We all know that data is being generated every second of every day in every location around the planet. Outer space management will be discussed at some future time.

For the small or mid-sized business owner, today's crop of accounting solutions is an embarrassment of riches. Your clients can dip their toes into cloud-based accounting by using an online solution for one or two functions. They can integrate an online add-on with their desktop accounting software. They can forge ahead and implement a 100-percent-in-the-cloud solution, like QuickBooks Online or Intacct, or sign up for a hosted environment.

Two years after its intended launch, Intuit's Practice Management software is on the market. An Internet-based product, the application works with the company's QuickBooks and Lacerte products. The company is rolling the title out with a 90-day free trial. The official launch is planned at the California Accounting and Business Show and Conference next month.

Payroll services for accountants, once considered a low-margin client service that accountants could take or leave, is once again gaining attention among accounting firms of all sizes. To a degree, this renaissance is based on the economy. With small businesses struggling under the burden of new taxes and uncertainties, accounting firms are working overtime to shore up their client relationships and their firms' revenue streams.