The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a proposal that would allow filers to submit financial data in Extensible Business Reporting Language, or XBRL.

In the last article on this topic, I shared the reasons why conflict can be a positive influence on your practice and provided you with important background information to help you identify your own "fallback" conflict management style (Sept. 20-Oct. 10, 2004, p. 22). In addition, I introduced you to six underlying reasons that conflict exists to better understand why conflict arises when it does.

RIA, a business unit of the $7.6 billion Thomson Corporation, is today one of the pre-eminent providers of comprehensive and easy-to-use solutions to complex and challenging tax research, information and compliance issues.

In most firms, net income per partner is an important measurement of how the firm is performing.

Big Four firms Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers have each released their annual global information security surveys, and both polls point to some disturbing trends in corporate America.

- OCTOBER -

The International Accounting Standards Committee Foundation trustees have tapped Australian Stock Exchange chief Richard G. Humphry to serve as a trustee from the Asia-Pacific region.

Former Securities and Exchange Commission chair Arthur Levitt Jr. and former CNN chair Walter Isaacson have been named to the board of the Global Center for Leadership & Business Ethics, an independent entity established to recognize individuals and organizations with extraordinary business ethics and leadership qualities.

California

* California

One of the fallouts of the legislation related to past accounting scandals is a renewed interest on the part of CPAs in courses on ethics and the management of accounting practices.

Accpac, a provider of business management applications to small and midsized businesses, has unveiled Version 5.3 of its Accpac Advantage series accounting system -- an update highlighted by new features including transactional analysis, tighter security options and an enhanced order-entry module.

Software maker CaseWare International Inc. has released CaseWare Time 2004 with a new workflow layout to guide users through their tasks.

CCH Tax and Accounting made a big move into the document management business this week with the purchase of SIAN software by its parent, Wolters Kluwer Tax, Accounting & Legal, from Atlanta-based accounting firm Habif, Arogeti & Wynne.

BEST SOFTWARE UNVEILS ACT 2005: Best Software has debuted new versions of Act 2005, its contact and customer management product, at a recent briefing held in New York.

How can accounting firms help clients with software needs, above and beyond the obvious acquisition and installation of accounting software? This question is being repeated by accountants everywhere as they look for new directions in which to grow their practices and serve their clients.

The leadership skills required in information technology today are similar to those of a managing partner or chief executive.

Fixed asset software does not get a lot of attention in many accounting practices. That lack of attention often follows through to the client's sites as well. If you took the time to analyze the situation, you'd probably find that many of your clients are probably performing depreciation and amortization calculations either manually, or with the aid of a simple spreadsheet.

Nonprofit and governmental accounting software maker FundWare has rolled out the latest version of its software with a new general ledger with a three-dimensional account structure.

RIA has introduced two new modules for its InSource Sales & Use Tax software.