If your company is running QuickBooks Desktop, the main QB file is stored either on your PC or a server in your office. But what if the PC crashes? What if someone breaks in? What if you are not physically at the office and need to access it? There is a better way…
Have you ever considered what would happen to your company if you no longer had access to your QuickBooks? Most companies who run QuickBooks Desktop have their QB file reside on a local PC somewhere in their office or they might have it stored on a server for access from many PCs. While this may have been easy to set up, it also poses significant business risks such as:
- What if the hard drive crashes on the Computer?
- What happens if the server crashes?
- What happens if you don’t have a backup?
- What happens if your company gets broken into or a fire breaks out?
- What if you require to access QuickBooks Desktop while working from the house?
If you are running QB Desktop on a local PC or Server, you need to consider moving your QuickBooks into a hosted environment and in fact, you should do it right now!
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What is QuickBooks Hosting?
Cloud hosting simply means that a 3rd party provider creates a secure virtual Windows PC in the cloud just for your company, that you can access from anywhere you have Internet access. You simply access it from your Windows launching it like you do any program and instantly have access to the “PC in the cloud” where you can then put your QuickBooks Desktop file on it.
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What is the experience like?
The experience will differ depending on the provider you choose, but most use Windows Remote Desktop and the Remote Desktop Client.
Using the Windows Remote Desktop client, you specify the provider’s name, your username, and password. You will set a secure connection to the server and a new window will appear showing you your virtual desktop. This desktop behaves exactly as Windows does. You can maximize this window and use your virtual desktop full screen, or select to run within a window.
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Accessible anywhere
You can access your QuickBooks Desktop in the cloud from virtually any device, anywhere, anytime.
Now you can work from home or away from the office when required. All you require to have is your device and an Internet connection.
During our new work-from-home environment, this is now more necessary than ever!
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Goodbye hardware failures. Hello to always backed up!
If you are operating QB Desktop on a local PC or Server, it’s not a matter of IF the hardware will fail, it’s a matter of WHEN. It is certain – whether a hard drive, a network card, motherboard, etc. When you use a hosting provider, that simply won’t occur to you anymore.
Even more, QuickBooks Hosting Providers provide rolling backups ensuring you always have a backup should the need arise. Backups are stored off-site which allows protect you in the event of a fire or natural disaster. Now that’s peace of mind!
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Always running
Most hosting providers offer an SLA-backed promise that their service will always be up and running. Apps4Rent, for example, has a 99.999% uptime which means your business can depend on QB being available all the time.
If you are operating QB Desktop on a local PC or server, I bet you can’t get even get close to a 99.999% uptime!
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Round-the-clock support by a professional team!
You have a business to run and don’t need to be worried about maintaining hardware and software for your organization.
When using a hosting provider, they are accountable for maintaining both the hardware and the software. They make sure Windows is always up-to-date, the latest QuickBooks Desktop updates are installed, and your server is protected from viruses and malicious threats.
Most hosting providers provide 24/7 support and can perform maintenance tasks at night or over the weekend to avoid excessive downtimes.
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Less costly in the long run – can you afford not to go to the cloud?
If your PC crashes or gets stolen, there are significant costs to replace and get everything back up and running. These costs include the new server, the HW switches, setup/installation, server costs, VPN access, maintenance costs, backup solutions, and more. A typical setup over 3 years will cost about $12,650.
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What to look for when selecting a QuickBooks hosting provider :
- QuickBooks hosting provider support 3rd party QuickBooks Desktop Add-ins
- QB hosting provider provide 24/7 support through email, chat, and phone.
- They provide QuickBooks business file backup services.
- The Provider manage both Windows and QuickBooks Desktop up-to-date automatically for you.
- They have a well-defined service level agreement and an established track record of availability. 99.99% uptime.
- Running the current version of Windows software. You don’t want to be operating QuickBooks on a decade-old operating system.
- Able to operate Google Chrome as the default system browser
- Have a well-defined onboarding strategy that makes it easy to migrate from a local version of QuickBooks Desktop to the hosted version.
- Providers monitor server performance and can provide great performance.
- Has multiple data centers to save you in case of a natural disaster.
If you are still operating an on-site server to host your QuickBooks Desktop company files, you should consider migrating to a hosting provider. There are great options to choose from and you will save yourself the headaches of managing your own server on-site while improving security and allowing access on any device wherever you have an Internet connection.
Conclusion
With hosted QuickBooks, you can access your files at any time and collaborate efficiently with your team partners and accountants. QuickBooks cloud hosting is suitable for organizations that need multiuser access to files and data but seeks restrictions on access by other users. If you are still using an on-site server to host your QuickBooks Desktop company files, you should think about migrating to a hosting provider like Apps4Rent. They are one of the finest QuickBooks hosting providers that allow users to work remotely by granting unlimited access to the platform via any internet-connected device from any location.
