Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
Issue link: https://cpapracticeadvisor.epubxp.com/i/39633
MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES MOBILE D o you ever feel confi ned and lim- ited by your offi ce walls? Do you fi nd that a different environment can sometimes change your perspective? How many times have you found yourself wishing you could be in multiple places at once? T e virtual professional is a growing segment, especially in the tax and accounting fi eld, and solid vendors in this space have responded to the needs of these professionals with exceptional tools. Mobile practitioners can now manage their practice, access data and interact with clients from anywhere Traditional desktop applications, which were once limited to access only by way of terminal servers and remote desktop programs, can be delivered and accessed without having a tradi- tional desktop or laptop computer. Many applications are now available as Soſt ware as a Service (SaaS) solu- tions, which are generally accessible through a browser and an internet connection, although even the vendors defi ne SaaS in diff erent ways. T ese same applications have miniaturized versions that provide access to key features for professionals while they are away from their physical desktops. CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business (CCH), T omson Reuters, and Intuit ProLine provide SaaS products that enhance mobility, collaboration and integration. T e CCH ProSystem fx SaaS Suite is a suite of tools (Tax, Document, Portal, Practice and Workstream) vital to a fi rm's operation, and can host the data locally, in a secure data center, or some combination of these. Thomson Reuters Tax & Accounting off ers many cloud solu- tions, including GoSystem RS Tax, GoFileRoom and Virtual Offi ce CS. Virtual Offi ce CS is a hosted web portal TRADITIONAL DESKTOP APPLICATIONS CAN BE DELIVERED AND ACCESSED WITHOUT HAVING A TRADITIONAL DESKTOP OR LAPTOP COMPUTER. with the traditional, locally installed CS Professional Suite applications hosted on secure servers. Intuit has a number of browser-based solutions, which include ProLine Tax Online and a forthcoming ProLine Practice Management application. Research tools are available on the go with CCH's IC Mobile application and the T omson Reuters Checkpoint iPad application. Intuit and T omson Reuters have QuickBooks Mobile and Mobile CS, respectively, which extend 12 September 2011 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com TECHNOLOGY: A look at today's landscape and how these tools can help you better serve clients the reach of popular applications into the on-the-go space. Mobile CS from T omson Reuters provides access to fi rm, staff , client and research tools. Users can enter time and expenses, receipts, mileage, and tasks in real time. They can even connect with other professionals in the ARNE Community. Companies like Capital Confi rma- tion, Inc. have revolutionized the process of audit confi rmation requests with an electronic process. The company's Confi rmation.com works to reduce the time exhausted preparing, mailing, requesting and processing audit confi rmation documents. T e recently launched mobile application provides fi rms with status updates on confi rmations through the iPhone or iPod Touch. And there are other mobile tools, as well. So how does a fi rm get mobile? The infrastructure necessary for accessing information includes an internet connection and a mobile device. You've probably heard the various terms like Wi-Fi, Mi-Fi, 3G and 4G, which refer to methods in which people gain access to the internet. Public Wi-Fi generally refers to hot spots and an unsecure connec- tion, and you should take caution when connecting through an unsecured point. T is type of connection can be compared to a party line, where multiple people could easily access your network and files. A better solution for mobile Wi-Fi users is a portable internet access point called a Mi-Fi, which allows the user to setup a private or secure hot spot, allowing a limited number of users to access Wi-Fi enabled internet devices using a secure connection to the internet over the cellular network. Mobile devices are flocking the market in the form of smartphones and tablets. Platforms include BlackBerry, Android, and iOS products such as the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, to name a few. When selecting devices and applications, it is important to consider platforms and integration. Some applications are device-specifi c, such as only being available for Mac and iOS products. Others only function on the Windows, Android or Windows Phone platforms. While many fi rm applications off er the ability to save and export docu- ments as PDF fi les, there are still times when paper needs to be transformed into digital format. Vendors like Fujitsu and Canon offer a wide range of scanning devices compatible with multiple platforms. In fact, Fujitsu's ScanSnap S1100 Color Mobile Scanner tucks away into almost any bag and is ideal for on-the-go professionals who need to scan receipts, contracts, plastic cards and more. T e scanner off ers instant ability to scan items as PDFs and Microsoſt Word and Excel docu- ments, or into popular cloud applica- tions like Evernote and Google Docs. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14