Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
Issue link: https://cpapracticeadvisor.epubxp.com/i/40356
Christian James — 33 COO — Xcentric Bozeman, Montana Blog URL: www.xcentric.com/blog Twitter ID: twitter.com/ccjames28 Education: Texas Wesleyan University Professional Associations/Memberships: Vistage Hobbies: Spending time with family, Mountain biking, Fly fishing, Hiking, Skiing, Being outdoors Are you using social networking (such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+) as a marketing tool for your business … or do you use such sites for personal use only? Have you gained any customers or seen other demonstrable benefits from the use of social networking? We do use social networking both internally and externally for marketing and personal use. This stems from the belief that our business isn't brick and mortar but rather a bunch of real people with real-life situations. We find the more we celebrate and encourage who we are as humans, the more enjoyable it is to do what we do. One of the areas that's often overlooked when it comes to social networking is the breadth of knowledge and skills within a firm that should be leveraged. We use a free online software named SocialCast to encourage interoffice sharing and communication. We were initially concerned about wasted time and energies talking about things that weren't directly work related but have since come to a point where we would never choose to do without it. We are constantly reminded of the positive impact it has had on our internal communication. What pitfalls or what unwritten rules of social net- working etiquette exist, which are frequently missed by others in the profession? I believe the biggest pitfall a company can have is to not throw in some personal items within their social networks. For example, if you want me to get excited about your CPA firm, don't just tell me about the free QB training you're doing. I want to know about an employee that spent the weekend working on a Habitat house or even how the partner threw a great birthday party for her four year-old son. Things like that bring a company to life and give it a personality. Do you embrace cloud computing? What's cloud computing? We not only embrace it, we wholeheart- edly believe and have experienced many times over the benefits it offers CPA firms. As a business owner, you strive to bring true value to your clients. You're always pursuing an offering that is so unique and worthwhile that it truly impacts the client's ability to do business. The past six years of offering cloud services to CPA firms has been a wonderful (and difficult at times) experience. Anyone who's honest with him or herself will concede that tech- nology will always be closely tied to troubleshooting and problem solving, but what we revel in as a cloud provider for this industry is that our clients don't have to bear the weight of technology headaches. In much the same way that the accounting profession provides peace of mind to people, like me, who don't feel comfortable preparing their own taxes. How is cloud computing changing the accounting profession, and how con- cerned are you with the security issues related to cloud computing? I believe cloud computing has had an impact on the profession just as many of the major technology advancements that have come before it. If we rewind several years to the transition from paper spreadsheets to Lotus 123 digital spreadsheets, we can easily understand the benefits gained. However, we're typically quick to overlook the reality that when that information was put into a digital format, it changed how we are required to secure it. Many years ago, the profession moved from the simple requirement of locking doors to virtually "locking" technical doors. One of my roles within our company is to travel to CPA firms and assess their systems, and after 12 years of being in and out of CPA firms, it's become evident that very few CPA firms choose to afford the security that is actually needed to protect themselves. Not to say that firms aren't aware of the need and don't do their best, but I have yet to come across a CPA firm that employs the same level of security as to what a cloud provider should offer. I can't speak for other cloud providers, but our standard is full-time staff dedicated to security, SAS 70 compliance, intrusion detection systems, intrusion prevention systems, third-party security audits, secure gateways, DMZs, strict password policies and so on. So all that to say, security will always be a risk point; no one is ever completely safe. It doesn't matter where your servers and data live, but rather how well you "lock" the doors. Monitors on your desk? Two connected to a MacBook Pro, which stays closed while on my desk. Other than SMS on your cell phone, what is your favorite way to IM with your friends and family? Facebook, Twitter, Skype What are some ways your firm/business has gone "paperless" and/or "green" in the last two years? As with most businesses out there, we subscribe to the less-paper model rather than a true paperless approach. We made this transition years ago when we decided to send client-related documents via email rather than snail mail. It also helps to have several monitors to review on-screen rather than on paper. One of the more notable changes we made was online screen sharing (using Microsoft Lync), which allows us to share documents online, across the country, and eliminates the need to print multiple copies out to collaborate. What ONE piece of technology could you absolutely not live without? For better or worse, it's my iPhone. I'm not saying that I don't take the time to unplug and spend time with my family, but the reality is, more often than not, being connected is a necessity these days. NOT including your current employer, what company do you most admire and why? Sellers, Richardson, Holman & West, LLP. SRHW is a CPA firm located in Birmingham, Ala. Every experience I've had with them (at any level) has been good. Not only are they a premier regional CPA firm, they have consistently proven to be humble, honest and sincere. Do you foresee the majority of firms still implementing servers for the majority of their computing in their offices five years from now or do you think they will be outsourcing this component to vendors who specialize in this area? I don't feel comfortable predicting the future, but I can say that we've seen a drastic transition from locally installed networks to cloud computing over the past three years especially. Cell phone: iPhone What sports team/championship event do you absolutely refuse to miss? I'm a huge Texas Rangers fan. There's something about following a traditionally sub-par team for your whole life and then being around when they excel. What are some of your favorite books, movies, music and TV shows? Book: "The Treasure Principal" because it changed my perspective on finances. Movie: Tombstone. Music: Lyle Lovett. Website: espn.com. TV show: The Office. 29 Back to Contents Page 3