Presentations - Technologies and Trends
International Versions of QuickBooks
Fri, 2:35-3:50 PM - Session 201 - Andrew Holmes
QuickBooks has a strong customer base in the US, Canada and the UK. In each of these markets the product has been localized to meet the tax, accounting and language needs of that country. In this session we will review the differences and the similarities between the QuickBooks products that are sold in each country. Canadian and UK advisors will benefit by seeing some of the latest features in the US product that will make their way into their local versions of the product. For US advisors, the review of these products will assist them in servicing international clients. The session will look at the core differences in the sales tax area, multi-currency and payroll as well as identify the latest US improvements in the Centers, Accountant's Copy and Database.
Securing Your Information in an Insecure World
Thurs, 2:00-3:15 PM - Session 202 - David Cieslak, CPA.CITP, GSEC
Every organization needs to protect its computer systems from external and internal threats. A keen awareness of the various threats, knowledge of how to anticipate and prevent problems, and strategies for recovering from security breaches are all key aspects to safeguarding an organization's information assets. This session is designed to provide an introduction to information security fundamentals and explore the essential steps needed to harden and protect an organization's systems from attack. Whether you're new to information security or a more experienced network administrator looking to cover all the bases, this session has something for everyone. Topics will include: Firewalls, routers and IP strategies, viruses, worms, trojans and other malware, password management and resource sharing, e-mail, file sharing and chat program vulnerabilities, intrusion detection and incident response, spam filtering.
E-Money - The Future of Payments on the Internet
Weds, 12:45-2:00 PM - Session 203 - David Kvederis
A cornerstone of American commerce is how consumers and businesses make payments among and between themselves with confidence that the systems will always work properly. Billions of credit card, debit card, Fedwire transfers, direct deposit and direct debit transactions are processed annually with little thought given to how these systems work. They seem to never change but they are changing. This session will provide an overview of the nation's payments systems and how they are evolving by employing new technology. Questions will be explored such as "why can't I use my debit card on the internet?" and "why does it take a week to send money overseas?" and "will credit cards ultimately replace every other form of payment?" Finally, the speaker will give a forecast as to what payment systems will look like for small businesses in the not distant future. Exciting new technologies will be covered including "contactless" payments, biometric access and mobile phone technologies.
Windows Vista*
Fri, 10:45 AM-12:00 PM - Session 204 - Randy Johnston
Vista - Microsoft's newest operating system - has arrived, so now what? While Vista promises more stability and security and provides better performance compared to previous versions of Windows, there are potential pitfalls that you must be aware of before upgrading or migrating to Vista. In this session, learn about the new features of Vista and how to reap the benefits of using them; best practices for upgrading and migrating to Vista; and specific upgrade considerations, including potential hardware and software conflicts. With Vista, Microsoft promises "WOW".this session prepares you to take advantage of all that Vista has to offer. *Session repeated from Wednesday.
Innovations in Online Bill Payments
Fri, 10:45 AM-12:00 PM - Session 205 - Rene Lacerte
Industry veteran René Lacerte will review how online bill payment (OBP) works, and why consumer usage has skyrocketed while business use remains stagnant. While highlighting innovations that will change this paradigm, we will discuss the three big reasons why businesses have not adopted OBP, why they should and how the coming changes will affect the accounting profession.
Web Shopping Carts
Weds, 3:45-5:00 PM - Session 206 - Doug Blackburn, PDG Software
As the Internet continues to fuel the "always on" and "on my time" mentality of online shoppers, your clients are discovering how important it is that they offer their customers the ease and convenience of ordering online. Of equal importance is that your client leverages the tools available to them to streamline the tasks involved. But where do you start? What features should your clients look for in an ecommerce solution? How important is it that a merchant's web store integrates with their existing business systems? What if the merchant has an existing system that doesn't? This session will offer insight into some of the options available that can both simplify your client's day-to-day procedures and help them avoid costly errors, allowing them to focus on expanding their business's presence within the ecommerce marketplace.