Business Technology Trends

Technology• WWW:

– Intranet, Extranet

– E-Commerce Infrastructure

– On-line payment, billing, account management, etc.

– Customer Relationship Mgmt (CRM)

• Wireless/Mobile– Infrastructure and

Applications

• Application Integration

Management• Availability

– Business Continuity

– Disaster Recovery

• Security– Safeguarding

– Confidentiality, Privacy

• Cost Containment • “Sourcing” Management

Professional Developments• Spin off of IT

consulting services

• Consolidation around IT risk management and security/privacy

• Harmonization of IT assurance services

– WebTrust

– SysTrust

• Numerous Business/ IT certificates striving for recognition

• Development of Acc/ IT interest groups: Au, UK, US, Cda

• AICPA “CITP”

• ISACA/Gartner alliance around IT governance

RANKINGTOPIC 1999 2000 2001Availability and resiliency of systems; disaster recovery 6 5/4 6Business process reengineering 4Collaborative computing applications/Cooperative and client-server computing 10E-evidence 10 9Electronic commerce/ E-Business /EDI 6 1 2E-money 9Financial reporting 7 3Image processing/Document management/Electronic document submission 3/7Messaging applications/Mail technology 2Net-enabled applications/Internet, intranets, private networks, extranets 1/2 8 10Privacy 8 10 4Quality of personnel 7Quality of service 8Security and controls 3 2 1Self-service applications 9Technology management and budget 5 6Telecommuting/Virtual office applications 5/7 9Training and technology competency 4 3 5Videoconferencing 8Year 2000 issue 1

AICPA Top Technologies 2001

Technology Issues

• Based on CICA/AICPA committees/TFs

• Secure Electronic Commerce, Info Security and Control, Internet, Internet payment systems, Privacy, Electronic Evidence, Disaster Recovery, Enterprise Systems, Year 2000 and Training were the significant issues

Secure Electronic Commerce

• Connection is an issue

• Firewalls and security need to be strong

• Hardware and software issues

Information Security and Control

• Security is critical especially now with complex systems

• We need to be able to audit and assess

Internet

• Kids can use it more effectively than we can

• Great opportunities for clients and us

Electronic Money/Inet Payment Systems

• Required on the web

• Digital cash presents new challenges including taxation and impact on monetary policies as ability for country to control inflows/outflows is diminished

Privacy

• Biggest issue worldwide on WWW

• Countries are legislating

• Great consulting/assurance opportunity

Electronic Evidence

• Use of paper in audit declining

• How do you authenticate evidence

• How do you authenticate working papers?

• What is permissible?

• No court decisions yet

Enterprise Resource Systems

• ERS

• SAP, Peoplesoft, JD Edwards becoming standard for large

• Moving to medium

• Complex

• Complex audit challenges

Disaster Recovery

• Plan is paramount

• 55% do not have one in place

• need to look at all business aspects

• New focus came with Y2K

Training and competency

• Need training

• current CAS and CPAs need technology training

• technology is more than Microsoft Office

Specialization Knowledge AreasCISA• IS Auditing

• Management of IS

• Accounting Information Systems

– Introduction to Computers

– Computer Programming

– Data Base Management Systems

– Computer-based Communication Networks

• Systems Analysis and Design

CITP• Business IT Strategic Planning

• IS Management

• Enterprise IT Architecture

• System Reliability

• Business Process Enablement

• Systems Development/Acquisition and Project Management