Don’t laugh. Mobile is the fastest growing segment in tax and accounting technology. New document presentation and file exchange capabilities make tablets the perfect complement to cloud-based data and applications. And IT departments that once recoiled in horror at anything that wasn’t Blackberry are developing a taste for Apple.
All these factors have slowly nudged the prospect of a company-paid iPad from fantasy to distinct possibility. But you’ll need to play your cards right to score a piece of the pie.
Luckily, I’ve put together a handy list of reasons why iPads and other tablets are indispensible business tools. You can thank me later.
1. Tablets are the best relationship-building tool since the bagel. The iPad puts your documents and applications on a friendly, unobtrusive device that boots up immediately and doesn’t put a physical barrier between you and your client. Every client meeting will be more productive, and your clients will be impressed.
2. You will exponentially increase the ROI on your new cloud-based software. Tablets like the iPad are the perfect companion to cloud-based software and storage. Also: bosses really like the words “ROI” and “exponentially.”
3. 80% of businesses will use or support tablets by 2013, according to a Gartner Special Report. There’s still time for your boss to be ahead of this trend, but it’s running out fast. Embrace tablets now or play catch-up later.
4. Tablets are secure. Remote wipe capabilities mean that it’s easy to erase all the data from your iPad if it’s lost or stolen.
5. Apps, apps, apps. CRM apps. Expense tracking apps. Apps that turn your iPad into an extra monitor. Tax research apps. Desktop synching apps. Electronic signature apps. And, yes, Angry Birds.
Need a little more ammo? Take a closer look at what mobile can do:
Mobile CS: This app from Thomson Reuters offers key firm information, CRM, and expense tracking in a handy, mobile-friendly format.
Mobile Technology White paper: Get the complete lowdown on how mobile is changing the tax and accounting profession.
Users’ Conference 2011 Keynote Presentation: Jon Baron, president, Professional, Tax & Accounting, Thomson Reuters does an iPad demo of the newest mobile apps and discusses how mobile is reshaping tax and accounting technology.
Making the Leap to the Cloud: This white paper covers the advantages of hosting your data off-site with a cloud computing provider.
