Did you know that support for Windows 7 will be expiring on January 14th, 2020? That means, if you haven’t already, now is the time to embrace Cloud Computing and make the inevitable transition instead of buying more hardware.
What Is Cloud Computing?
Cloud Computing is not as fancy as it sounds. It’s simply computing based on the internet. Think of “the cloud” as the internet – because it essentially is. Before cloud computing came along, people would run applications and programs from software loaded onto a physical computer or server in your office. Remember having to insert floppy disks and then hard drives and then CDs? Cloud computing allows you to access all of the features offered by the software you would normally have to load over the internet. So when you’re accessing your bank, updating your Facebook page, or editing something in Google Drive, you’re actually using cloud computing. In fact, most of what we do is hosted on the cloud. So, why not get with the times and bring your business onto the cloud as well?
The benefits of Cloud Computing
There are a lot of benefits to moving your operations to the cloud.
Flexibility
Working from the cloud gives you operational flexibility and allows employees to access necessary files from anywhere so that remote work is possible.
Simplifies disaster recovery
Backing important files up to the cloud is easy, can be done automatically, and makes disaster recovery a breeze. Plus, it allows your business to avoid a large, upfront investment.
Always have the latest software
Keeping up with the latest version of software not only ensures you have all the coolest features, but also ensures that you have the most secure version of the applications you are using. With cloud computing, updating to the latest version is easy and usually automatic.
More affordable
SaaS (Software as a Service) programs offer pay as you go options as opposed to the large, upfront costs of hardware.
Reduced IT costs
Using software services that are hosted in the cloud reduces or eliminates your data centers, which significantly reduces IT costs.
As you can see, there are numerous benefits to cloud computing. As tax preparers, taking your tax, office, and operational software into the cloud should be seriously considered as way to increase flexibility and reduce costs.