usage by those with access to the data. This includes complying with local, state, national and international laws.

6.  Digital Identity and Authentication Technologies. A way to ensure users are who they say they are—that the user who attempts to perform functions in a system is in fact the user who is authorized to do so. This includes hardware and software solutions that enable the electronic verification of a user's identity or a message's validity, for example, digital certificates. This technology includes the use of bar codes, magnetic stripe, biometrics, tokens and access control for authentication, non-repudiation, and authorization.

7. Wireless Technologies. Connectivity and transfer of data between devices via the airwaves, i.e. without physical connectivity. Wireless technologies include Bluetooth (PAN), infrared, WiFi (802.11 WLAN), Wi-Max (802.16), 2.5G & 3G (WWAN) and, satellite.

8.  Application and Data Integration. Using current and emerging technologies, including .NET, web-services, Java, XML (the foundation for XBRL) & Ajax, to facilitate integration of data between heterogeneous applications. In its most basic format, XBRL focuses on the agreement to improve gathering, analyzing and sharing business reporting data. For example updating a field in one application and have it automatically synchronize with other applications. This allows organizations to select and seamlessly integrate "best of breed" applications.

9. Paperless Digital Technologies. Document and content management includes the process of capturing, indexing, storing, retrieving, searching, and managing documents electronically including database management (PDF and other formats). Knowledge management then brings structure and control to this information, allowing organizations to harness the intellectual capital contained in the underlying data.

10. Spyware Detection and Removal. Technology that detects and removes programs attempting to covertly gather and transmit confidential user information without his or her knowledge or permission. Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs or attached to malicious websites. Once installed, spyware can monitor user activity, gather information about e-mail addresses, passwords, and credit card numbers in the background, then transmit this information to someone else.  Spyware can include Remote Access Trojans (RAT) and root kits. 

Honorable Mention

In addition to the Top Ten Technologies list, this year the AICPA is also including a section for Honorable Mention, the technologies that placed #11− #15 in the final tabulation.

11.  E-mail Filtering including Spam and Malware scanning. Solutions (software, hardware appliances and/or managed services) that help reduce/eliminate unwanted, nuisance and malicious e-mail delivered to end-user inboxes by employing a number of strategies including white list, black list, content filtering, domain name authentication and real-time SMTP connection monitoring and blocking. 

12. Outsourcing. Hiring an outside resource to perform all, or portions, of an organization's internal IT support, transaction processing, application support or special projects.

13. Storage & Backup Technologies. Technologies that allow additional storage capacity, either locally or over the Web, to be added to a device or network that can then be used for additional space or data backup. Technologies include Direct Attached Storage (DAS), Network Attached Storage (NAS), Storage Area Networks (SAN), optical (DVD, CD, Blu-Ray), etc. Web solutions include Connected, Live Vault and NovaStor. Storage strategies include copying data via disk imaging, cloning, shadow copying, etc. to easily and quickly maintain duplications of data to ensure fast and easy recovery.

14.  Patch & Network Management Tools. Tools and strategies to centrally patch, manage, upgrade and maintain applications and operating systems across an enterprise, eg. MS MOM (Microsoft Operation Manager), MS WSUS (Microsoft Windows Server Update Service), Shavlik, Dell Open Manage, ZenWorks, Unicenter TNG, etc.

15. Technology Competency & Effective Utilization. The methodology and curriculum by which personnel learn to understand and utilize technology. This includes learning competency and learning plans to increase the knowledge of individuals. This also includes ensuring that the organization has resources available to efficiently train new hires on technology and train current employees on full utilization of existing technology on a timely basis.

First Annual CCH User Conference Starts Strong

The Kierland Westin Resort is a gorgeous venue and the CCH event team has done a masterful of total branding --- from signage to pens, to cups and napkins --- eveything that could hold one is today sporting the new CCH logo. Nancy Mckinstry, Kevein Robert, and Mike Sabbatis kicked off the First Annual CCH User Conference this morning before over 320 attendees in Scottsdale, AZ. McKinstry, CEO of Wolters Kluwer (CCH's parent company) told the audience of the Wolters Kluwer corporate move from holding company to operational company while Robert emphasized the combination of software and research into a single business unit. While McKinstry's "welcome" remarks were politely received, most practitioners seemed to be far more energized by Robert's keynote. His statement that "75% of the membership of the AICPA would retire in the next 15 years" drew an audible gasp in the room. His admonition to attendees was strong --- "Don't pave the cowpath" but rather adapt your business practice to take advantage of new and emerging technologies. His comments also laid out a directional plan for the CCH "platform" to evolve into a knowledge management solution.

More later.

gll

Tiny URL --- a Very Handy Utility

Last week when speaking to a group of practicing accountants I was asked for a solution to a fairly common problem --- that being how to avoid those tediously long URL addresses when sending a link to a client. You know, the ones that break up in email and cause headaches for the recipient and [sometimes] phone calls for the sender! My solution was TinyURL and I was astounded that no one in the room had ever even heard of the service. My bad! It's my job to pass along these things and on this particular utility I've obviously failed. I've been using this service for years and it's become second-nature for me. The people who wrote it tell it best ..... here's how they describe it:

Welcome to TinyURL!™

Are you sick of posting URLs in emails only to have it break when sent causing the recipient to have to cut and paste it back together? Then you've come to the right place. By entering in a URL in the text field below, we will create a tiny URL that will not break in email postings and never expires.

Enter a long URL to make tiny:

An example

Turn this URL:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?ovi=1&mqma
p.x=300&mqmap.y=75&mapdata=%252bKZmeiIh6N%252bI
gpXRP3bylMaN0O4z8OOUkZWYe7NRH6ldDN96YFTIUmSH3Q6
OzE5XVqcuc5zb%252fY5wy1MZwTnT2pu%252bNMjOjsHjvN
lygTRMzqazPStrN%252f1YzA0oWEWLwkHdhVHeG9sG6cMrf
XNJKHY6fML4o6Nb0SeQm75ET9jAjKelrmqBCNta%252bsKC
9n8jslz%252fo188N4g3BvAJYuzx8J8r%252f1fPFWkPYg%
252bT9Su5KoQ9YpNSj%252bmo0h0aEK%252bofj3f6vCP

into this tinyURL:

http://tinyurl.com/6

Which one would you rather cut and paste into your browser? That's the power of TinyURL!

The website is [obviously] http://www.tinyurl.com.

Enjoy.

gll

Google to Merge With Amazon --- Forming "Googlezon"

I simply LOVE science fiction. And I love business --- so this Flash presentation, created by Matt Thompson and Robin Sloan of the (fictitious) Museum of Media History was a real treat for me. EPIC 2015 describes the history of information technology from the invention of the web to a Supreme Court copyright case causing the collapse of the NY Times, which then becomes a “print-only newsletter for the elite and elderly.” Ultimately, by 2015, Google merges with Amazon to form Googlezon, and proceeds to build EPIC (Evolving Personalized Information Contruct), an evolved version of the Google Grid universal platform, which robotically scours all globally available information to produce perfectly personalized news summaries for everyone.

The King is dead. Long live the King!

gll

NASBA to Provide Web-based CPE Tracking Tool

At the September Florida CPA Society Show in Fort Lauderdale last month I stopped in at the NASBA booth and visited with Jill Gordon, a very exuberant promoter of her agency’s soon-to-be-released web-based CPE tracking tool. After about 5 minutes of conversation I was hooked and most definitely wanted to know more.

CPEtracking is a tool which provides an online compliance management solution for state boards of accountancy, CPA firms, and individual CPAs. Its flexible system architecture means CPEtracking can integrate with a firm’s existing programs. CPAs can enter course details and immediately see their compliance by jurisdiction and reporting period. It provides for uploading scanned “evidence of attendance” documents and will print ready-for-filing reports and, eventually, file those reports electronically with participating jurisdictions. The service will be available in early 2006. It’s priced at $20 per professional per year. NASBA has been [successfully] testing CPEtracking with Deloitte Touche and its subsidiaries. Yordonoz Dumez, the Director of Compliance Services at NASBA expects no less than 100,000 users by 2007.

I've seen an extensive demo and will soon personally test the system --- and obviously report back here.

Watch for my interview with Dumez in an upcoming issue of The CPA Technology Advisor.

gll

Fidelio VOIP has possibilities

My colleague Doug Sleeter recently told me of a VOIP / enhanced software solution which he thought had some merit. The system, called Fidelio, is offered through the George S. May consulting group, has potential. [The Sleeter Group also sells the unit.] In addition to providing "all-you-can-talk" in-network and reasonably priced world-wide access --- pretty standard features to the Skype aware user, the Fidelio system adds desktop sharing and video conferencing. While these additions CAN be accomplished in other ways, the Fidelio system makes it simple and convenient. One staffer quipped to me that it was "so easy even a partner could use it!"

My testing of the unit was pretty straight forward. May sent me a handset (there’s also a portable unit – about the size of your thumb -- that works with your headset) and I downloaded the software. Installation was quick and painless. When I plugged the handset into my USB port the system immediately recognized me and walked me through about 3 minutes on one-time configuration. After that I was ready to make calls.

Problem 1: I felt a bit like Alexander Graham Bell after he invented the telephone. It was a cool invention but not nearly as cool as the SECOND ONE!!! I had no one to talk to. May (who has the US rights to resell the Israeli built system) won’t tell me exactly how many units are in the US, but, based on the fact that this is very early in the roll out process, we can assume the number is small. Very small. Which means you’ll need one unit for you and another for each client with whom you’d like to communicate.

Problem 2: When I called for "support" --- basically to get some further explanation of basic features --- I was connected to a very helpful woman who very much wanted to help, but wasn’t properly trained and didn’t have a clear understanding of how real people might use the service in the field. There were no real problems in using the system, but rather some "less than efficient" and "non-intuitive" areas.

Problem 3: The Fidelio won't replace your standard desktop phone. At least, not yet. The May leadership envisions future releases will allow just that, but for today you'll probably end up with two phones on your desk. Not exactly elegant, but certainly workable.

Opportunity: If you regularly support your clients’ accounting software and/or other technology you might take a very hard at Fidelio --- at ~$20 a month per unit you could become not only more efficient, but a support "hero" to your clients.

gll

Companies Honored for Innovative Technologies in Tax & Accounting

At a reception held this afternoon in Los Angeles I announced the 2005 Innovation in Tax & Accounting Technology, sponsored by The CPA Technology Advisor. The technologies the winning companies provide consistently improves not only the client-accountant relationship but also the overall productivity and profitability of practicing accountants.

The recipients of this year’s Tax and Accounting Technology Innovation Awards are:

• CCH Incorporated for CCH@Hand, a tax and accounting research-focused toolbar that sits at the top of Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel and Internet Explorer, allowing users to quickly launch searches of CCH’s Internet Research NetWork without interrupting their workflow. The system logs in automatically and goes directly to the necessary point within the NetWork product.
• DoubleSight Displays for multi-panel display monitors that enhance productivity by allowing professionals to work in multiple applications in their own full-sized window at the same time, as well as being better able to view wider documents like spreadsheets.
• Maxtor for Maxtor OneTouch II, an external hard drive that simplifies the process of backing up and storing data. Its one-step “pushbutton” approach makes it about as easy to use as a toaster, but gives users the benefit of a reliable backup solution.
• Thomson Creative Solutions for UltraTax CS 1040 Portals. The web-based system allows 1040 clients year-round access to read-only *.PDF copies of their tax returns through a private, secure Internet portal. Clients can print their return as needed, without requiring administrative assistance. The system also works with online tax organizers that interface with the tax preparation program, reducing data-entry time.
• UTS, Inc. for the development of the TaxWise CashWise Card, which enables tax professionals to provide the speed advantage of electronically deposited tax return funds to even their unbanked clients. The card also helps these clients avoid costly check-cashing services and provides them with a safe and convenient way to handle their money. The debit/ATM card is usable at more than 2.3 million locations.

The August issue of The CPA Technology Advisor will carry expanded information about these winning products, those Honorably Mentioned, and many overall nominees

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More than 75 software, hardware and service products were nominated for this year’s awards. Recipients were selected by the editorial staff and the Editorial Advisory Board of The CPA Technology Advisor, which includes accounting and tax professionals from across the country who are engaged in public practice in firms ranging from sole practitioners to major, multi-office regional practices. To be eligible for consideration, nominated products must be either recently developed or have undergone significant enhancement within the last two years. Additionally, they must be commercially available and directly marketed to the accounting and tax profession. Beta version products are not eligible.

What's Behind Microsoft's Acquisition of Groove Networks?

Microsoft has made literally dozens of acquisitions over the past few years, a few are telling when combined with what we know of the next OS, code-named Longhorn and due out late next year. The interesting ones, to me at least, are PlaceWare (now re-branded as Live Meeting), Lookout (the high-test desktop search engine), the anti-spyware product from Giant, and recently, Groove Networks. Two of these fix obvious shortcomings for Microsoft --- Lookout and Giant. The other two significantly extend Microsoft’s reach in the file sharing and collaboration space. Look for more action here. I’m betting an online backup / storage provider is next.

As usual, the winds of change are a’ blowin’

gll

Password Management

I regularly visit hundreds dozens of websites -- and more and more are personalizing content for me by offering me "portal" type services. Some are quite innocuous, like "tell me where you live and I'll tell you about the weather". It's a beginning step in what I refer to as the "you give, you get" paradigm. "Tell me what stocks you want to watch and I'll personalize a ticker for you." Again, pretty innocent. What about "tell me your account number and I'll show your transactions"; or "tell me your patient ID and I'll tell you about your prescription drugs."  Now we're talking about SECURITY!! Those area areas where we ALL want great security.

Fortunately, most folks providing this kind of information on the web are very security conscious and have provided for users to choose hardened user IDs and passwords. Hardened is a term many consultants use to describe an ID or password that is at [usually] at least 8 characters long, contains alpha, numeric, upper and lower case, and a symbol. It is NOT your name, your pet's name, or the street where you live. In fact, it is NEVER a word at all. ID's and passwords like these are extremely hard to break and the hope is that an intruder would lose interest rather than spend the inordinate time required to break your security and access your information. But you knew that, right?

What I'll bet you DON'T know is how to manage those hundreds (oops, there goes that exaggeration again!) dozens of user IDs and password combinations. Here's one method that seems to work well for me. I have a "standard" user ID that consists of letters (some upper case), numbers, a symbol, and two letters chosen from the website to which I am authenticating. By way of example --- my User ID might be wjY6%XeX -- where the X's are the second and fourth letter of the website I'm visiting. So, if I'm visiting www.etrade.com my user ID would be wjY6%tea --- notice the t and a picked from the website address. If I were visiting the AICPA site my user ID would be wjY6%IeP. The secret is that I actually have only ONE user ID to remember ---- in this case wjY6%XeX --- but it's different at every site. I do the same thing with my password --- a single hardened string incorporating something from the site I'm visiting. The result is a simple system that provides great security. I often now hit what looks to be a new site and when it asks me to login just "try" my user ID and password. Oftentimes I discover I've already been there as my "special" user ID and password take me right in.

Problems --- sure. There are some sites that like to "assign" user IDs and don't give you the right to change them. [Private note to Merrill-Lynch: Either FIX this soon or you'll lose me as a client!!] Some sites use your Social Security number as an ID (and they think THAT'S secure?). Finally, some sites limit your password to only 5 or 6 spaces. My answer to them is more and more --- "good-bye". There are plenty of other "safe" sites to proved me with the services I need.

A parting tip --- many firms are now developing standards for password protected Excel, Word, and PDF files that they exchange with clients. Take even a small firm with only a few accountants times a few hundred clients times a few dozen files each you can quickly have thousands of password protected files floating around. When you do you darn well better have a system to manage them! And when the system fails (sorry, but it ALWAYS fails eventually) and you're stuck with a file that's so protected that no one can open it .... go here. It's a magic little trick that WILL open it!

Enjoy.

gll

PS: The user ID detailed above [wjY6%XeX] is NOT the one I use!!!