The Internet ranked number one in the most recent "Top 10 Technology Issues" survey, published annually by the AICPA. The "Top 10 Technology Issues" poll identifies and ranks by order of importance current or future technologies, issues or concepts anticipated to affect business over the next year, based on their impact on revenue, organizational and personal productivity and efficiency, and exposure to various risk factors.

According to the AICPA, the poll is conducted through a "progressive electronic brainstorming meeting" of CPAs who specialize in information technology. Many of its findings reflect trends that have received much media attention and other hype. The Top 10 Technology Issues for 1998 follow:

1. Internet, intranets, private networks, and extranets

2. Year 2000 issues

3. Security and controls

4. Training and technology competency

5. Electronic commerce

6. Communications technologies (general), which refers to packaging and transmitting data, text, voice, and video information, such e-mail, LANs (local area networks), ISDN (integrated services digital network), cellular communications, and Web TV.

7. Telecommuting/virtual office

8. Mail technology (for example, e-mail, voice mail, video mail, and two-way paging)

9. Portable technology (Notebooks/Palmtops)