Tech Trends 2013: Cloudy with constant change

Jerry Justice, MCSA, MCSEJJustice@ssandg.com

Rhonda Miller, CPA. CITPRMiller@ssandg.com

Five Technology Trends

• Five Questions• Two Threads• One Challenge

• Accounting in the Cloud• Q & A

Question:How many of you directly influence the technology used in your firm/company today?

Answer: You all do, knowingly or not • Internal – influence colleagues, staff and clients• External - personal use choices

People “read” your technology level as you interact

Tech Trend #11. Consumerization

• What it is• The value to business• iPad, YouTube (evolved into business)• Still evolving – (Dropbox for Business)• “Free”• Business adds variables

• Compliance • Security• Risk• Scope / Scale

Question:How many cloud-based apps do you use today (business or personal)?

Answer: Many (for many years) • Bank Account, Credit Card• Email, LinkedIn, Skype (Lync), Box, Zillow,

Flipboard, Spotify, Tango, Connect, Kindle

Tech Trend #2 2. Cloud Computing

• Been around for a long time but evolving

• Continues to be a transformative force for us and our clients

• Office 365, Xero, Bill.com, Mint

• Changed delivery expectations

• collaborative, elastic, mobile

• Less transactional, more dynamic

• Many forms - private, public, hybrid

• "apples to oranges", must do homework

• Cost is only one decision point

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COMPUTERWORLD Topics -

Applications App Oevelopmenl Big oa:a Busmess lnleUIQI!nce/Ailalytics content/Ooan

Emergong TeChnolOgieS Enterpnse Areh:tedure ERP Open Source Reg

Unified Commumcnbons

Home Appkabcna

News

Backlash begins against Adobe's subscription-only plan Petrtton on Change org asks company to reconstder, collects 4 400 stgnatures 10 four days

By Gregg Keizet

''-v 10. 2013 oe 48 »I ET 0

C... p1 t~rw 1r' A pebt1on on Change org demanding that Adobe back away from its subscriptiol'l-Only model for its creativity software, including Photoshop, has collected over 4,400 s1gnatures by late Thursday .

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Is It ok for your accountanlltooXkeeper to take commiSSions on c.oucl accoonhng softwa1e? Almost every COfllllll1)' seDing doud accoun6ng soflwatc pats cornmilSions lo accounlanl9 and bookk~pers but it i$ nol always disclosed Some ildu~try experts suth as Matlheir Addi.3on from tne lnslllute of Cenllled Bootteepers (see post) are concerned acall.litlng professJonals will recommend ~ccoun:lng softw.uo to dian!& basad on personal benof~ ralhor th.an !he bosl fit for the busineM.

Beneltscan eilher be a percentag~ of the retaft pnce or fret' use of ~ftware for a m•nlmum nurnller of 964es Comni~sions !lave been around for at least 13 ye-ss thouqh Are1hei recllv o prDbiem?

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Question:How many mobile devices does the average person carry (2013)?

How many do you have?

note: your smartphone today has more compute power than all of NASA in 1969 when it sent two astronauts to the moon

3 devices

Tech Trend #33. Mobility• Smartphones• Phablets• Hybrids• Simple access to high value information• Growth of information aggregation

platforms that are mobile oriented• Compliments Cloud computing• “real estate” matters• Form / Function varies by device

LAPTOPS DESKTOPS TABLETS PHONES SOFlWARE CAMERAS

Samsung Galaxy Note II Tops 5 Million in Sales

Samsung is celebratwg world\\ ide sales of more

than 5 million GalaX} Note TI d~icesjust t>1o months after its release.

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The electronics giant announced the milestone in a translated news release less t:haJ130 days after the

South Korean company reported selling 3 million of the super-sized smartphones.

A s=ung opokcowoman eonfL"l11ed in an email

that the Galaxy Note H has ~urpassed 5 million in sales since its debut in late September, adding that

the original Galaxy Note took about five months to

reach 5 million in global sales.

lbE Note 11 is now on sale in all regions, the release said, including ~ia, Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, and Africa. The ~ice, which boasts a .>-s-ineh, 1,28o-i:J>-72o-pixel display is a\·ailable on all major

U.S. carriers - Verizon Wueless,ATI':T, Sprint , T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular, and runs on

Goog]e's Android 4 .1.1 Jelly Bean operating system. For 5299, cu..<tomerz also snag a 1.6-

GH z, quad-core Exyltos processor, cplimized for LTE networl.:s, as 11ell cs 2GB of RAM and

Hybrids • • • •

Touch Oriented Multiple form factors Windows 8, Android Blended Apps

HP EllteBook Revolve Overview Features Specs

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Question:So what does one do with all these devices?

Tech Trend #44. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)• Approaches vary widely• Mobile policies for “rules of the road”• Balance business value with risks• Data sharing - just because you can,

doesn’t mean you should• What has worked for our firm

• Smartphones / Tablets• Remote desktops

Question:Should I have concern over all the information I put (or is gathered) in the “cloud”?

Answer:Yes, you do need to be aware.

Tech Trend #55. Social (and other information use)• Business value (CRM, LinkedIn, Twitter)• Aggregators / Data mining• Marketing & Customer Insights• BIG DATA (data about data)• Search - “profiles” you• Information use concerns (NSA, IRS, Google)

• What is tracked/collected• How it is used• Who has access (legally / illegally)• How long data lives

• Manage your “footprint”

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The notoriously secretive National Security Agency became a little more familiar to Aner:cans after revelations that it collected U.S. phone customers' data.

I CPA) Insights"

• Planntng Strate!!"''~ 1n Wak~ nf thE' New 'I R% M<>d1~arP Surt;ox I Ma1n I National MAP

Sur1ey Provides Insight to CPA Rrms •

"Big Data" Presents Big Opportunities for Firms and CFOs

It is drfficu lt to ignore the tremendous growth in

information technology tllat llas been occurring over the last few years ar business. T echnolog at a volume and pre'

social medic sites, "'

profiles and purchas• August 5, 2013

COW COVERAGE

Akron Beacon Journal Online I Ryan l ewis I Aug us t 1, 2013

Bridgestone Invitational: Big Data Comes to PGA Tour in Big Way; Numbers Show Fans the Way at Firestone C.C. This article highlights the advantage of the PGA Tour's big data franchise, Shotlink,

a sophisticated data analytical system that tracks each shot and several different

statistics at each course and event. For five years, Tour players and caddies have

had access to the mapping and statistical recording of every course and

tournament on the Tour, thanks to Shotlink and COW, which powers the technology

as the Tour's official technology partner.

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News US ·world Sports Comment Culture Business Money Environment Science

News World news New York

New York woman visited by police after researching pressure cookers online Long Island resident sa1d her web search history and 'trying to learn how to cook lenUis' prompted a v1srt from authontres but pollee say search was prompted by t1poff

Adam Gabbatt In New York The Guard1an, Thursday 1 Auoust2013 16 59 EDT

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The convergence threadConsumerization, Cloud, Mobile, BYOD and Social trends…• Are interrelated• Have dependencies• Compliment one another• Where they converge = greatest value

The security threadConsumerization, Cloud, Mobile, BYOD and Social trends…• All impact security• Create a larger security “footprint”• Have less direct control• Access from anywhere (pro/con)• Increases risks (& opportunities)• Blur lines between professional & personal• Be aware AND participate

• Ex – two step for cloud properties like LinkedIn

“Efficiency and security are separate targets”

Ill lnfoWortd Home I Securrty I News I AP Twltter hack prompts fresh look at cyber ..

APRIL 24, 20t3

AP Twitter ltack pro111pts fresltlo cyber sec11rity 11eeds Two-step identity verification and analysis of user prevent attacks such as the hack on the AP's security e.'-'J)erts say

By Zach Miners IDG News Service

IEb Print

Getting hacked on Twitter is fast becomtng a rite of passage for big corporation

attack on the Assodated Press could be a tipping point and shows lhat social r

more to keep !heir users safe, security experts said

Wider use of two-faclor authentication, which can involve an access code be in!

second device such as a smartphone, is one possible solution. Such a mechan

introduced selectively, some experts said, for high profHe accounts such as cel1

corporations.

Ifill ln foW0£1d Home / lnfoWorld Tech Watch I Know thy cyber enemy: Who's attacking and ...

INFOWORLD TECH WATCH

APRIL2t, 2013

KI1ow tl1y cyber ene111y: 'W11o 's attacking ru1d what tl1ey want . Verizon security study shows most attacks made by ex1:ernal parties, primarily based in China and Romania, using wide variety of threat actions

By Ted Samson l lnfoWorld £l Follow @tsamson_IW

~ Print l1 uke

China and Romanta spawned the most cyber attacks last year according to an in-depth study

released ttus week by Vertzon Notably, whereas Romanian attackers were primanly prowling for

financial data to score a big payday, Chinese perpetrators were engaged in esptonage focused on

swiping trade secrets and Internal data Much of the responsibility for successful data breaches ln

2012, however, can be pinned on IT's long-standing nemesis: single-factor authentication. Seventy­

six. percent of networ1< intrusi.ons in 2012 exploited weak or stolen credentials.

One Challenge:To effectively leverage these 5 trends.

Accounting in the Cloud

The ne\V generation thinks and coininunicates differently.

Definition of "Cloud Computing"

A model for delivering information technology services in which resources are retrieved from the internet through web-based tools and applications, rather than a direct connection to a server. Data and software packages are stored in servers. However, cloud computing structure allows access to information as long as an electronic device has access to the web.

Definition from lnvestopedia.com

Benefits of Cloud Accounting Services

No upfront cost No servers or programs to maintain including

upgrades Access to accounting information anywhere View bank account and credit card balances in one

place Integration with banks to get daily bank feeds Integration with other business systems Real time collaboration with your clients Exchange data and documents faster and easier Security of data and regular backups More time for value added services

2 Cloud Options

Data Hosting

On-line Accounting Products

Data Hosting

• Data Hosting (Such as Right Networks)

- The Hosting center houses your applications and data on their network

- Value - they worry about data so you can concentrate on your clients

• Maintain the systems

• Back up the data

• Apply server updates

• Security testing I firewalls

Right Netw rks

On-Line Services Their platform - their software and servers. We pay a subscription to use their product.

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• Examples:

- Xero

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- QuickBooks Online (Harmony)

- FreshBooks

FR BOOKS cloud accounting

C0llaboration The importance –

– The data is sorted, standardized, analyzed and reported in real-time therefore, you are able to focus on a different set of more high-value priorities.

• Explain the numbers instead of just reporting them

• Identifying opportunities in addition to ensuring compliance

• strategize for the future rather than just review the past

Various Collaboration Tools– E-mail, IM, Skype, Built-In options

Integration Integration is an important factor when choosing the

accounting product Create efficiencies

– It can eliminate duplicate data entry and minimize conflicting versions of the same data when the various systems you use integrate – CRM,

– It can add so much more capabilities to an accounting system than what is built in to the program.

Caution: The is a need to evaluate if the add-on integration will be around for a while.– If it’s an add on product that your business will depend

on, you don’t want to that integration to cease working. – (for example if the accounting software decides to disable

the integration or the Add On product goes belly up.)

Integration 2 things to evaluate when reviewing an

accounting program in regards to Integration:– API: Does the software have an API

(Application Programming Interface), which is a way for software developers and advanced users to interact with the software’s data via custom applications?

– Number of add-ons: How many public add-ons does the software have?

Other Examples of Web Based Applications

Tax– GoSystemTax RS, ProSystem fx Tax (Saas)

Financial Statement– Xero, FreshBooks

ERP– Intacct, QuickBooks On-line

Workflow– SurePrep, GruntWorx

Audit Confirmation– Capital Confirmation

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)– NetSuite, Sage CRM

Document Management– GoFileRoom, Smart VaultJournal of Accountancy October 2010, Cloud Computing: What accountants Need to Know

Security and Reliability Considerations

# 1 ConcernIs your data safe / secure?

Security and Reliability Considerations, con’t

SOC CompliantBe sure the Vendor is using a data center that an AICPA Service Organization Controls Report (SOC), formerly known as a SAS 70 report.

SOC2 / SSAE-16

Other Factors – Where is my data being hosted– Who has access

Journal of Accountancy “What Accountants Need to Know”

SOC Controls Tested

– Infrastructure - hardware– Software - programs and operating software – People - users– Procedures - automated and manual– Data - transaction streams, files, databases

and tables

Accounting in the Cloud Factors

Evaluate – What cloud options make sense for your

company?• Data Hosting, On-Line Services, Private Cloud.

o Hint: It may be a hybrid approach where some services are utilized in a data hosting arena and others are purely on-line.

– Value Add • Think of the value add you can bring to your

clients when the data entry is minimized and the date is centralized.

Do your homework – Research the products for fit– Research the reliability and security.

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Contact Info:

Jerry Justice, MCSA, MCSEJJustice@ssandg.com

Rhonda Miller, CPA. CITPRMiller@ssandg.com