The pros at tech analyst firm Gartner cite two big changes in technology that will likely have a big impact on the way your IT department is structured, spends its money and hires staff.

The changes: the consumerization of IT and cloud computing.

The first will involve IT supporting and enabling consumer devices — tablets, smartphones, laptops — that workers choose to use to get their jobs done. Gone are the days when IT distributes equipment and software they’ve approved for business use. These days, workers are using devices of their choosing to access company networks and services.

And they expect IT to help them do it.

This practice can be a cost saver — most employees spend their own money for these devices and train themselves in their use. They also boost productivity and enable mobility for workers, but they can pose serious security and compliance risks if not properly managed by your IT pros.

As for cloud computing, this trend will likely mean that functions like user support, network maintenance, storage and email services will soon be managed by vendors, freeing up your staff for more work on business intelligence and data mining work. This will mean a change in the skills needed by your CIO. It might actually mean fewer bodies, but you can expect their expertise to cost you more than the maintenance workers who’ve been the backbone of most IT groups in the past.

To read more about Gartner’s 2012 IT trends, visit here.

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The concensus: Mobility and the Cloud.

They also believe that training for finance staffs will be crucial to getting the most out of their tech investments.

Their recommendation: These two trends will mean dramatic shifts in the way accounting staffs go about their jobs. Planning for the transition to these new technologies needs to start now so that the move will be smooth and orderly.

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cutting expenses and increasing revenue.

The proliferation of smartphones, tablet computers and mobile devices in the workplace emerged for the first time as the top business technology concern for CPAs and finance execs, according to the 2011 Top Technology Initiatives Survey by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

The 22nd Annual AICPA Top Technology Initiative survey, conducted Jan. 13 to Jan. 26, shows control and use of mobile devices was the No. 1 challenge for IT professionals. The finding was based on responses from nearly 1,400 CPAs nationwide specializing in information technology.

Along with mobile devices, the survey pointed to future IT issues that will come with the  implementation of touch-screen technology, deployment of faster networks and voice recognition technology.

“The surging use of smartphones and tablets means people are doing business, exchanging sensitive data wherever, whenever they want to,” said Ron Box, CPA/CITP, CFF.  “The technology is advancing so rapidly that the capabilities for controlling and protecting the information on mobile devices is lagging behind.  What was once as simple as losing your phone, could now create an enormous security risk for organizations.”

“Driving business value while managing risk means using technology solutions like encryption and asserting policy controls over what you can and can’t do remotely,” said Joel Lanz, CPA/CITP, CFF. “This is forcing IT professionals to think anew about how to manage networks and will now require a whole new level of communication with users.”

Lanz and Box are co-chairmen of the AICPA’s Top Technology Initiatives task force which produces the annual survey to help CPAs who are trusted advisors to corporate executives and board audit committees. The survey captures and ranks the business-related technology challenges that CPAs across the country are helping clients and executives address as they assess the role of technology in their organizations. The survey data is intended to be a guide on technology issues as clients and executives turn for answers to CPAs, both in public practice and industry.

“This year’s results revealed a sharp focus on IT value – return on investment – coupled with unceasing attention to data security,” Box said.

Mobile devices are receiving more attention as technological advancement shifts productivity tools from desktops to pockets amid increasing reliance on mobile applications. According to researcher Gartner Inc., some 117 billion applications will be downloaded to mobile devises worldwide by the end of this year.

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