Bean counters get connected in crunch fight

Accountants are relying on their mobiles as they adapt to a change in their jobs brought about by the shift in the UK economy.

According to a survey from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales for BlackBerry-maker RIM, accountants' roles have shifted from providing auditing or bookkeeping, to providing business counsel as well.

The shift has led to a requirement to be contactable anywhere by clients, who need up-to-the-minute advice.

The survey of 566 senior accountants in practice in England and Wales found more than 90 per cent of them spent time working out of the office, with 35 per cent spending at least 11 hours per week working remotely, while 75 per cent of the sample said being contactable when away from the office is "more important than ever".

More than half of the respondents with smartphones said they won a piece of business when on the move.