The Value of Cloud-Based Accounting
作者:特雷西·马丁
Sharing information in real time among team members and outside advisors, 包括你的注册会计师, is just one of many advantages of maintaining your accounting data on the cloud. You don’t have to give up the software features and files you’re accustomed to, but the days of sending your 注册会计师 a QuickBooks file at the end of the month – or having to log off so another member of your team can log on – are over with cloud-based software.
In addition to easier collaboration and immediate access, cloud-based accounting allows mobility. With a growing number of remote workers, data that can be securely accessed through smartphones and other mobile devices from any location is a practical necessity. 您可以查看文件, 核对帐目, or share information with a team member from virtually anywhere.
作为成本效益, data stored in the cloud rather than on the company’s server require less on-site hardware and networking equipment. Updates are managed by the software company rather than your IT staff. Although the initial cost or monthly fee may be higher, equipment savings and increased productivity typically make cloud-based software more cost effective than desktop software. The IT company Bitglass surveyed CIOs and IT leaders pre-pandemic, and more than half reported a net cost savings as a result of using cloud-based applications. That percentage has likely grown.
Users always want to know: Is the data secure? Cloud-based software vendors assume this responsibility and have fulltime resources to update cyber security. 你的内部IT人员, 与此同时, 必须兼顾各种相互竞争的需求, 例如系统维护, 故障排除, 硬件问题. In the event of an emergency interruption, such as a natural disaster or power outage, software vendors can recover data quickly. Many user companies don’t have the same data recovery built into their internal systems.
Two things to keep in mind before you make the switch: You need a reliable internet connection to access the cloud, and your service provider will schedule downtime for maintenance on occasion, but typically overnight or on weekends when volume is low.
Transitioning from desktop to cloud-based with the same software vendor is seamless. 例如, when moving from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online, all data and history is imported into the cloud, and you have immediate access to your data. (QuickBooks, Xero, and Sage Intacct are popular cloud-based accounting software options.)当然, if you are changing software providers at the same time, 这个过程可能需要更长的时间, and comparative reports may not be available during the first year.
If you’re still undecided about a move to the cloud, be aware that software vendors are nudging you in that direction by discontinuing desktop versions or limiting support for older versions. QuickBooks, 例如, announced it would discontinue all versions of desktop services for customers in the UK as of June 30, 2023. Since the company 太k this step in the UK, it’s reasonable to expect a future solely in the cloud for US customers, 太.
以了解有关此主题的更多信息, please contact 特雷西·弗林·马丁, 注册会计师, 合作伙伴, 电话:(336)232-4492 或 tmartin@listingwatcher.com
特雷西·弗林·马丁 伙伴,注册会计师
Tracey has over 30 years of experience as a 注册会计师 and is a tax and consulting partner in our 威明顿 office. She applies her knowledge and practical ideas to meet the needs of firm clients from both a business and tax perspective. Tracey leads our Firm’s CAS service line (Client Accounting 解决方案 – a […]
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