It wasn’t that long ago that we were building jumbo airliners and flying to the moon. Today’s technology continues to get smaller and more personal, instead of larger and further away. With the increasing need to almost instantaneously respond to our clients and business associates, it is only a matter of time before computer platforms enable us to shrink! Shrinking platforms have given rise to all sorts of tools and applications that cater to these smaller devices.

So much has happened over the past few months with the migration to shrinking platforms. The need to have anywhere-anytime access to clients and data is now as common as the adding machine and fax machine
once were.

A recent survey released by IBM revealed that over 50 percent of consumers are expected to substitute their Internet usage on a PC for a mobile device. IBM surveyed 600 consumers in the United States, China and the United Kingdom on their preferences regarding the mobile Internet. The survey found that communication, travel and navigation applications, as well as news and information services, are expected to increase significantly in popularity and usage over the mobile Internet.

Nearly three out of four (71%) respondents acknowledged that they expect to increase their usage of communication services such as obtaining maps and directions, instant messaging, social networking, e-mailing and reading the news from their mobile device.

From an age perspective, the mobile Internet is most popular among Generation X and Generation Y, as they tend to be more technology savvy and have a greater exposure and acceptance of emerging technologies. Over 50 percent of respondents who chose “Strong to Full substitution” of accessing the PC versus a mobile device were 15- to 30-year-olds and believed the industry is doing its best to advance the mobile Web.

Introduction of New Devices

An integral part of the continued migration to this shrinking platform is the continued introduction, on the part of the vendors, of smaller and more robust devices.

Recent devices introduced have included:

• Samsung Epix (an AT&T exclusive) with a first of its kind, video-share application, that lets users speak while streaming live video and a new mouse-navigation technology. On the business side, the handset's Windows Mobile 6.1 platform enables users to access multiple e-mail accounts using either Microsoft Exchange Server's Direct Push capabilities and AT&T's own Xpress Mail service. The Epix also supports Microsoft's System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008, which enables internal IT groups to manage Windows Mobile devices.
• Google’s G1 (a T-Mobile exclusive) GPS (Global Positioning System) offering provides real-time street view to help T-Mobile users find a location.
• BlackBerry’s Storm (a Verizon exclusive) with a new generation touch screen and BlackBerry Bold (an AT&T exclusive) with Word-to-Go and Slideshow-to-Go, allow easy display of Word and Power Point documents and presentations.

Problems With Shrinking Platforms

With the shrinking platforms come new issues and concerns regarding security and data redundancy. Internal IT groups are constantly challenged with finding solutions to safeguarding client and customer data, while at the same time making sure that their employees have access to client-specific data whenever they need it.

Since most, if not all, of these devices have built-in Wi-Fi or are connected to the Internet by some other fashion, technologies such as those that have the ability to remotely wipe these devices are a must. Once notified of a lost device, the IT group can, within minutes, remotely wipe all user and client data from these devices. In some situations, through the use of GPS technologies, the devices can be located and recovered.

Company policies regarding the encryption of data also need to be extended to these devices. Under privacy laws and regulations in most states, the company could potentially be under a significant reporting and notification burden, not to mention exposure to significant fines and penalties in the event these devices, along with their data, gets into the wrong hands.

Conclusion

As firms continue to migrate to an ever-shrinking platform, allowing employees to communicate anywhere, anytime, firms need to be aware of the pitfalls and security risks associated with such deployment and design procedures to protect the firm and the clients that it services.

James C. Bourke, CPA, CITP, is a Partner at WithumSmith+Brown, where he is Director of Firm Technology. He is a past president of the New Jersey Society of CPA’s and currently serves on AICPA Council and the Chair of the AICPA CITP Credential Committee. He was recently named by Accounting Today as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the Profession.