Accounting Firm Operations and Technology Survey, Author at CPA Trendlines

SURVEY: Firewall Choices, Choices, Choices

No single brand was favored.

The Accounting Firm Operations and Technology Survey

When it comes to firewalls, “other” has been a strong contender before, but it has shoved its way to top dog, pulling in 34.2% of responders to The Accounting Firm Operations and Technology Survey.

MORE: SURVEY: One in Four Firms Replaces Servers by Schedule | You’re Probably Not Reading This on an iPad | 52% of Firms Look Outside for IT Support | Pandemic? What Pandemic? | Today’s Top 3 Problems: Staffing, Workflow and Tech
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Did any of that come from the transition out of Dell into SonicWall/Thoma Bravo? We’d welcome your thoughts in the comments. READ MORE →

CHARTS & GRAPHS

SURVEY: One in Four Firms Replaces Servers by Schedule

More than 40% are less strict.

The Accounting Firm Operations and Technology Survey

For accounting firms with servers, the hardware is a critical component. That doesn’t mean it is treated with high concern, however.

MORE: SURVEY: Firms Prefer Dell Servers | Webroot Tops Virus Fighters | You’re Probably Not Reading This on an iPad | Cloud Backup Declining | Only 19% of Firms Host Email | 52% of Firms Look Outside for IT Support
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CHARTS & GRAPHS

SURVEY: Firms Prefer Dell Servers

As in “four times the nearest named competitor.”

The Accounting Firm Operations and Technology Survey

For some questions, the answers are all over the map. Hardware, not so much, with Dell coming in at 40 percent preference for servers and HP next at 10 percent.

MORE: SURVEY: Webroot Tops Virus Fighters | You’re Probably Not Reading This on an iPad | 52% of Firms Look Outside for IT Support | Pandemic? What Pandemic? | Today’s Top 3 Problems: Staffing, Workflow and Tech
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CHARTS & GRAPHS

SURVEY: Webroot Tops Virus Fighters

Microsoft, Norton close behind.

The Accounting Firm Operations and Technology Survey

Regardless of how many new software tools come onto the market, one constant remains: an anti-virus has to be part of your firm’s mix.

MORE: SURVEY: You’re Probably Not Reading This on an iPad | Cloud Backup Declining | Firms Battle Disruptions in Communications and Workflows | M&A Looms Large for 30% of Firms

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We hope those who reported “none, N/A or unsure” just didn’t know what they were using, as that figure stretched from 4.8 percent for solos to an alarming 21.4 percent for extra-large firms of 101-plus.

CHARTS & GRAPHS

SURVEY: You’re Probably Not Reading This on an iPad

The only uptick appears at the end of the spectrum.

By the Accounting Firm Operations and Technology Survey

Portability has been popular in many ways, but somehow that isn’t extending to iPads and other tablets in the accounting profession.

bar chart — Percentage of staff using tablets or iPads for work. (AFOT)

MORE: Cloud Backup Declining | Only 19% of Firms Host Email | Pandemic Changed Work for 64% | Today’s Top 3 Tech Problems: Security, Client Onboarding and Workflow
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Among CPA Trendlines readers, there’s a 74% chance you’re reading this on a desktop computer and a 25% chance you’re on a mobile device (most likely an iPhone), with less than 1% probably using a tablet, based on our Google Analytics figures for the past 12 months.

data chart — The bigger the firm, the more likely they’re using tablets or iPads.

The heaviest users of tablets and iPads are the largest firms.
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Accounting Firm Operations and Technology Survey

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Randy Johnston, Chairman and CEO, Network Management Group Inc., Brian Tankersley, Principal of Tankersley Consulting, and Leslie Garrett, PhD, CEO of Insight Research Group, are the principal authors of the Annual Accounting Firm Operations and Technology Survey Report.

Published by CPA Trendlines, available in softcover and in ebook formats, here:

Accounting Firm Operations and Technology Survey

The report provides easy to understand bar charts and tables featuring three consecutive years of data which highlights trends in the profession. The survey results book also provides tables where survey respondents are segmented by size of firm, making it easy for accounting and tax professionals to benchmark their firm against others of the same size.

Randy Johnston has been an entrepreneur, technologist, and teacher for most of his career. He has helped start and run many businesses and currently owns both Network Management Group Inc. and part of K2 Enterprises. Randy is not afraid to tackle a business management problem or to get his hands dirty answering a low-level technical question. He is best known for his early and on-going expertise in networks, accounting software, paperless, and CPA firm technology. His expertise has grown to touch virtually every technology in the marketplace. He is particularly well known for his Technology Update overview presentation. He helps businesses with strategic technology planning, accounting software selection, document management selection and planning, and business continuity planning.

Brian Tankersley, CPA, CITP, CGMA is a consultant, author, and speaker who specializes in accounting technology issues. Tankersley has spoken in 47 US states, and three Canadian provinces, and writes for major accounting press outlets including CPA Practice Advisor and AccountingWeb. He is also a faculty member for Yaeger CPA Review.

Leslie Garrett, PhD, is the CEO and founder of Insight Research Group, a company dedicated to delivering powerful industry-precise surveys and research data analysis. Leslie serves Edge Marketing, Inc. as a marketing executive and industry analyst with expertise in marketing, public relations, search engine optimization, lead generation, and management. She is instrumental in leading Edge’s corporate consulting and Search Engine Optimization website analytics services, and has experience serving in the accounting and legal industries. Prior to joining Edge, Leslie served as an executive in marketing and management positions in industry and taught marketing and management at the University of Saint Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota and at Saint Cloud State University in Saint Cloud, Minnesota.

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