The Tech-Savvy CPA: It's a Tech-Focused World. Are You in It?
2009; American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; Volume: 207; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0021-8448
Autores Tópico(s)Service-Oriented Architecture and Web Services
Resumo[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When it comes to technology, are you a leader or a laggard? Do you embrace technology or shun it? This article contains questions and explanations to help you determine how technology-savvy you really are, and identify where you could improve your technology performance. 1. Does your computer have more than one microcomputer processor (CPU)? Why this matters: Newer computers use multiple processors to make them faster. In the same way that a small leak can waste many gallons of water each week, a slow computer can waste many hours. 2. Does your computer have 3 or more gigabytes of RAM? Why this matters: Today's new operating systems (such as Microsoft Windows Vista) should have 3 GBs or more of RAM to operate fast and without glitches. 3. Are you using Windows Vista 64-bit or another 64-bit operating system? Why this matters: For more than 15 years personal computers have provided 64-bit architecture, yet only recently have 64-bit operating systems emerged to take full advantage of that power. By today's standards, using a computer with a 32-bit operating system is like driving a sports car with a lawn mower engine. 4. Does your computer have two or more monitors? Why this matters: You need to try it to fully appreciate it, but having two monitors allows you to simultaneously view multiple applications (such as your accounting system on one monitor and Excel on the other). With two monitors, it is much easier to copy or refer to data on one screen while creating, editing or pasting data on the other screen. 5. Do you have a printer that duplexes? Why this matters: You can significantly cut your paper costs by printing on both sides of the page. This reduces storage costs. If you ship manuals or booklets, it reduces your shipping costs as well. 6. Does your e-mail address include your domain name? Why this matters: It takes only a few minutes and costs less than $30 a year to purchase and set up a dozen personalized e-mail addresses using your domain name. This allows you to avoid using generic e-mail accounts that end in AOL, Gmail, or Hotmail as your primary e-mail addresses, which can be viewed as an indication that you work for a small-time operation. 7. Have you created an e-mail group? Why this matters: You probably have at least one, if not several, groups of people that you communicate with frequently A list of employees, friends, members, colleagues, etc., can be set up as a single group in Outlook. Then you can e-mail the entire group without inserting individual e-mail addresses. 8. Do you leave your e-mail up and running all the time? Why this matters: Your computer should wait on you, not the other way around. If you leave your computer on all the time, your e-mail reader (such as Outlook) will retrieve your messages constantly. The result is that your e-mail will be instantly ready when you are ready to read it. However, be sure to use a password-protected screen saver when you leave the office so that no one can access your e-mail or other sensitive files and applications. 9. Do you have more than one e-mail address? Why this matters: Everybody needs to maintain a professional e-mail address, but it is also a good idea to have a free e-mail address (from Google, Yahoo or Microsoft) for personal correspondence or signing up for casual Web sites. This helps keep your professional e-mail from becoming a spam target. If your personal e-mail becomes a spam target, you can delete it and get a new one. 10. Do you typically leave your computer on overnight? Why this matters: It takes about four to six minutes to boot up a computer, launch the applications you were running the previous day, and open the data files. Likewise it takes two to four minutes to close applications and power down at the end of a day. …
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