Practice Development News

Practice Development News

the best of both worlds

August 2007

In this issue

The discussion is not about technology.

Now, about that portable computer...

Certified ACT! Hosting

Michael Ehart: Attitude flows downhill, too.

Tools to Help You Communicate with Clients and Peers

e-Accounting has developed a series of useful and informational fact sheets to help you educate clients and peers about the benefits of working in a managed IT environment. From online accounting solutions to Virtual Desktops, we have documents that you can use when discussing the different technologies.

See our different fact sheets

Another way to communicate the benefits of your technology model is through case studies. Show your clients and peers what the benefits are with a personalized case study. You can also use case studies done on other companies like Dewar, Meeks and Ekrem PC. The Following quote is from their case study.

"With InsynQ, DME has flat lined IT costs and gained access to state-of-the-art servers and network software. Their qualified staff is responsive to our needs and those of our clients. We now concentrate on our core services of tax preperation, financial accounting, and business consulting, and thus are more productive."

Read the full case study

ASPs: Not just for big firms anymore...

The advantages of application service provider technology are becoming apparent to more tax professionals. Find out what Roger Russell (WebCPA) says about the current landscape of CPA adoption of ASP services, and why it's working out for more professional practices every day.

"It's the future. The sooner people get on board, the happier they'll be with their practice."

Read the WebCPA article

2007 Accounting Software Consultant Conference

The Accounting Software Consulting Conference is a 3-day event, empowering accountants, consultants, and power users with the knowledge and essential tools necessary to be successful in the accounting software consulting market.

A proud sponsor of the Sleeter Group conference, InsynQ's e-Accounting (CPAASP) will be there as usual, with demonstrations of our services, in-depth information on hosted applications and ASP services, and answers to your questions about online and Internet-based technologies and solutions.

See you in Las Vegas! Get more information...

The discussion is not about technology.

The discussion is about business efficiency - getting more done in less time. And it's about effectiveness - providing a higher level of service and a better, more insightful result.

e-Accounting from InsynQ has been developed for the professional accountant, the bookkeeper, the business process outsourcer, and for the business owner. We provide technologies and services that can help increase processing capacity, produce more work, engage more customers, and grow the business.

Download the e-Accounting Program Guide and get the information you need to change the way you do business.

Now, about that portable computer...

The notebook computer is yesterday's secret weapon and today's essential business tool. The power, portability, storage capacity and communications capability of today's systems makes them an essentially seamless extension of the office. Executives and mobile professionals have all of the information and analytical capability they need to make smart, informed decisions, capture important information, and keep productivity high - wherever they may be.

Such extensive use of notebook computers is not without risk, however. One recent study estimated that as much as 80% of the business data that a company owns - customer files, product specifications, proposals, e-mail history files, contracts, financial information, and so-on is stored on notebook PCs. Such files can generally be recovered from backups in the case of loss or damage, but there is an associated cost. In one study, the cost to restore lost accounting records averaged $380,000 (around $19,000 a day for 20 days).

Loss or theft can create business and legal problems, too. Customer or client privacy may be compromised, sensitive information may be exposed, and confidential plans may be made public, if a company doesn't take the right measures to secure laptop data. Several such breaches have been in the news lately, including the disappearance of a notebook that contained identity records of nearly all US military veterans.

At the same time, all computers are under constant attack from viruses, Trojan horses, worms, and other exploits, that may be buried in e-mail messages, Web sites, documents, and file attachments. Computers with wireless connections are also subject to additional attacks and eavesdropping.

Companies must protect their data for their own well-being, and in many cases, they are legally obligated to protect large portions of their records. Imagine the potential chaos, legal ramifications, and expense if the data on your own computer were unprotected, and then fell into the wrong hands.

Mobile computing brings a host of advantages and efficiencies to today's businesses. Using services of an ASP can deliver the mobility and access users need, while providing the information security and management that the business demands. InsynQ's ASP services offer many advanced features that address these potential risk factors. Increased exposure to liability and corporate damage are significant possibilities for any business, especially when multiplied by the number of systems a company has in the field. Companies must mitigate risk by deploying a secure yet versatile platform for their workers. InsynQ's innovative delivery model, enhanced security and ongoing system management make these services the superlative choice for today's mobile workforce.

Virtual Desktops offer mobility and security for your business applications and data

Certified ACT! Hosting

In conjunction with our partner, ACTRemote (soon to become CRMRemote), InsynQ is certified to host the ACT! applications in our virtual environment. Adding to our hosting licenses and certifications from Intuit, Microsoft, and others, InsynQ has proven our capability to yet another software maker!

Get the details of ACT! hosting, and find out how your business (or your clients' businesses) can benefit from fully-managed, anytime anywhere salesforce automation and contact management. And, as with our other solutions, you can mix and match your applications any way you like. If it's what you need for your business, InsynQ and ACTRemote can deliver it.

See the features and benefits of hosted ACT! software

Michael Ehart: Attitude flows downhill, too.

One of the questions I am most frequently asked about compliance issues is how to keep front-line users from bypassing or ignoring the controls you have set up. Although this is most often asked in HIPAA forums, it is a problem for any company where there is a perception that compliance systems interfere with employees' regular tasks.

The answer is, of course, user transparency. The goal is to make every aspect of compliance, whether Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, GLBA or FISMA as invisible to the end-user as possible. This generally means a technological approach, with solutions like setting up email filters and automatic encrytption, and setting workstations to automatically lock after short idle times.

But making it easier for your users to comply than not can't be entirely unloaded on your tech department. Non-fear based training is an important start, emphasizing the smoothness of the new procedures you have thoughtfully developed rather than the traditional prison-time and massive dollar fines power-points. Make compliance just another part of the job, instead of something as scary as Freddy Kruger's holiday get together.

Respect for compliance has to come from the top. If your CEO is bypassing the internal email system and using his g-mail to circumvent HIPAA filters, then you can count on pretty much everyone down the chain of command to be doing the same. Attitude flows downhill, too. Without buy-in from the top, your front-liners will have no more respect for the rules than you do.

Of course, one of the simplest solutions for the tech portion is to use a service that already has many of the needed protections in place, such as InsynQ's hosted and managed application services. But for the rest, the solution is one of adjusting the job culture enough that compliance doesn't seem like yet another useless set of red-tape hoops to jump through.

Visit Michael's Blog: ComPlyWithMe

practice development news | 2007