1997 AICPA technology rankings - tax.Each year the AICPA AICPA See American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Information Technology Division ranks technologies considered to be the most important for CPAs in the coming year. (The overall ranking of the top 10 technologies is published for internal and external use.) As part of this evaluation, the Information Technology Section publishes what it believes to be the most important technologies affecting the tax community. For 1997, the top technologies for tax practitioners are: Image Processing image processing Set of computational techniques for analyzing, enhancing, compressing, and reconstructing images. Its main components are importing, in which an image is captured through scanning or digital photography; analysis and manipulation of the image, accomplished Image processing converts paper documents into electronic documents or digital images through scanning. The ability to store and transmit images in digital format can significantly streamline this workflow. Tax document imaging systems must comply with various state and Federal regulations; generally, these regulations require that documents be reproducible without using the original source software or hardware designed to create them. This means that the images must be stored in an industry-standard format that meets Treasury regulations. Training and Technology In today's age of continuously changing information, training and technology competency are the key to the success of any business. Tax practitioners have difficulty keeping up with the pace at which computer applications are modified. In addition, software vendors are consistently updating their products. The onslaught of advanced technology makes continuous training vital for users to make the most effective use of technology. Telecommuting telecommuting, an arrangement by which people work at home using a computer and telephone, transmitting work material to a business office by means of a modem and telephone lines; it is also known as telework. Many tax practices rely on seasonal or part-time staff to perform routine functions. Telecommuting allows staff members to dial into the host system using portable equipment, and thereby work off-site. The equipment can be located at a client's office or from a home-based operation. By using such a virtual firm, many tax practitioners can expand and diversify their workload without increasing the physical size of their offices or staff. Internet and Public On-Line Services The Internet has already been accessed by over 15 million people worldwide. This network of thousands of computer networks offers news groups, mailing lists An automated e-mail system on the Internet, which is maintained by subject matter. There are thousands of such lists that reach millions of individuals and businesses. New users generally subscribe by sending an e-mail with the word "subscribe" in it and subsequently receive all new , Internet chats and the ability to access computer networks from remote locations, file transfer protocols A list of notable file transfer protocols: List of file transfer protocols Primarily used with TCP/IP
Communications Technologies Noun 1. communications technology - the activity of designing and constructing and maintaining communication systems engineering, technology - the practical application of science to commerce or industry Communications technologies package and transmit data, text, voice and/or video information among users. Digital wireless data and voice communications, faster data transmission protocols such as ISDN ISDN in full Integrated Services Digital Network Digital telecommunications network that operates over standard copper telephone wires or other media. , cable modems cable modem Modem used to convert analog data signals to digital form and vise versa, for transmission or receipt over cable television lines, especially for connecting to the Internet. , remote access, local area networks, information gateways and satellites are all anticipated to have a significant impact on mass communications over the upcoming years. Security Security issues deal with policies, procedures and methods that ensure that access to files and directories in a network is restricted to authorized users authorized user Radiation physics A person who, having satisfied the applicable training and experience requirements, is granted authority to order radioactive material and accepts responsibility for its safe receipt, storage, use, transfer and disposal . As more and more consumers conduct business over the Internet, security becomes a major concern. Encryption The reversible transformation of data from the original (the plaintext) to a difficult-to-interpret format (the ciphertext) as a mechanism for protecting its confidentiality, integrity and sometimes its authenticity. Encryption uses an encryption algorithm and one or more encryption keys. devices that scramble critical information and "fire-wall" devices that block unauthorized access by hackers are expected to become increasingly important in the immediate future. Encryption will eventually allow confidential tax information to be transmitted over public networks and may even allow electronic filing over the Internet. Mail Technology As professionals are faced with increasing time pressures, the ability to manage interruptions is vitally important. Interruptions are minimized by using mail technologies such as voice mail, e-mail, fax mail and video mail. Mail technologies also support the broadcast of information. Many firms use a fax broadcast system to disseminate tax updates to their entire client base. Other organizations have reduced their travel costs by conducting video conferencing See videoconferencing. (communications) video conferencing - A discussion between two or more groups of people who are in different places but can see and hear each other using electronic communications. and teleconferencing. Workflow Technology Workflow technology is a new field of software products designed to improve the design of information systems. It involves use of workflow engine to execute models of processes. The models can be edited by persons not experienced in programming (e.g. Workflow technology enables workgroups to move and manage information among one another in a secure, global and real-time environment. For example, a workflow technology would automatically route tax documents to the next person required to handle the information. Many tax practitioners would be able to move returns from preparer to reviewer without paper files. E-mail addresses See Internet address. e-mail address - electronic mail address are often used as the routing mechanism for workflow technology. Collaborative Computing and Groupware Software that supports multiple users working on related tasks in local and remote networks. Also called "collaborative software," groupware is an evolving concept that is more than just multiuser software which allows access to the same data. Collaborative computing is used by groups who want multiple input to a project without endless revisions. Currently, the AICPA Tax Technology Committee is using a collaborative Web site to develop a practice aid. The draft is posted on the Internet and each member of the committee is able to add his own comments. When the group agrees on a revision, the changes are posted and become part of the evolving document. Tax practitioners within a firm can use the same methods to incorporate supporting schedules or pass through tax data from one entity to another. Groupware is any software that enhances the ability of individuals to work together. Common uses of groupware are for scheduling and creating intranets. Organizations can use groupware to facilitate training and institutional knowledge; e.g., by establishing a training course on a company intranet, participants can interact as if they are in the same classroom. Expert Systems Due to the complexity of the tax laws, expert systems are required to sort out the myriad of options and consequences of tax compliance, using rule-based and case-based reasoning An AI problem solving technique that catalogs experience into "cases" and matches the current problem to the experience. Such systems are easier to maintain than rule-based expert systems, because changes require adding new cases without the complexity of adding new rules. . Most firms use some tax preparation software; others use a tax planner as wen. Each of these systems requires practitioner intervention and analysis of the result. Expert systems attempt to capture the knowledge of an experienced tax practitioner and apply it to the case at hand. Most expert systems are designed around simple yes/no rules; more sophisticated systems use cases. The software reviews the current case and looks for a similar set of circumstances in its data files. When a match is made, the expert system generates a suggested solution. The goal of an expert tax system would be to create "a tax partner in a box." |
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