New tools for QBOA, and other tech stories you may have missed

February 12, 2025 10:00 AM

Call summaries and live cleanup in QuickBooks Online Accountant, how search will change because of AI, time to replace your PC, and seven other developments that happened in technology this past month and how they'll impact your clients and your firm.

1. QBOA now has call summaries, live cleanup

QuickBooks Online Accountant has introduced new features — automated call summaries and live cleanup services. (Source: Accounting Today)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: If you're running an accounting practice and use QuickBooks Online for your clients, these are important features to leverage. For your clients, it's also important for them to make sure you are aware of these tools, as they will save time and hopefully billable hours. The call summaries provide detailed logs of support calls between clients and QuickBooks Live Experts, helping clients keep track of questions and responses for future reference. The live cleanup service helps prepare clients' books for tax season by categorizing transactions, checking for any errors, and reconciling accounts to ensure accuracy. Clean-ups are typically performed within 30 days with access to a QuickBooks-certified bookkeeper. These features are available through QuickBooks Online Accountant with a 30% discount for ProAdvisors.

2. Microsoft would really like you to replace your old PCs

Simon Lehmann/PhotoGranary - stock.adobe.com

Microsoft has declared 2025 as "The Year of the Windows 11 PC refresh." Windows 10 is reaching its end-of-support date on Oct. 14, 2025. Microsoft is encouraging users to upgrade to Windows 11, promoting its new AI capabilities, enhanced security, and modern performance benefits. The company has introduced a new category of PCs called Copilot+ PCs, which are touted as the fastest, most intelligent, and most secure Windows PCs ever built. "Now is the time to move forward with a new Windows 11 PC," Microsoft's chief marketing officer Yusuf Mehdi, declared in a January 6 Windows Blog post. (Source: Ars Technica)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: As I mentioned above, I'll be in the market for a new laptop this year and it will be a Windows device, because we're a Microsoft shop. One of the many reasons why I'm doing this is the sunsetting of Windows 10 support and the overall vibe that I'm getting from Microsoft that if I'm not using Windows 11, I'm out of touch. Maybe they're right.

3. An AI search expert predicts the future of search

AJ Gherich — an AI search expert and global vice president at Botify — shared in an interview the evolving trends he anticipates with search tools in 2025. Search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity are changing how we look for information, making it more conversational, rather than keyword-based. Ghergich predicts that ads will soon be integrated into AI search engines as they are a primary revenue source for free services. AI systems will become highly personalized, making ads feel less intrusive and more relevant to users. AI agents will increasingly interact with each other on the web, reducing the need for human intervention in searches. "In the future, the majority of searchers will be AI, not human. We'll cross this threshold, and the way we communicate will have to change," Gherich said. (Source: TechRadar)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: I agree with Ghergich's predictions. SEO will be — and already is — significantly disrupted in the next few years. For a long time Google had the monopoly on ads. But new AI chatbot platforms are delivering answers — not just links to answers — and will be using the best content available so their responses are as accurate as possible. How will they incorporate ads into this new and better delivery of content? Ghergich's ideas seem to make sense.

4. Study: Many VPNs are vulnerable

A study by independent research group Top10VPN discovered significant vulnerabilities in VPN tunneling protocols, affecting over 4 million systems. These include VPN servers, home network routers, mobile servers and CDN nodes. The vulnerabilities are found in IP6IP6, GRE6, 4in6 and 6in4 protocols, allowing attackers to exploit these weaknesses to access networks. Major companies like Meta and Tencent are also impacted. (Source: PCWorld)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: The issue stems from the protocols' inability to reliably verify the identity of a sender. Attackers can repeatedly gain unauthorized access by sending data packets using the affected protocols. This can lead to denial-of-service attacks and infiltration of private networks. To mitigate these risks, additional security mechanisms like IPsec or WireGuard — which provide end-to-end encryption — are recommended. To a layman this seems a little complicated. But the takeaway is that not all VPNs are as secure as they advertise. It's important to work with an IT professional to make sure yours is not giving away confidential information.

5. IBM: AI to become core business driver within a year

A report published by IBM — "Embedding AI in Your Brand's DNA" — states that AI is set to become a major business driver by next year. The report found that 81% of retail and consumer product executives use AI significantly. Investment is expected to surge by 52% beyond traditional IT budgets as companies increasingly adopt sophisticated AI applications beyond IT. Executives plan to use AI for integrated business planning, expanding its usage by 82% in the coming year. Companies expect that 45% of employees will need AI-related upskilling within three years. Additionally, investment in ecosystem platforms will grow significantly. IBM global managing director Dee Waddell said, "Retail and consumer product companies are at a tipping point where embedding AI across their operations can help define not just productivity gains, but the future of brand relevance, engagement and trust." (Source: Retail Customer Experience)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: I'm not saying that AI isn't growing and that investments are significant. But who are IBM's customers? Large corporations. And what does IBM do? Technology services. So read these things with some caution: Like many tech companies, IBM wants these large corporations to think their competitors are all wildly investing in AI and they have to keep up with the Joneses. So you better hire IBM for help! Reports like these are interesting and I'm not discounting their responses. But just know that there's an agenda behind them.

6. The 10 best laptops of CES 2025

R. Michael Stuckey

Tech journalist Matthew Smith reported on the laptops that were showcased at this year's CES 2025 — the premier event where the latest gadgets and innovations are on display from tech companies around the globe. A few of the laptops on PCWorld's 10 best list include the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable, which features a rollable OLED display that extends from 14 inches to 16.7 inches; the Razer Blade 16, a powerful gaming notebook with bold design changes; and the Asus Zenbook A14, the world's lightest Copilot+ PC, weighing just under 2.2 pounds and Smith's "overall pick." Visit the link to see the rest. (Source: PCWorld)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: I bookmarked this article as I'm continuing the search for a new laptop. But bear in mind that these are the latest and greatest technologies. Which means that most are pricey and some aren't even available yet. But they're all a good indication of what's to come. The "rollable" functionality from Lenovo received the most attention both from the crowd and the critics, and any opportunity to cut down on hardware cost (less monitors needed) should be of interest to businesses.

7. Payment tech and SMB customer loyalty

Xaume Olleros/Bloomberg

Tessa Dooley — American Express vice president of U.S. merchant marketing — emphasized the importance of payment technology in driving customer loyalty for small- to midsized businesses. (Source: PYMNTS)

Why this is important for your business: Dooley highlighted that adopting digital payment options such as mobile wallets and contactless payments is crucial for meeting customer demands and staying competitive. She also mentioned that offering flexible payment solutions, like Buy Now, Pay Later, can enhance customer accessibility and affordability. Dooley advised SMBs to use customer data to tailor payment options and loyalty programs, ensuring efficient and secure transactions. "Insights from customer data can translate into effective loyalty strategies," Dooley said.

8. Zuckerberg: AI will do the work of mid-level engineers this year

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

In a recent interview with Joe Rogan, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said AI will replace mid-level engineers by 2025. He believes AI can take over coding tasks, allowing human engineers to focus on higher-level problem-solving and creativity. Other tech giants like Google have also started integrating AI in coding processes. While initially costly, companies hope the transition to AI-generated code will become more efficient over time. This shift may reduce the demand for mid-level coding roles, pushing software engineers toward more strategic responsibilities. "My view on this is like [in the] future people are just going to be so much more creative and are going to be freed up to do kinda crazy things," Zuckerberg said. (Source: ITPro)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: I don't think AI will replace all mid-level software developers. But it will replace many. Most companies I know that use ERP, accounting CRM, HR and other business platforms need them customized, integrated and modified to suit their processes. They have to hire expensive outsiders to do this or hire full-time employees. Some of these costs will still be necessary. But as AI continues to mature over the next few years, many of the software applications written will be done on command and without the need for these humans. But you will still need humans to think about what's best, oversee the development done by an AI bot and then make sure it's implemented the right way. Hopefully, smart technology implementers will embrace these new tools to help their clients more. And smart companies will hire those implementers for better and quicker results.

9. Salesforce aims revolutionize retail

Salesforce launched Agentforce for Retail, which is designed to enhance efficiency in retail through AI-powered automation. This innovation aims to improve customer personalization and streamline operations. Key features include order management that can automate tasks such as order modifications and tracking. Guided shopping provides product recommendations based on customer preferences, and loyalty promotion creation can assist marketers in crafting loyalty programs. (Source: Small Business Trends)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Perfect example of what we're telling our clients: Wait, then lean in and reap. Many multibillion-dollar retail brands are building systems like this internally. Smaller retailers can't afford to do that. But now platforms like Salesforce (and there will be many more) are rolling out newer versions of their POS systems to incorporate the kinds of AI functionality that the bigger corporations are using.

10. Why a tech journalist uses two gen AI platforms

Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Photographer: Jakub Porzycki/Nur

Danny Maiorca of MakeUseOf makes the case for using both ChatGPT Plus and Perplexity Pro, as users typically choose one or the other. His general assessment is that ChatGPT has a broader range of capabilities, whereas Perplexity Pro shines in "niche areas." Maiorca uses ChatGPT Plus for things like organizing abstract ideas, project planning and conversations. Perplexity Pro is used for his in-depth research, as the tool is very efficient with finding resources based on extensive queries. It also leverages large data sets and offers citation support, making it ideal for academic research. "I think the best approach is to use both … . My subscriptions pay for themselves each month," Maiorca concludes. (Source: MakeUseOf)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: I do the same! Perplexity is my research tool when writing articles. ChatGPT is my everyday tool for answering questions and helping me with business and personal decisions. I have subscriptions for both, as both have become important tools to help me run my business and my life. I'm starting to think that no one chatbot tool can do it all, and there will be a number of them that specialize in certain topics or functions.