Some Considerations For QuickBooks Cloud Hosting

QuickBooks software is a versatile accounting application used to accomplish various accounting tasks such as managing payroll, tracking inventory, sales, transactions, and invoices.

However, the traditional method of installing QuickBooks on the local system poses certain limitations to the accounting professionals. These can be anything from lack of remote access to inefficient file sharing.

A solution to counter these limitations is QuickBooks cloud hosting. QuickBooks cloud hosting gives a flexible platform to business accounting needs. All the features of QuickBooks are enhanced with the cloud environment as it offers expanded accessibility, better security, collaboration abilities for multiple users, etc.

Along with that, the cloud is believed to offer cost-saving benefits as well.

The recent years have witnessed accounting businesses opting for the cloud platform for various departmental needs, with accounting being one of them. If you too are considering a transition to the cloud, it might prove to be a decision that puts you ahead of your competitors.

However, the right results come with the thoughtful implementation of technology. Hence, QuickBooks hosting on the cloud also requires certain considerations to bring the expected outcomes.

Here are some important considerations for QuickBooks cloud hosting that you must take care of before moving to the cloud.

1. Basic Working of The Cloud

To make the best of any resource, you must understand it first. Go with the same approach when it comes to adopting cloud for your QuickBooks. Though there is no necessity to master cloud computing, having a basic knowledge of it will help you understand how QuickBooks works on the cloud.

It means that you will not have to depend on others to guide you in the migration of your QuickBooks software and data on the cloud. Moreover, you can make better decisions when opting for a cloud service provider.

If you are already using other cloud-based services, such as – storage or media, things are likely to come easier to you.

2. Impact of Upgrading to Cloud

Once you know how the cloud works, it is time to start analyzing the impact that it will cast on your business. Calculate the various benefits that the cloud will serve specifically for your business.

Put into consideration the number of users that are to be given access to the accounting process, the present IT staff and the number of IT professionals required after the migration to the cloud, and the services or resources that will not be needed after the QuickBooks is hosted on the cloud.

At the same time, there can be some additional tasks associated with QuickBooks on the cloud, such as – training the staff with the right cloud practices and cost of internet connectivity. A proper analysis of these factors will make it clear for you if moving to the cloud is a profitable affair or not.

3. Analyze the Challenges Cloud Can Offer

Switching to a new technology is never an ‘all good with no bad’ story. Similarly, there are certain challenges that you might face while moving QuickBooks to the cloud, even with its abundance of benefits. Biggest of them will be the controlling and monitoring of user permissions.

Since most users are expected to be accounting masters, they may not be an expert in technology. So, you might have to train them initially. Depending on the core traits of your business, there might be more such minor hurdles, and it is better you prepare early.

Another problem you might encounter is getting the right help while making the transition to the cloud. Once you have decided to move to the cloud, the entire accounting process, along with data and applications need to be moved to the cloud. This requires the employment of a team with a certain level of cloud expertise.

Or, you can choose a cloud service provider that offers you managed hosting services, which includes data migration and application setup. As the cloud provider takes care of the data migration, you do not have to worry about the data loss, which can happen during the process.

4. Reliability of The Hosting Provider

You must have worked on QuickBooks for years and mastered accounting with it. Cloud will give a further boost to your skills to pace up the processes. But, a wrong choice of cloud service provider might just play spoilsport.

Therefore, it is of optimum priority to ensure that your choice of the cloud hosting provider is an able player in the market.

While choosing the QuickBooks hosting service providers, you must look for-

• Intuit Authorization
• Affiliations
• Experience
• Round-the-Clock Support
• SLA-guaranteed Uptime
• Backup Policy
• Security Policy
• Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
• Managed Services

5. Security Measures Taken By Hosting Provider

The protection of your business data might be one of the most significant concerns while choosing a cloud vendor. The risk of cyber-attacks and online frauds can breach the security of a company.

When considering your options, it is essential to check for must-have security features, such as:

• End-to-end encryption of data
• Intrusion detection and prevention system
• Multiple firewalls
• Multi-level authentication
• Virus and malware prevention system
• RDP gateways

Also, QuickBooks hosting provider should have a reliable backup system to recover crucial information in case of any accidental loss.

6. Service Level Agreement

Your cloud hosting provider needs to establish a clear contractual relationship document called SLA (Service Level Agreement), stating the minimum level of services that are provided. This document elaborately lists out the uptime guarantee, migration support, exit plan, and more.

It is vital to read the terms carefully and ensure that your QuickBooks hosting provider is legally bounded to offer the required services and support mentioned in the agreement.

Furthermore, it is crucial to understand that the choice you make impacts your team as well. Therefore, take them on-board with your decision. The involvement of your team will help in having a clear understanding of the SLA in order to find the perfect fit.

Conclusion

QuickBooks hosting on the cloud is loaded with a limitless number of benefits for accounting professionals. However, if you fail to adopt the right practices with QuickBooks hosting, it may not prove to be as effective in your accounting process.

Giving thoughtful consideration to the points mentioned above will enable you to stay on the right path to achieve better productivity with the accounting operations on the cloud.

Want to know what more QuickBooks hosting has for you? Contact a Solutions Consultant at 855-910-6927.