Isaac M. O'Bannon is the managing editor and digital content manager for CPA Practice Advisor (www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com), drawing on two decades of experience covering the areas of professional accounting, taxation, business productivity and consumer technologies.
Prior to CPA Practice Advisor, O'Bannon was a consultant at firms in San Francisco, Denver and Tulsa, serving clients that included Logitech, Polycom, Hilti, Microsoft, the Stanford Research Institute, the University of Oklahoma's College of Engineering and other technology leaders. He is a U.S. Navy veteran.
Email: isaac.obannon - @ - cpapracticeadvisor.com
December 2, 2011
800-739-9998 www.cchgroup.com/portal 2012 Overall Rating 4.75 Best Fit Firms wanting secure client file sharing functions with integration into other CCH programs, along with file versioning and automated retention and expiration capabilities. Strengths Can be used on all major browsers and platforms Strong security customization File versioning for online edits to shared documents Customizable...…
December 2, 2011
866-674-6785 www.SmartVault.com 2012 Overall Rating 4.75 Best Fit Professional firms and also businesses wanting a web-based document management system that includes client portals and integrations with common small business applications. Strengths Integrated Toolbar for QuickBooks Customizable firm and client-side branding Familiar expandable folder structure User-by-user access right customization Automated synching to desktop or...…
December 2, 2011
800-968-8900 www.cs.thomson.com 2012 Overall Rating 5 Best Fit Firms using other programs in the Thomson Reuters CS Professional Suite, particularly those using the document management and tax programs. Strengths Customizable firm branding and integration of login on firm website Two-way firm/client sharing and collaboration Broad integration with programs in CS Professional Suite Ability to...…
December 2, 2011
888-667-8440 www.OfficeToolsPro.com 2012 Overall Rating 4.75 Best Fit Firms using or considering the Office Tools Professional Practice Management 2011 system, who want to provide user-friendly portals to clients. Strengths Tight integration with Practice Management 2011 system Project management and file sharing Built-in client communication tools Customizable firm branding Good integration with outside programs Potential...…
December 2, 2011
800-441-3453 www.ShareFileCPA.com 2012 Overall Rating 4.5 Best Fit Accounting practices wanting a simple, yet secure method of sharing files with clients and allowing them to upload files to the firm. Strengths Firm branding and the ability to place a login field on firm website Sharing of files two ways between client and firm Multiple...…
December 1, 2011
800-716-2558 ext. 100 www.cPaperless.com 2012 Overall Rating 4.25 Best Fit Professional firms seeking a stand-alone system that will make it easy for their clients to send files to them, as well as securely share returns and other documents with their clients. Strengths Simple for clients and firms to use Strong security customization options Customizable...…
November 30, 2011
AccuCode, Inc. (www.AccuCode.com) has announced the start of its new referral-based program for the software developer’s AO: Rapid Inventory system, which is the only cloud-based inventory management program for QuickBooks that includes options for fully-integrated RFID and barcode scanning. Designed as an add-on to enhance inventory capabilities for businesses using QuickBooks Pro, Premier or Enterprise,...…
November 23, 2011
We’ve covered the issue of disaster preparation and business continuity several times over the years, especially after Hurricane Katrina. Accounting is a technology-driven profession, so we’ve generally approached the topic of preparation by focusing on subjects such as remote backup and using web-based systems to allow a firm to keep working even if disaster strikes....…
November 22, 2011
Tax and accounting professionals who start their own firms from scratch face benefits and significant challenges. On the pro side, they have the opportunity to build the firm as they wish, from internal practices to staffing and management styles. Of course, there can be significant startup costs, and the firm starts with a client roster…
November 22, 2011
Since we started the Readers’ Choice Awards in 2006, they’ve become a popular way for many of our readers to voice their admiration and respect for certain companies that make technologies for tax and accounting professionals.
November 21, 2011
Part 2 of Isaac's Annual Holiday Gift Guide. In our annual December Gift Guide, I wrote about a couple of dozen cool-to-quirky gadgets for business and personal use. There are always many more that I don’t get the chance to cover, whether because of space or time or other factors, so I’ve decided to share…
