Embrace Technology, or Be Left Behind
Source: CPA Trendlines
The following includes excerpts, reproduced with permission, from an article by Eric Pulaski.
Moving applications and data to an online environment is inevitable. The message from thought leaders has been consistent and direct: Get on board with technology, or be left behind. The majority of firms has yet to get on board with SaaS (Software-as-a-Service). The biggest issue being that they simply don't know where to start on their journey to the Cloud.
What is the Cloud?
There has been a fair amount of confusion around this term, as well as about the term SaaS. In a nutshell, here's the difference in meaning between these two terms: SaaS means web-based applications. Cloud computing means services used by computer programmers and IT gurus to access resources over the web. SaaS and the Cloud are both ways of describing solutions that live on the Internet.
The Value of SaaS — and Getting Over the Fear
The move to fully web-based software can be scary for those not yet comfortable with data moving out of the walls of their office and into the Cloud. However, the efficiency and convenience that SaaS applications offer cannot be overstated. Consider the benefits:
- Offers Security and Privacy
- Lives on the Web
- Supports a Paperless Environment
- Eliminates CDs, Manual Updating, and Need for Hardware
- Offers Subscription Service Model vs. Software License
- Enhances the Client-Accountant Relationship
When is the Right Time for Accounting Firms to Adopt SaaS?
Of the accounting, audit, and tax experts consulted on this topic, the consensus is: The time is now. SaaS is well established in the profession…with many proven solutions available.
For the complete article, read “Setting Up Your Accounting Firm for Document Management in the Cloud.”
From CPA Trendlines, cpatrendlines.com, October 2, 2010.