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Consumer Electronics Trends in
Your Future Every year, a significant number of new products dedicated to business automation emerge into the marketplace. In 2009, accounting firms generally spent conservatively due to the uncertain economy. Although the uncertainly persists, the latest trends and gadgets could entice businesses to loosen up their wallets anyhow.
Microsoft touted Windows 7 which has
received good reviews from the IT folks.
We are waiting for the major vendors to complete testing programs
and expect major adoption after the 2010 busy season, but are already
predicting a strong transition from Windows XP.
We’ve already converted and are very impressed with the search
and task bar views that make working with multiple applications easier
than ever. Users with
multiple monitors will find it easier to work with even more
applications concurrently.
Windows 7 supports touch screen capabilities, which we also like,
because sometimes it’s just more convenient to get to where you want by
sliding a finger/stylus across the screen.
If only we could get the accounting vendors to take advantage of
touch technology in their tax and audit application updates.
On the innovation side, Microsoft
announced motion capabilities that utilize hand gestures rather than a
mouse or controller into their xBox gaming platform.
They will be delivering this capability by the end of the year
under the product name of Natal.
Expect to see it in future Microsoft platforms, possibly in
future versions of Windows in your own office!
Speaking of touch displays, they are
everywhere. At the recent
Consumer Electronics Show, Intel demonstrated a huge cube called
Infoscape with hundreds of icons that you could touch on to open almost
any image, document or application in a large screen format--think
Minority Report without the
fancy glove. Kodak displayed
their products on a touch screen “waterfall” table that was over 30 feet
long allowing attendees to open and flip through images, resize them and
move them around, as they floated by.
We see this type of technology as a precursor to future
conference room tables within CPA firms. Microsoft Surface displays use
similar technology. Surface
displays use 30-inch tables that handle any digital object…which is
exactly what a tax return is once source documents are scanned in and
the return is printed to a PDF format.
Touch technology is also integrated in
many PCs via tablet and slate
formats. We cheated on this
one: we ordered an HP TouchSmart tx2 Tablet PC in 2009 and are writing
this article on the new laptop.
The smaller and lighter form factor works great on airplanes and
is definitely usable on the smaller regional jets they are cramming
travelers into these days.
Lenovo rolled out their IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, which is a laptop that
integrated the components into the removable slate screen so it can be
used either with or without the keyboard.
Apple has announced its new iPad tablet which is supposed to
function like a large Apple iPhone. This format seems to be slowly gaining traction for
consumers.
NetBooks made a big splash last year
and is getting looks from business with the Intel Atom processor.
While this technology was originally targeted to the education
market, many accounting firms that have converted to web-based
applications or that use Citrix/WTS to access the firm will find
NetBooks ideal for personnel who want access to firm applications
without all the bulk and weight of a traditional laptop.
With the 3G and 4G wars heating up
between AT&T, Sprint and Verizon, digital cellular connectivity will
become the primary means for auditors to securely connect back to the
firm without having to deal with synchronization issues caused by the
audit document container applications.
Clear’s 4G WiMax solution allows people to effectively work
through a wireless Internet connection at speeds of 2Gbps to 4Gbps.
This may be the ultimate solution
for metropolitan areas.
eReaders, where Kindle, Sony and Nook
have been battling over market share, are another strong trend.
Over a dozen vendors have eReaders, but we particularly like
Plastic Logic’s Que Pro Reader.
As the name implies, this company has developed a digital reader
using plastic transistors instead of silicon, which allows the screen to
be more durable and flexible.
Their reader not only allowed you to view documents, but also to
annotate Office applications and download current journals and
publications through the airwaves.
For those of you that would rather read on your laptop or smart
phone, a company called Blio has a free download that would provide
eReader capabilities to these devices.
The print-to-scan transition continues
as the multi-function units from HP, Canon, Xerox and Brother are
providing cost-effective all-in-one units that are ideal for any size
firm. One of our favorite
gadgets the Planon DocuPen wand scanner got a facelift with their
Xtreme “X” series and integrated
BlueTooth so that you can scan in documents and transfer them to your
workstation without having to plug in through a USB cable.
Wireless recharging is another hot
trend, with many companies like WiPower and PowerMat integrating pads
into their smartphones and laptops (including Dell).
This inductive technology works by placing the device on a
special surface that can be built into anything including desks,
conference room tables, kitchen counters and car dashboards which will
recharge the device by contact.
Seeing a blender and toaster working without cords was very
impressive, but one of the other inductive technologies also made a
splash…literally. At this
year’s CES in Las Vegas, we saw one technology that transmitted power
through air or water up to 18 inches away from the source so imagine
recharging your smart phone by just sitting at your desk!
From a security perspective, one of
the surprising products came from Kwikset “SmartCode with Home Connect”
which had secure door keypads that were wirelessly connected through the
Internet. Imagine being
notified on your smart phone or e-mail that your children had arrived
home (by them entering their access code to get inside) or being able to
unlock the door when a contractor arrives at your home and notifies you
they are there.
Green initiatives continue to be hot,
with many energy efficient devices, including rechargeable and solar
batteries. Moving “less
paper” and making your personnel utilize onscreen review instead of
“print and shred” will do a lot for the environment and provide more
“green” in your pockets at the end of the year.
Our profession is running parallel
with today’s ElderCare initiative
as the average age of firm members
continues to increase and your staff have parents that are starting to
consider these products.
Jitterbug upgraded their easy to use phones with padded ears and large
numbers and some have a concierge service that recognizes the user by
name and will make calls for them.
While many of the products discussed
in this article can be seen as the “bleeding” edge,
they may not be too far into the future.
It wasn’t that long ago that large flat panel HD TVs were a
novelty. Now, it is common
for firms to use them in in conference rooms for client meetings and
video conferencing and in lobbies for marketing. 3D TV is the next big
thing in TV. I can’t wait for
accountants to deliver a 3D version of a 1040!
Roman H. Kepczyk, CPA.CITP is president of InfoTech Partners North
America, Inc. and works exclusively with CPA firms to understand and
implement today’s digital best practices within their tax, audit, client
service and administrative departments. |