QuickBooks Hosting Leads Way to Cloud for Additional Business Applications

As the integration of cloud computing into businesses continues to build steam, and it becomes more important for IT infrastructures, accounting departments are finding that they are the ones leading additional departments to the cloud based on their success with having QuickBooks hosted. With the necessity of being able to access their QuickBooks data anywhere, anytime, accounting departments turned to application hosting as a solution. The benefit that business owners and CEOs began noticing was that, by taking QuickBooks off of local networks, they were able to save money on hardware, software and overall operational costs.

Since managing QuickBooks in-house is a common burden that businesses share, it allows us to easily point out the savings that cloud computing offers. To begin, running QuickBooks in a multi-user environment requires a server. Then, depending on whether or not your network is ready, you need to purchase software and hardware for employees to use. After a few (or many) billable hours from IT support or staff, you're up and running. Unfortunately, after the extensive initial IT investment, you not only have maintenance and support fees to look forward to, but you're tied to only being able to work at one location.

Now consider the effects application hosting can have on a common program like QuickBooks. With an on-demand resource like cloud computing, QuickBooks applications can be deployed for new employees or users in a fraction of the time. It requires no additional hardware or on-site tech support, and you can utilize existing resources to expand and improve your business. Plus, with many of the hosting providers, you can even rent your QuickBooks licenses to further reduce large up-front costs.

With overall cheaper implementation, network management and security costs, QuickBooks hosting has provided businesses everywhere with an IT model that can be replicated for additional departments like sales and administration. Remote or mobile sales departments have the ability to access and update client and prospect data in SFA or CRM programs. Administration departments can easily add new employees, at multiple locations, and almost instantly give them the ability to access and work with company data and files.Although there are many benefits to having QuickBooks and other applications hosted, this type of situation often convinces many people to make their move to the cloud. 

The benefits that cloud computing has provided accountants wishing to access their QuickBooks over the internet are only outdone by the beneficial cost savings applied to their businesses overall bottom line. The trend of using virtual desktops to supply employees with the tools they need to work are showing no signs of slowing down.

Gartner Research predicts the worldwide spend on cloud computing to double over a four year period and exceed $148 billion by 2014. The question that businesses will face in the coming years is no longer whether or not cloud computing is right for them, it will be how much of their IT infrastructure should/could be moved to the cloud to save money and increase productivity.