Cloud Services For Accounting Firms

Cloud Services For Accounting Firms Boost Your Efficiency

Is your accounting firm cloud-based? If not, you’re missing out – cloud services for accounting firms will make you more efficient, providing convenient and secure access to your work on your terms.

There are plenty of reasons to use cloud services for accounting firms. The cloud offers improvements in productivity, efficiency, and profitability. That’s why a number of industries are steadily transitioning more and more of their business into the cloud.

Cloud Services For Accounting Firms – What Are They?

On paper, the cloud is a network of technologies that allows access to computing resources, such as storage, processing power, and more. In English, the cloud is a way for you to access IT resources without having to buy them outright, or store them onsite at your firm. It’s remote access to extensive computing power.

Why Should You Use Cloud Services For Accounting Firms?

The key is the remote access – by storing your applications and data offsite, you’re no longer tied to the physical location or capabilities of your firm.

Prior to the introduction of cloud computing, anything technology-related was a lot more work for those using it. That’s really the core benefit of the cloud as a whole – it took all the work and stress that came with needing effective hardware and software and moved it off-site. Away from businesses and users, so that they didn’t have to worry about it, but they could still access it whenever they needed to.

The nature of the cloud provides a range of opportunities and benefits:

• Minimal Maintenance: By hosting your accounting firm’s software, applications, and data externally in another organization’s server room or data center, the onus of maintenance is shifted to that organization. Instead of having to maintain server space, execute updates and patches, address and eliminate issues, replace failed hardware, and other tasks associated with maintenance, someone else takes care of it all.  It’s a comprehensive model with few downsides for the user. You get all of the benefits with none of the downsides, meaning no money has to be spent on maintenance or the personnel to handle it.
• Low Risk: In addition to the point above, there’s also the benefit of not having to commit to one service or solution. Cloud services are generally offered via a pay-as-you-go model that allows the user to only pay for use, and so they can more flexibly try out an application at low financial risk.  Compare that to the initial investment required to purchase software (and or the hardware needed to host it), and the difference in financial commitment is clear.
• Convenient Access: One of the key advantages of utilizing the cloud is that it allows for easy, anywhere access to software, applications, and data. Regardless of where the user is (at the office, at home, in transit, on vacation, etc.), or what device their user (desktop PC at work, personal laptop at home, tablet or smartphone on the go), so long as they have an Internet connection and their credentials, they can access work whenever they need to.
• Cost Effect: Accessing software via cloud services for accounting firms is undeniably more affordable because it allows the user to avoid costly software licenses that are based on a concurrent user model. It’s worth noting that while some remotely hosted applications will still charge per user, the user’s business will not have to try to estimate how many licenses will be needed for the entire staff, which eliminates guesswork and keeps expenses low.  Furthermore, there’s no need to pay for all of the infrastructure required to host software locally – servers, cabling, network materials, etc. – or the staff to handle its maintenance.

If you’re not already using the cloud for file sharing and storage, then you’re way behind the times. Free yourself and your firm’s staff – working the way you want to.