How Hosting Sage 50 on Cloud Enables Mobility, Flexibility and Business Continuity?

Sage 50, being one of the most versatile Desktop accounting software in the market, is the preferred choice for various accountants all over the world.

For years, the accountants used Sage 50 software on their local system to store confidential client information, manage balance sheets, process payments and create invoices.

However, the local desktop setup comes with its limitations. High Capital Expenditure, limited storage, deployment of IT professionals, restricted mobility, and data security issues among others.

Cloud technology brings with it the solution for all these problems by offering a mobile, flexible, and secure environment for accounting operations. With the hosting of Sage 50 desktop software on the cloud, the accountants can concentrate on their daily tasks without being concerned about the infrastructure-related issues.

Let us discuss the vital aspects of hosting Sage 50 on cloud and how it enables business continuity, flexibility, and mobility.

1. Mobility

One of the most discomforting aspects of desktop software is its lack of mobility. The accountants experience the same discomfort with Sage 50 desktop software.

Installation of the software on the local system forces you to access the software from a fixed location and storing the data in the local hard drives.

As a result, whenever you have to meet a client or have some personal issues that you need to take care of, you have no option than to leave your office, and along with it, your accounting process. Since Sage 50 and the data associated with it is stored locally, you cannot access it remotely.

Cloud providers offer you with Sage 50 hosting that takes care of this issue. As the software, as well as data, is hosted on servers located at remote locations, the software can be accessed from any part of the globe, 24 hours a day.

You, as an accounting professional already have a lot on your plate. Burdening you with the liability of coming to the office daily only hampers the productivity. In contrast, cloud hosting enables you to work remotely which in turn reduces mental stress and helps create a work-life balance.

2. Flexibility

Cloud means flexibility! The most noteworthy attribute of the cloud environment is its ability to adapt as per your process requirement and offer you with customized solutions.

a) Scalable process

As a CPA, you must have encountered the recurring issue of hardware/software update as well as replacement. This issue occurs due to various circumstances.

Firstly, Sage releases the latest versions of the software periodically. As the version consists of new additions and improvements to the previous versions, it is quite possible for the new version to be incompatible with the existing configuration of your local setup.

Secondly, your requirements for the hardware resources revolve around your accounting process. As your firm evolves, you might need to increase the users and with it the hardware specifications.

The cloud environment involves the functioning of a cluster of servers functioning synchronously to perform multiple tasks. These servers are divided into Virtual Machines (VM) with a specific configuration and each VM acting as a private server.

When Sage 50 is hosted on the VM, it can be scaled up or down as per your requirement. You can even have a different configuration for different months of the year.

b) Flexible Pricing

When you host Sage 50 on the cloud, you pay as per usage. As already discussed, you can scale your process as per requirement. Once you change the configuration, you are paid accordingly.

Cloud providers can charge you on yearly, monthly as well as hourly basis.

3. Business Continuity

Business Continuity is the process designed to ensure the functioning of your business at all times. It involves various steps required to monitor, analyse, prevent and mitigate any threat that hampers your business process.

The occurrence of any event that can cause disturbances in the business process is called a Disruptive Incident. Broadly speaking, a disruptive Incident can be natural or human-initiated.

Natural causes include events like natural disasters. An earthquake or tornado can destroy the infrastructure in which your data is stored. Other causes can be human initiated like a fire in your office or a cyber-attack.

Business Continuity does not only involve the responses after the occurrence of the event. It is a more proactive approach that provides guidelines for identifying the disruptive event and safeguards to prevent the event from taking place.

Business Continuity involves steps such as Risk Management, Crisis Management, and Disaster Recovery.

Every establishment is strongly recommended to implement a well-designed Business Continuity Plan in their process. However, as far as the accounting industry is concerned, it even more critical. The accounting process involves the processing of vital information including balance sheets and invoices. Hence, every accounting firm must have a Business Continuity Plan.

However, to design and implement the plan, it takes a team of individuals with the knowledge and expertise to do the same. It takes time, revenue, and effort to implement the plan successfully.

On the contrast, the competent cloud providers already deploy a Business Continuity Plan in their process. Hence, it is recommended to host Sage 50 on the cloud and avail the benefits of the Business Continuity Plan.

Here are some of the aspects of the Business Continuity Plan offered by cloud hosting providers.

a) Security

It is always better to implement security safeguards to prevent a disruptive event rather than taking countermeasures later. The cloud providers deploy advanced security practices that protect Sage 50 application and data against any attacks and unauthorised access.

Some of these practices include multi-factor authentication, data encryption, access control, Intrusion Detection, and Prevention System.

b) Disaster Recovery

Business Continuity consists of a Disaster Recovery Plan which outlines the steps to implement during or after a disaster. Under the Disaster Recovery Plan, the cloud providers store Sage accounting data in multiple geographic locations so that the data can be restored even if one location is affected by a disaster.

c) Redundant Infrastructure

To ensure Business Continuity, the data centres in which your Sage 50 desktop application is hosted deploy redundant infrastructure for the servers. The availability of redundant cooling, power, and network equipment ensure that data is available even if some equipment get compromised due to a disruptive incident.

Additional benefits of hosting Sage 50 on the cloud!

The features mentioned above are essential for all the accounting-related process. However, there is a lot more to benefit from when it comes to Sage 50 hosting. Cloud providers such as Ace Cloud Hosting UK also offers features such as dedicated 24/7 support integrated into their services.

You can integrate the complimentary apps with your Sage 50 software and access them all at one place. Cloud environment also supports multi-user environment that enables multiple users to access the data at the same time leading to an increase in productivity.

From a hassle-free operation to reduction in costs, Hosting Sage 50 on cloud can only help the accounting firms reach new heights.