The only CPAs who don't need to know about technology are those who are retiring in the next 12 months, according to Wayne Harding, director of business development for cpa2biz. "You must use technology to be productive and competitive in the business environment."

The American Institute of CPAs has just updated its website containing its annual list of the Top Ten Technologies. The year 2000 list includes:

• Security Technologies
• XML (Extensible Markup Language)
• Communications Technologies - Bandwidths
• Electronic Authentication Technologies
• Electronic Authorization
• Wireless Communications
• Agents
• Remote Connectivity Tools
• Database Technologies
• Information Appliance or Network Business Appliance

Read more about these technologies and find out how they will affect you and the work that you perform in the years to come.

The updated AICPA site includes Top Ten Tech lists from the past five years, as well as articles about each of the technologies. A resources section is under construction and will be available soon, according to AICPA sources.

"The Top Ten Technologies site serves as a one-stop resource for CPAs to review and understand how they can begin to apply the technologies to their roles with a practice or business," says Sandi Smith, CPA, a consultant who contributes to the Web site. "For many CPAs, these technologies are difficult to grasp, especially how he or she can add the information to a skill set. The Top Ten site makes the process much easier."

Each year, a group of members who serve as technology experts gather to predict what technologies CPAs will be involved in for the following year. The list is hotly anticipated each year as a benchmark for value-added consulting services.