The Evolution of Online Account Services

By Christine Harrell

Information technology is changing at the fastest pace in history. This has allowed today's business owners unprecedented freedom in the management of their businesses as more of the modern office exists virtually.

The Past: Modems and Telephones

Online account services got their start in the early days of the internet, even before the advent of the web. Capabilities were quite limited by the technology of the time. Managers and employees could dial into their work computers from home over normal telephone lines, doing simple data entry and file management.

Accessing these services while traveling was tricky. Dialing into company computers was difficult or even impossible through hotel switchboards. Connections were very slow and it wasn't a particularly viable solution for staff members who were on the road a lot. The complications were even greater when traveling internationally, as modems for US phone lines couldn't be easily used on systems in other countries.

These connections were often not secure and using online account services meant exposing sensitive company information to potential intruders.

The Present: Web Technologies

The development of the World Wide Web initiated a fundamental change that turned online account services into a real solution for business needs. Software now had a standardized framework to deliver information in an efficient and user-friendly manner.

Along with new communication technologies came new encryption techniques. Weak 40-bit encryption keys, implemented in part due to US government restrictions on exporting encryption technologies, were replaced with stronger 128-bit keys for secure connections.

Hotels, coffee shops, libraries and countless other places provide easy access to the web which allows company managers to access online account services from nearly anywhere in the world just as easily as from their desks at work.

The Future: Wireless Connections

Although the current technology of online account services is far beyond the old system, it is still limited by the availability of an internet connection. Even with a wireless modem and a laptop, users must be near a wireless access point to get to their accounts.

Although mobile devices like BlackBerrys allow web access anywhere there is a cell phone signal, their browsers are limited in functionality. They are slow and can't run the ActiveX controls some online account services need for access.

Recently, Intuit released beta versions of QuickBooks Online designed for use on the BlackBerry and iPhone. Their interfaces are optimized for the screens and controls of these devices to allow easy use of the application.

Current versions have limited functionality, mostly restricted to looking rather than doing. Users can access vender lists and bank balances but can't yet pay bills or send invoices. However Intuit is working to add these features before the software gets its official release.

Other companies are sure to follow Intuit's example and it won't be long until we have access to all of our business information no matter where we are.

About the author

Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on online account services, visit http://www.osibusinessservices.com/. from http://www.ContentHere.com

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