QuickBooks in the Cloud 101 – an entry-level introduction to working with QuickBooks clients and users

Cloud computing, online applications and Internet services are changing how we do business.  Interaction is real time, and the market demands that data be real time, too.  Accounting after-the-fact for business activities is helpful, but doesn’t provide the business owner with the information when and where it is most useful: here and now.

Learn about cloud computing approaches as they apply to working with QuickBooks software and clients using QuickBooks, and get the foundation you need to start using the right solutions to solve the variety of bookkeeping and workflow problems you and your clients face each and every day.

This free one-hour webinar is provided by The Sleeter Group, presented by Michelle Long, and features Joanie Mann of InsynQ CPAASP, a leader in the application services market and the first company authorized by Intuit as a commercial host for QuickBooks.

At the end of the webinar, we’ll also be making an exciting announcement which will bring new value and opportunity to QuickBooks consultants everywhere, so make sure to reserve your place today!

When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.  Let us help you understand your “cloud” options, and fill your toolkit so you have what you need to address the variety of issues each of your clients delivers to you.

QuickBooks in the Cloud 101 – an entry-level introduction to working with QuickBooks clients and users online.

October 27, 2011 at 11:00 Pacific/2:00 Eastern - register now to reserve your place.  https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/729816024

Placement is limited, and you don’t want to miss out.

Software vs Service Provider – why you aren’t running your apps in the cloud (yet)

article originally published in 2007 on Joanie’s Accounting and Business Technology Blog

When a user logs in to a virtual desktop, and all their valuable and beloved applications are available to them, fully functional and integrated as they are on the PC, with all their data available to them as well, the reaction is almost always one of excitement, empowerment, and – ultimately – bewilderment. “Why”, they ask, “doesn’t everyone do this?”

Good question.

At least part of the answer is due to the way software companies license and sell their applications. Now, if you can continue to produce your product in the same way you always have, distribute it using your known distribution channels (which deliver predictable performance), and realize revenue in the manner to which you have become accustomed, why would you actively seek to create disruption in the “normal” flow of things? Especially when status quo seems to be working pretty well.

Another good question.

The adoption of virtual computing (in this case, hosted desktops and the applications associated with them) is pretty much in the hands of the application software companies. It’s certainly not the platform that we are waiting for. The base technology is already proven on the hardware side, with blade servers and other high-density configurations available. And the software has been proven in a variety of deployments, as demonstrated by Microsoft Terminal Services, Quest Software, VMWare, Citrix,and others.

So – the software companies are part of the barrier.

And so it comes down to the application software manufacturers. These guys seem to fall into two main camps when it comes to cloud-ifying (my new term) their applications: (1) redevelop the app with a web framework and deliver a browser-based solution, or (2) pick a single delivery model from the above list of platform software providers, and eliminate any true integration capability. In short – webify or segregate. Either way, it creates severe limitations in the way the software can take advantage of integrations with other applications. And, for most desktop software vendors, integration with other desktop applications is frequently one of the key benefits of the product.

The web-based applications have already come to grips with this reality. Where a download of a document to your favorite word processor was once just fine, the market now demands data re-use and expanded business process integration, forcing the web applications to open themselves to outside integration and 3rd party developments. Just look at the developer network Salesforce.com has built. If that doesn’t prove that no app is an island, I don’t know what does.

But the desktop apps who have chosen to “webify” using application publishing and delivery tools have evidently forgotten that one thing: integration is part of what makes their apps popular. No business process is an island, and the data rarely stands alone. Would ACT! be so popular if it couldn’t integrate with your Outlook email client, or with your MS Word word processor? Would MS Excel be so popular if you couldn’t push almost anything to a spreadsheet file? The answer is no. This is why the integrations were developed in the first place – greater functionality and an improved value proposition, resulting in increased use and user productivity.

Too many options?

To complicate the problem, there is not just one delivery method that works for every application, business model, or user. With the variety of technologies available, independent software companies have hard choices to make in determining how their cloud’d products might be offered, and additionally by whom they might be sold. As of today, though, many software companies have approached the problem alone, where opting to use their “hosted” editions frequently eliminates the option of integrating on the desktop with other locally-run applications.

Not only does the software maker have to find the best technology/platform fit for the delivery and for their market, but they must also then consider their distribution channel – the “food chain”of delivery of the product or solution. Often this “who” that can offer the product is just as big a problem as “how”.

The maker of a given software package is in the business of selling their software, not other peoples’ software. While integration with other products is exceptionally important to the product’s value in the market, the software maker is fundamentally concerned with only the sales of their own solution. They tend to promote sales through resellers and consultants who can not only provide the software but offer install, training, and ongoing support as well. Designating sales organizations which are “authorized” to represent a product is a typical software company approach.

Many of these authorized resellers are focused exclusively on selling the software solution, not the ongoing support of the platform. These resellers are often highly skilled at working the specific software application, but may lack in-depth understanding of the platform upon which it runs.

Some authorized resellers are actually integrators – companies who sell products from a variety of sources and combine them into “solutions”. Historically, integrators have been key players in creating successful markets for certain products, providing the support and other services necessary to keep the products entrenched in the user community.

In many cases, the integrator makes their money on the support element on the arrangement, not necessarily on the product. In these situations, the platform and ongoing maintenance and support are the key revenue drivers, and the integrator may be loathe to recommend a solution to the client that cuts into their involvement and revenue stream. And hosted, managed, cloud-based application services can certainly do that.

What is the answer? Well, there isn’t just one that jumps out.

One element in the solution is recognition by software companies that their products need to be available in a hosted model. Consumers require choice in terms of their involvement with the business IT infrastructure. Some folks want to control it, others simply need access. The business of hosting applications is growing, but many of the software makers in the market aren’t behind the movement.. they are unwilling participants who leave it up to the service providers (the integrators in the datacenter) to make things work. In some cases (I will refrain from naming names herein) end-user licenses are even written to make hosting the software an illegal event.

Another element, equally if not more important, is the service provider community. With the wide variety of technical standards out there – the different technologies, different approaches, different levels of consideration, and different market sensitivities – it is no wonder that fear and doubt are prevalent in the market.

And then there is the distribution channel and method of selling licensing. Many software companies work exclusively through their authorized reseller channels. While this may benefit the user from a product knowledge standpoint, it creates difficulties with the new delivery model and frequently puts the software sales channel in direct competition with the platform providers.

The tweener gets you from here to there.

While the concept of cloud-ifying desktop and network applications may seem to be “fraught with peril”, it can be done well and deliver significant benefits to the company. By simply changing the way employees access and interact with their applications rather than changing the apps themselves, businesses can introduce an entirely new range of business benefit and capability. Outsourcing the business IT can also represent cost savings and, more importantly, allow you to focus personnel and financial resources on your core business. And, for those who see online application services as the future, this “tweener” step gets you divested from localized technology and helps to embrace the flexibility and freedom that virtual and mobile computing can deliver without forcing radical change.

Now, if we can only get the software makers on board.

Learn more about hosted applications and why Outsourced IT services, Cloud computing, and working at any time and from anywhere makes a lot of business sense.

Business Desktops in the Cloud: Benefit from managed service and online access for the applications you already use

The term “Cloud Computing” is most frequently used as another way to refer to outsourced information technology management – the servers, the applications, and the data are located and managed at a location other than your own  – usually by a commercial service provider.  SaaS, or Software as a Service, is another name used for this type of computing approach.  “Cloud” solutions, which can also include managed application service and SaaS, are accessed via the Internet, rather than being installed on your own computer.

Application hosting is essentially the same thing as Cloud Computing, where the servers/applications/data are provided and managed by a 3rd party (outsourcer).  Application hosting is different from Cloud computing or SaaS primarily in that you may purchase your software licensing rather than get it as part of the service.*  This also means that you could end your online hosting arrangement, and install the software on your own computers (“take your ball and go home“).  This capability does not exist with most pure “cloud” or “SaaS” solutions.  For example, you could not install Google email on your own servers and run it in your own network.  It only exists on Google’s servers.

The most evident benefit of “cloud” computing is anytime, anywhere access to applications and data and valuable business information.  These solutions allows users to access resources and be productive even when away from the office.  Cloud computing provides solution for mobile workers, or users in remote offices, too, and enables “home sourcing” (using at-home workers) or use of outsource companies or 3rd party contractors.  Cloud computing can also solves issues around having multiple business locations.

“Cloud” computing, SaaS, and application hosting can reduce or eliminate the complexity of information technology, and can reduce the cost of implementing and maintaining IT in a business.  Purchasing and installing servers and networks is no longer a requirement.  Maintaining, upgrading, and repairing all the hardware and systems is the job of the service provider.  Installing and updating application software is done by the service provider, and managing and protecting the data is part of the solution.

InsynQ‘s application hosting service is similar to cloud computing in that it offers many of the benefits of SaaS, but without the service or vendor lock-in. Our application hosting services allow the business to maintain the option to select additional (or alternative) applications or solutions for hosting, even extending or integrating hosted applications with other solutions that may be SaaS or cloud-based.  One of the biggest benefits of application hosting is that it allows a business to retain the option to return to localized technology – installing products on the local PC or network and ending the hosting service arrangement.  In short, application hosting services can help a business move to a cloud computing strategy without having to retrain users, convert data, or reduce future software and systems options.

Outsourced IT services and managed application hosting can reduce IT costs (or, at minimum, create predictability in IT costs) while at the same time delivering improvements in security, productivity and performance.  Application hosting services allow the business to implement new and complex solutions without the high upfront investment in hardware and networking infrastructure.  And most application hosting services include all system administration and management, so ongoing costs of managing and maintaining the systems is part of the monthly service fee.

• Break/fix is no longer a “surprise” IT cost, because the service provider takes care of that.
• Productivity losses are reduced due to high availability of systems and reduced down-time. Protection of data reduces potential for loss, avoiding the need to rekey or recreate.
• Services can be scaled to deliver as much or as little as the business requires.
  End-user technical support is typically included with the service for no additional cost.
• Moving to cloud computing via a hosting service allows you to improve your IT without retraining users or converting data because you can continue to use the software solutions you already use.
• Quality application hosting providers give you high levels of disaster recovery and can help with business continuity in the event of a disaster.

With InsynQ‘s hosted application services, the business is no longer dependent upon a single physical location because services can be accessed from almost anywhere.  Services are also no longer tied to a specific computer or device, and can be accessed from just about any Internet-connected computer.  InsynQ services are delivered with high levels of redundancy in the datacenter to help keep systems running, and tiered backups and strict data management helps protect against data loss.

How might your business benefit?

Looking for Application Hosting Solutions for business in Canada?

QuickBooks and Simply Accounting are available for delivery from Canadian-based data centers. Find out more

Delivery options for hosted QuickBooks: DirectConnect makes it simple

Would having a desktop icon to click on make it easier to migrate desktop QuickBooks users to the cloud?

A long time ago, when the ASP industry was just being formed, many solution providers recognized the value of the “virtual desktop” delivery.  This service offering allowed businesses to remotely access a Windows desktop environment (accessed via the Internet), and have their applications and data fully available to them.  Being able to operate their needed business applications from any computer or location, and knowing that the data was secured and backed up regularly, was a boon for small business owners and their accountants alike.

The virtual desktop service continues to be a leader when it comes to “cloud enabling” small businesses, as it allows the user to have access to a wide variety of applications and services, all integrated on the virtual desktop just as they would be on a local PC.

However, there is a type of user which might be better-served with direct access to a hosted application, rather than with a virtual desktop delivery.  This type of user tends to be very non-technical, with a limited understanding of the PC platform, but with enough knowledge to open and run the application(s) which are used by them on a daily basis.  As an example, let’s consider a small business owner who uses QuickBooks and, possibly, Microsoft Office.

A virtual desktop delivery for this user often means that the user must access a website or portal system somewhere, login to the portal, and then launch their virtual desktop service.  Once the service launches, the user may then launch their QB application and open their data file.  The desktop interface is exactly like a Windows PC interface, so learning how to run the QB app, save a file, or print a document isn’t difficult.  It’s essentially the same functionality as on the local PC.

For this type of user, where a single (or just a few) applications are required, might it not be a simpler and even more familiar delivery if the user could click on a QuickBooks icon on their local PC desktop, and launch directly into the hosted QuickBooks app?  The same may be true with Word or Excel… if the user had those icons on their local PC desktop and could run those applications from the local desktop, each application opening in its own window on the PC… wouldn’t that perhaps be more “normal” for the user?

InsynQ’s DirectConnect services for QuickBooks and MS Office 2007 offer just this capability.

Delivered from the same enterprise class infrastructure as the InsynQ virtual desktop and hosted applications, DirectConnect services provide an ability to integrate the hosted applications directly into the user’s local Windows PC environment.  As soon as the PC starts up, the icons for the DirectConnect applications are placed on the desktop and start menus, allowing the user to simply click on the icon to launch the hosted application.

The application is still running on the host computers, and the data is protected and managed on the host.  But to the user, the appearance is that the application is running on the local PC.  The app window can be moved, resized, relocated to a second (or third or whatever) monitor screen – all the flexibility you have with arranging open application Windows on your PC now includes the hosted applications as well.

Business users like working with what they know.  Using new applications can be frustrating, and trying to take advantage of new technologies is sometimes a daunting task.  Advisors, consultants, bookkeepers and accountants can now offer a simple alternative to virtual or remote desktop service, providing the client with the applications and data protection they need, but delivered in a better way for that user.

Get more information on DirectConnect hosted application services from InsynQ, or view a video here.

Neat huh?  And, it makes sense.

from the Bookkeeping in Bunny Slippers blog

Running QuickBooks in the Cloud: Information from those who know

QBCloud consultants have been involved in virtually every aspect of the popular QuickBooks hosting service from the very beginning – all the way back to 1997, before the Internet was a hugely big deal, and prior to DSL broadband even being invented.

Back in those days, hosting of QuickBooks software seemed more like a license enforcement issue to Intuit than anything, because it was demonstrated that hosting business software might also a really great way to steal it.  Well, to provide lots of people with unauthorized use, anyway.  This is one of the main reasons why we worked for so long to try to get Intuit to recognize not only the business benefits of hosted applications, but to also recognize how the provider community could help protect the Intuit QuickBooks licensing.  After all, QuickBooks desktop editions are the bread and butter of the product line, and the after-market of developers, consultants, trainers, writers, and everyone else within the QuickBooks “sphere of influence”, will keep the QuickBooks solutions earning market share for some time.  Why not extend the lifespan of the solution by bringing it to the clouds?

After many years of exploration, testing, and proving the value of the business model, the Intuit Authorized QuickBooks Hosting program was finally launched, with only a few core providers initially participating.  The Authorized QuickBooks Hosting program represents a way for Intuit to provide at least a basic review and authorization for providers who wish to validate their hosted deliveries of QuickBooks applications, and provides a number of guidelines relating to treatment of the customer, the software, and the associated data.

Two of the most important elements of the Authorized QuickBooks Hosting program center around software licensing options and support availability.  The Authorized Commercial Hosts for QuickBooks are the only entities allowed to lawfully offer rental (subscription) licensing for QuickBooks Pro and Premier desktop editions.  Being able to provide QuickBooks licenses as a subscription service provides businesses with a simple and affordable means to keep their QuickBooks software up to date at all times, without the annual expense of upgrades and software installations.  Further, rental licensing programs allow providers to offer “turnkey” subscription services which include both the platform, the service delivery, and the application software license.  With this model, hosted QuickBooks acts more like a true SaaS (software as a service) offering.

The second element is support availability – support for end-users of the software as well as the service providers delivering the hosted apps.  Because Intuit does not support the Pro and Premier editions of QuickBooks in any sort of multi-tenant hosting environment, businesses electing to use these QuickBooks products in hosted infrastructure are on their own as far as support goes.  The commercial providers, at least those that were there from the beginning, paved the way for running QuickBooks in the clouds, developing the methodology and knowledge to implement and support the solution for many different and unrelated businesses from a central infrastructure. While the authorized commercial providers get a bit higher level of software support from Intuit than the average solution provider, the essentials of the architecture and implementation are completely up to the host. The hope is that the commercial providers will step in and assist the self-host and other businesses attempting to develop their own hosting to support client accounting and related processes, but there are very few providers with the knowledge, resources, or willingness to assist others in these areas.

**As a side note, it’s worth mentioning here that the consulting team at InsynQ is a resource which Intuit uses to refer self-hosts and other businesses who wish to develop their own hosted QuickBooks capability, so self-hosts and new hosting providers are not totally without resources for assistance.**

The other issue relating to support is end-user support for the customer-owned QuickBooks license.  When a QuickBooks license is utilized in a manner which does not conform with Intuit’s EULA (end-user license agreement), Intuit may be under no obligation to support that license – by offering technical assistance or by supporting service and product integrations.  This means that users running their businesses from hosting infrastructure that is not “authorized” by Intuit risk losing the support and serviceability of their software licenses.  We are seeing more instances where QuickBooks users are not able to obtain software support for their licenses, because those licenses are either hosted by an authorized delivery or provider, or the licenses were obtained via a method not allowed under the Intuit hosting program rules.

The Intuit Authorized Hosting program for QuickBooks is a good thing, even if there are a few “gotchas” in it (like the $5 per user per month surcharge on hosted QuickBooks users).  It provides the necessary guidance and framework for those who wish to offer hosted QuickBooks in the right way, and creates enough of a barrier (financially and otherwise) to keep out those who either aren’t serious about providing a quality service, or who don’t have the necessary resources to do things the proper way.  Even within the provider community today, there are varying opinions on how to handle certain aspects of the delivery.  There are different classes of providers, as well, with each offering a different solution set and support options, as well as varying in expertise and capability.  Certainly, different technologies will deliver different “customer experiences” but at a gut level, QuickBooks is still just QuickBooks.  It’s all about how much you know, and what experience you have in dealing with the application, the platform, and the user market.

As with so many things in life, experience does matter.  In this case, aligning with a company that has experience running QuickBooks for thousands of users – experience running the software on industry standard technologies and platforms – is the best experience you can draw from.  There is truly a fine art to delivering what isn’t exactly the most robust and well-designed software, and delivering it to a largely non-technical audience complicates things just that much more.  Without the direct support of Intuit and/or an experienced provider, those who embark on a do-it-yourself path will likely have a hard time making it to the clouds.

QBCloud hopes to make things a little easier by providing information and guidance on how QuickBooks in the Cloud works, providers offering the service, proper licensing, and other topics relating to QuickBooks application hosting.   We hope you find it useful.