Running a Bookkeeping Business with the Help of a Commercial Host
By Lisa Gecko
With a commercial hosting program, bookkeeping companies can now work with authorized commercial hosts to eliminate many IT hassles, improve productivity, and save money in the process. What hosting something commercially means specifically, is that the QuickBooks desktop software and data are no longer stored on any in-house PC. Instead, the application is moved to a remote server or cloud hosting provider where it is accessed via the internet. In a previous article we looked at some of the more powerful aspects that cloud computing offers which we will expand upon in this paper—specifically how the Intuit commercial host can be of assistance in running a bookkeeping business.
Starting with some of the processes that are eliminated by hosting commercially, individual employee PC upgrades and installs will no longer be required. Even companies that have the IT muscle to handle software installations, upgrades and individual tech support at any time would better serve the organization working on other projects. By working with a cloud service provider (CSP) hosting QuickBooks commercially, bookkeeping companies free up time spent on many of the day to day tasks of IT maintenance and upkeep. With the application no longer residing on every individual machine, business will be more productive. Any upgrades will be handled remotely, so there is no need to repeat the process multiple times locally.
Another important elimination is the security risk of carrying sensitive client data on multiple machines. There is no data on corporate or private machines, therefore there is no longer a threat from this issue. CSPs provide the security, working with the company to decide what level of security is required for different divisions or individuals, and implement the processes for data access. Once again, this frees up employees for other tasks as the commercial host is responsible for protection and backup. CSPs use the best technology available for security and infrastructure, and the ability to access this enterprise level cloud computing technology for bookkeeping businesses is a significant advantage.
Another advantage with cloud hosting is that the customer data files can be accessed by both the client and host simultaneously. This eliminates the need to send files back and forth and the downtime in between responses. By moving QuickBooks hosting off-site and utilizing the application as software as a service (SaaS), bookkeeping companies not only save time, but protect client data within the CSPs enterprise grade infrastructure. Cloud hosting is also the most secure option for backup and disaster recovery.
Commercial hosts are there to help clients with the ability to solve issues that have proven to be problematic in the past. What may seem like an insurmountable IT issue to a bookkeeping business could be addressed with relative ease by the CSP. Commercial hosts can assist with how to take advantage of what cloud computing has to offer. Whether it is how to reduce IT infrastructure costs, or how to access data from anywhere at any time, the CSP has the knowledge and experience to handle bringing companies into the cloud and maximizing potential.
Online bookkeeping businesses can reduce the operating expenses for most companies due in part to their proficiency in the field, and in part due to their client’s relative lack of expertise. The same is true for CSPs and what they can offer as a commercial host to businesses that cannot afford enterprise grade hardware or do not have the IT department that can manage certain aspects of their data center efficiently. In the case of bookkeeping businesses that need to explore new options and fresh ideas, there is a program providing the gateway to work with CSPs towards cloud computing solutions with QuickBooks hosting.
