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Friday, April 08, 2005
Thursday, April 07, 2005
MOBILE TECH:
Get Going or Get Left Behind
Do you know the right specs for your next notebook, Tablet PC or handheld?
By Rick Telberg
Special for HP
Leading-edge accountants and financial managers are increasing their productivity and their work satisfaction thanks to the new wave of mobile technologies.
From smart phones and handhelds to that old staple, notebooks, mobile devices are freeing accountants to take their work with them -- anywhere in the office, on the road, to off-site meetings, visiting with clients, across the country or around the world. Meanwhile, wireless networking has evolved into a mature and nearly ubiquitous technology that's cutting costs and still adding more productivity.
Accountants not current with wireless and mobile technologies risk lagging behind both their competition and prospective clients. International Data Corp. has estimated that three quarters of American organizations have wireless or mobile systems in place by now.
M-commerce has overtaken E-commerce as business technology's buzz and most significant issue in 2005. More powerful processing chips, longer-lasting batteries, better synchronization, and wireless everywhere are making CPAs and other technology savvy professionals more efficient while on the road meeting with clients than their colleagues are while tethered to PCs in home offices. Thirty-one percent of global workers recently surveyed by a research affiliate of The Economist magazine called mobile technology "critical" to their success and 75 percent said their productivity would increase with greater access to mobile systems.
Productivity within and outside the office is gaining by leaps and bounds, thanks to wireless networking, which uses radio waves rather than wires to send data between devices. For accounting firms, this means adding a temp or new staffer merely requires turning on a computer as opposed to the expense of rewiring walls, adding equipment jacks or reconfiguring desktops.
Wireless configurations range from simple one-room networks that connect desktops with printers, to wide area networks in which traveling salespeople use cellular providers to connect their wireless laptops or handhelds with home office files to access pricing or inventory information.
The most popular wireless protocols are the Wi-Fi or IEEE 802.11 family of standards that operate at frequencies that require users to obtain a license to operate their equipment, and Bluetooth, whose frequency allows unlicensed use.
When shopping for wireless devices, look for ones with built-in support of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or both. Look, too, for ones known for ruggedness: The road can be rough.
Here's a closer look at some of the key devices for today's mobile accountant.
Notebooks: For traveling accountants, this remains the most essential tool. Recommended specs: 1.8 GHz or higher CPU; 60 GB Hard drive; 512 MB of RAM.
Tablet PCs: Accountants are using the new breed of Tablet PC to take notes in meetings, make presentations and communicate critically important business performance information fast, easily and clearly to management and clients. Recommended specs: 1 GHz or higher CPU; 512 MB or RAM, 40 GB hard drive with integrated graphics.
Handhelds: PDAs have morphed into handhelds that combine address books and calendars with high-resolution screens, integrated cameras, Wi-Fi antennas and built-in cell phones. Recommended specs: 300 MHz CPU; 128 MB RAM; and Palm 5 or Windows Mobile 2003 OS.
By Rick Telberg
Special for HP
Leading-edge accountants and financial managers are increasing their productivity and their work satisfaction thanks to the new wave of mobile technologies.
From smart phones and handhelds to that old staple, notebooks, mobile devices are freeing accountants to take their work with them -- anywhere in the office, on the road, to off-site meetings, visiting with clients, across the country or around the world. Meanwhile, wireless networking has evolved into a mature and nearly ubiquitous technology that's cutting costs and still adding more productivity.
Accountants not current with wireless and mobile technologies risk lagging behind both their competition and prospective clients. International Data Corp. has estimated that three quarters of American organizations have wireless or mobile systems in place by now.
M-commerce has overtaken E-commerce as business technology's buzz and most significant issue in 2005. More powerful processing chips, longer-lasting batteries, better synchronization, and wireless everywhere are making CPAs and other technology savvy professionals more efficient while on the road meeting with clients than their colleagues are while tethered to PCs in home offices. Thirty-one percent of global workers recently surveyed by a research affiliate of The Economist magazine called mobile technology "critical" to their success and 75 percent said their productivity would increase with greater access to mobile systems.
Productivity within and outside the office is gaining by leaps and bounds, thanks to wireless networking, which uses radio waves rather than wires to send data between devices. For accounting firms, this means adding a temp or new staffer merely requires turning on a computer as opposed to the expense of rewiring walls, adding equipment jacks or reconfiguring desktops.
Wireless configurations range from simple one-room networks that connect desktops with printers, to wide area networks in which traveling salespeople use cellular providers to connect their wireless laptops or handhelds with home office files to access pricing or inventory information.
The most popular wireless protocols are the Wi-Fi or IEEE 802.11 family of standards that operate at frequencies that require users to obtain a license to operate their equipment, and Bluetooth, whose frequency allows unlicensed use.
When shopping for wireless devices, look for ones with built-in support of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or both. Look, too, for ones known for ruggedness: The road can be rough.
Here's a closer look at some of the key devices for today's mobile accountant.
Notebooks: For traveling accountants, this remains the most essential tool. Recommended specs: 1.8 GHz or higher CPU; 60 GB Hard drive; 512 MB of RAM.
Tablet PCs: Accountants are using the new breed of Tablet PC to take notes in meetings, make presentations and communicate critically important business performance information fast, easily and clearly to management and clients. Recommended specs: 1 GHz or higher CPU; 512 MB or RAM, 40 GB hard drive with integrated graphics.
Handhelds: PDAs have morphed into handhelds that combine address books and calendars with high-resolution screens, integrated cameras, Wi-Fi antennas and built-in cell phones. Recommended specs: 300 MHz CPU; 128 MB RAM; and Palm 5 or Windows Mobile 2003 OS.
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