Keeping current with the latest technologies as well as determining what applications are worth implementing can be a daunting task for every IT partner, particularly  when you consider they are often charged with managing other responsibilities.  With a limited amount of time available to manage this, it is important that IT partners optimize their exposure to technology resources to ensure that they are getting good information.  In addition to reading, we feel it is imperative that IT partners and managers be exposed to other firms and vendors via conferences and symposiums. 

Our personal experience has been that we learn the most from CPA Association technology meetings, where we can share information with peer firms in an open, non-competitive environment.  If your firm is not currently a member of one of these groups, we would suggest you consider joining one.  In addition we recommend attending some of the following Accounting Industry or Computer Industry Conferences, where you will have a chance to meet and hear a variety of vendors and independent speakers.  This year in addition to CPA firm association conferences, we will be presenting at the AICPA Practitioners Symposium, AAA Accounting Technology Administrators Fly-In and National Conference, and Xcentric's XcIT.ED Symposium, where the focus is on educating CPA IT Leaders. 

We encourage IT personnel to review the programs and determine which would benefit them from a leadership perspective and if you have technical personnel, which would benefit them from a technology perspective.  In addition, your technical personnel should be involved with local technology events and users groups such as those sponsored by Microsoft and industry user conferences for your practice management, audit, and tax applications. 

Accounting Industry:

AAA Southern California Chapter Technology Update
Stonefield Josephson, Los Angeles, California
http://www.cpaadmin.org

CPA Business Technology Expo
Hilton New York, New York
http://nysscpa.org/tradeshow07/main.htm

FICPA Business Technology Conference (May 18, 2007)
Ft. Lauderdale Airport Hilton, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
http://www1.ficpa.org/CourseNet/Conference/Description.aspx?courseID=07BT

Florida Accounting & Business Expo (May 30-June 1, 2007)
Gaylord Palms Resort, Orlando, Florida
http://www1.ficpa.org//ficpa/CPE/Shows/FABExpo

New Jersey Accounting, Business and Technology Show (May 23-24,2007)
Meadowlands Exposition Center, Secaucus, New Jersey
http://www.flaggmgmt.com/nj/

California Accounting & Business Show & Conference (June 4-5, 2007)
LAX Hilton Hotel, Los Angeles, California
http://www.flaggmgmt.com/ca/

AAA Accounting Technology Administrators Symposium (June 19-20, 2007)
Westin, Providence, Rhode Island
http://www.cpaadmin.org

Illinois Business & Technology Solutions Show (August 21-22, 2007)
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois
http://www.btshow.org/show/index.html

Computer Industry:

Computer Security Institute-NetSec2007 (June 11-13, 2007)
Phoenician Resort, Scottsdale, Arizona
http://www.csinetsec.com/

SANSFire (July 25-August 23, 2007)
Washington, D.C.
http://www.sans.org/sansfire07/

Consumer Electronics Show (January 7-10, 2008)
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
http://www.cesweb.org