Time for a PDA?

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From the Oct. 2006 Issue

Are you one of the majority of CPAs who still are without a handheld computer or PDA (personal digital assistant)? Perhaps you tried one in the past but never really clicked with it, and so it found its way into the pile of antiquated tech devices in your office, or perhaps the junk drawer at home. As public accountants increasingly find themselves outside of the office for client visits or travel, the real benefits to PDA usage have become ever
more tangible, from wireless remote access for communications to digital phone capabilities to maintaining client contact information to utilizing applications that sync with in-office programs.

A Primer on PDAs
Of course, PDAs have been around for about a decade now, from the Apple Newton, Psion, Wizard and the original Palm Pilot, to today’s advanced Treo and BlackBerry models. The earliest devices can even be traced back to the mid-1970s as evolving out of advanced calculators, although the devices in use now generally sprung from digital address books and wireless phones, while gradually adding various new capabilities, including integration with e-mail and contact management utilities, the ability to create and work on documents and spreadsheets, mobile web browsing, instant messaging, infrared functions, Bluetooth IR technology, cameras, handwriting recognition, GPS, greater processing capabilities, and more advanced data management.

Currently, the most popular devices include the BlackBerry, Dell Axim, iPAQ, Sony Clie and Vaio, Motorola, and several models from Palm, including the Pilot, Tungsten, LifeDrive, Treo and Zire. Just as most computing systems run on Windows, Macintosh or Linux operating systems, operating systems were developed for these handheld systems. Many have come and gone, but currently the major PDA operating systems include Palm OS, Pocket PC (a.k.a. Windows Mobile), and BlackBerry. The operating system is a determining factor in available functions and integration capabilities. An interesting article on the early history of the PDA (1975 to 1995) is available at www.snarc.net/pda/pda-treatise.htm.

Professional Usage
The initial widespread use of PDAs was centered around day planning and contact management, both of which provided a better and more portable means of keeping track of schedules and phone numbers. But the major productivity-enhancing additions of wireless Internet capabilities and increased processing (computing) power changed the PDA into a real workhorse that offers direct benefit to the accounting professional.

Scheduling & Contact Management
To start with, electronic scheduling systems are inherently more reliable than paper-based systems, especially for offices with multiple professionals since the calendars of all of the professionals can be accessed. Ditto the advantages for contact management, since remotely edited client data can be synced back into the master contact management system upon return to the office, or uploaded via remote Internet access. Since the information stored on a PDA is also stored on the main system, if a handheld device is lost it is also much less disturbing to the practice than losing the only copy of a paper-based system. The electronic nature of the systems also enables the portability of much more data than paper methods, along with query capabilities that ease the process of searching through the data.

Remote Internet Access
Most news websites are now offering WAP (wireless access protocol) and other PDA-friendly versions of their sites, and free or per-use Hot Spots are popping up seemingly everywhere that allow users to quickly check e-mail, catch up on the news or perform other tasks such as entering time data into billing systems, filing expense reports, or synching contact management edits. The built-in cameras on some of the systems can also be used to support asset management and other accounting systems.

Choosing a PDA
PDAs range from less than $100 to more than $700, depending upon their capabilities. Service contracts for smart phones that combine advanced handheld functions with a wireless phone are similar to contracts for wireless phones and can substantially reduce the upfront cost of the device. Also similar to selecting a wireless phone, if you wish to have wireless functions on your handheld, you should first determine the service providers in the areas you need coverage.

Of course, the right PDA depends upon the needs of the user. For road warriors, the more functions the better, since they will inevitably find value in virtually any function that enables them to perform even a minute part of their job while on the road. These airport and truck stop regulars likely already have their handheld device strapped snugly to their belt. But for those who are out of the office less frequently, the first step is determining the features that can be cost-benefit justified. At the lower end, systems provide basic personal information manager (PIM) capabilities with no remote access or web functionality. More capable business-ready models start in the $250 to $400 range. If you or a staff member visit clients at their offices more than an hour or two per week, the ability to enter client data, notes, time and expenses, and then sync that information back into the primary system is essential. If you or a staff member have