The surprise might not be that small accounting firms do not keep up with technology. The surprise in the results of the first Annual Accounting Firm Operations and Technology Survey is more in just how few of the most widely discussed technologies are not being used in the accounting profession.

The Internet and mobile technologies have dramatically reshaped how Automatic Data Processing sells its services and delivers them. More than 70 percent of new sales involved web-based product delivery and the company's representatives have switched to mobile product demonstrations, according to CEO Carlos Rodriquez.

Intuit wants to double the number of customers and substantially increase the number of tax filers by 2018. That was a goal outlined this week by the tax and accounting software company during its annual shareholder meeting. CEO Brad Smith also talked about reaching a point where data entry in preparing tax returns is automatic.