Working in a Wireless World
Accounting Technology (11/07) Vol. 23 , No. 10 , P. 30 ; DeFelice, Alexandra

The demand for accountants to have accessibility to conducting work on the road has been driven by the streamlining of businesses going mobile. An Intuit survey states that 70 percent of small businesses have employees utilizing wireless communication, a fact echoed by the necessity for CPAs' dependence on the ability to handle payrolls and customer relationship management via the wireless Web. Though security concerns have made some employees reluctant to conduct mobile business, a few companies offer mobile solutions for tasks involving basic business operations. Applications such as PayCycle allow accountants to handle payrolls from the road as far as Asia, while SalesLogix offers customers access to CRM systems and provides real-time data updates via smartphones. Microsoft's Dynamics AX includes a user-specific design, allowing employees to customize information so their management of "tasklets" or responsibilities can be adjusted according to relevance. Microsoft says that cluttering of company information on mobile devices is essential to ensuring optimum CRM experience, adding that excess data can slow the performance of mobile devices. NetSuite offers the SuitePhone, a similar offering allowing tailored user information, featuring options such as customized user interfaces and screen size adjustments. Though conducting business through the Web is crucial for most businesses, Colligo Networks launched the Colligo for SharePoint to allow offline-access for employees in locations that have no access to the wireless Web.
http://www.webcpa.com/article.cfm?articleid=25673&print=yes

A Beginner's Guide to Data Backup
Small Business Computing (11/28/07) ; Curran, Sally

Backing up data protects small businesses from a variety of problems, including human mistakes, weather disasters, and hardware troubles. Firms must first decide what data they need to back up; financial records, client lists, and vendor contacts are the most important items to start with. There are four kinds of backups: incremental, differential, full/initial, and selective. Incremental and differential backups are somewhat related, with both making copies of just the files that have been altered since the last time a company performed a backup schedule. The primary difference between them is that differential backups do not show which files have been altered and therefore keep expanding. For the typical small-business owner, incremental backups are the best choice, as they are simpler to handle. To establish an effective backup plan, companies need to purchase some software items, such as NTI Backup NOW 5 Deluxe Suite or Acronis True Image 11 Home, while good hardware options include Seagate's Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus and Iomega's Silver Series Professional Hard Drive. It is smart to have two data backups--one to keep at the company and another to store at a separate location.
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/print.php/3713286

Web-Based Corporate Learning Takes Off
Human Resource Executive (11/07) Vol. 21 , No. 16 , P. 15 ; Meister, Jeanne C.

As more of the Net Generation enters the workforce, human resource (HR) executives need to overhaul their corporate universities to meet their employees' needs. This generation has been using the Internet since they were in high school or younger, so HR executives must find a way to use the Internet to provide a learning program for new employees. The best approach will be personalized, allowing users to find only content relevant to their job and collaborate with others. Organizations will package learning programs with performance support and search capabilities. Another important factor in the next generation of programs will be user-generated content, giving employees the chance to contribute their knowledge. Technology, like Flickr and iTunes, allows users to share presentations and podcasts, offering knowledge outside the traditional classroom setting. Further incorporation of Web 2.0 tools will be vital, including Wiki to capture what recently hired employees believe should occur in future training programs and podcasts focused on organizational issues facing the firm. The biggest challenge will be to design an "open source learning" program that blends in work, communication, and entertainment to keep employees engaged.
http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/story.jsp?storyId=46955614

Increase Firm Profits by Offering Payroll Services With Little or No Risk
Accounting Software 411 (11/07) ; Lubetkin, Julie

Certified public accountants can increase their profits by providing online client payroll services to small businesses. Client payroll is a limited-risk, highly-lucrative venture employing Web-based payroll services that convert time-consuming, paper-based jobs into rapid electronic procedures. CPA Phil Christensen claims providing online payroll has produced more than $54,000 per year for his small accounting company. Christensen places all of his customers' staff on direct deposit, which means he does not have to print out and mail paper paychecks. The instruction he offers to customers for entering payday data on his payroll service's web site, as well as sanctioning their own direct deposits, filing their own taxes, and filing forms electronically just takes Christensen 40 minutes for each client. Due to his client self-service offering, Christensen is able to take care of payroll for 68 customers by himself. A recent survey by PayCycle showed that more than 35 percent of the accountants currently utilizing the PayCycle service did not have any former customer payroll experience. As such, Internet payroll businesses are incorporating features and benefits that make it simple to get up and running.
http://www.accountingsoftware411.com/Press/Insider/InsiderArticle
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