Best Practices of Hosting Applications in the Cloud Douglas Sleeter, Founder The Sleeter Group
About Doug Sleeter The Sleeter Group 700-member Accounting Consulting Group Author Textbooks and Reference Guides Consultant to Software Developers CPA Practice Advisor Columnist, Successful Small Business Consulting Top 25 Thought Leaders, 2011, 2012 and 2013 Accounting Today Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2
The New World Client Collaboration Accountant Manage Data Operations Timesheets Internet Cloud Security Software Bookkeeping Consulting Payroll Job Costing Taxes POS Dashboard Live Data CFO Services Dashboard Anytime/Anywhere Enhanced Security Less Expensive Data Always in Sync (Live) Simplicity Reduced Client IT Needs 3
Benefits of Hosting In addition to cloud benefits, hosting provides: No data conversion. Upload and go No retraining of users. Can keep local data backups. Can access a variety of software solutions. Easy to switch. Can integrate with other SaaS or cloud-based solutions. Easy to return to local/lan installation if necessary.
Should You Be a Host Yourself? Short answer No! There is a lot involved in hosting applications for businesses Platform Hardware and Software Multi-tenant infrastructure Connectivity Access and Delivery (Service Level Agreements) User Interface and Application Presentation Network Resource Administration Network Security and Data Management End-User Support
Should You Be a Host Yourself? Longer Answer No! Focus on Your Core Competency Is technology or managed IT service your core competency? Does your company have the resources to build, manage, and maintain a high-tech business? Why risk the other aspects of your business by introducing the cost and risk of becoming a hosting service company?
QuickBooks Licensing Options QuickBooks hosting offers flexibility in obtaining QuickBooks licenses: Subscription rental licensing for Pro or Premier, QBES and QBPOS Discounted licensing via Intuit National Accounts
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About Us U.S. Based with Headquarters in San Diego, California Licensed by Intuit & Sage as Commercial Host in the US and Canada SOC2, SSAE16 Certified Data Center 2012 & 2013 Reader s Choice Award Best ASP/Hosting Provider by CPA Practice Advisor Magazine 2013 Sleeter Awesome App Award 2012 K2 Enterprises Technology Award for Top Hosting Company Building Custom Cloud Solutions since 2000 Free Whitepapers at www.cloud9realtime.com Sleeter Members Receive 10% Off!
Cloud = Internet What is Cloud Computing? Highly Scalable Increase Capacity Quickly without a Large Investment in Infrastructure Users don t need to control or update their Cloud Save on Licensing Fees No Learning Curve for Common Business Applications
What is the Cloud made of? Estimated Infrastructure $452 Billion Dollars Source: IDC (Information Technology Company) Network Appliances Applications Servers Storage
Different Types of Cloud Solutions Hosting: Managed Service Providers Virtual Servers hosting all of your Apps, Data and Users. Example: Cloud9 Real Time Online Access: Logging in via Browser to View Website that allows user to login and view account info but is not a full application. Example: Online Banking Storage: Online Portal for clients Primarily used for online data storage or file transfer. Example: Many CPA s have Website Portals on their website SaaS: Software as a Service An application accessed online that is provided by a Vendor or Manufacturer; Not Desktop Edition. Example: Salesforce and QuickBooks Online
Overview of Hosting EMPLOYEES BUSINESS OWNER ACCOUNTANT
Best Practices Avoid High Up Front Costs Learn from Early Adopters Vetted, Certified Cloud Providers SAS70 Old SOC2 New Address Security Concerns Try before you Buy Solve the Integration Problem Singular Sign On Dual Monitor Functionality Connection Managers Backups Disaster Recovery Checking your own connectivity
Cloud Planning Risk Assessment of Cloud Provider Data Migration Local Security What you need locally Implement strong ongoing governance Assign a Project Lead
Shared Environment What s Included: Privately Labeled Portal e-dashboard Microsoft Word 2010 Microsoft Excel 2010 QuickBooks Hosting PDF Reader/Writer DMS Technical Support Backup and Storage Self Service Help Desk 3 rd Party Apps Available: Peachtree/Sage50 Bill.com SmartVault SpringAhead
The Cloud9 Virtual Server All Inclusive Servers No Storage Fees No IT or Maintenance 3 rd Party Applications Hosted Includes the e-dashboard Bulk License Discounts for 10+ Packages based upon # of Users Microsoft Office 2010 Exchange Hosting Available PDF Reader/Writer Pro Document Management & Storage Letter Drive on your computer Copy & Paste capabilities Customized access for each user Private Label
3 Ways to Login: Desktop Icon Web Browser RDP
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Launch Multi-User Full Desktop of QuickBooks With One Click Access 3 rd Party Applications
Shortcuts to Applications Windows Server with User Friendly Desktop Individual Users with Customized Access Multiple Versions of QB s and Other Applications
Security SOC2 /SSAE16 Data Center 256-bit Encryption Automatic Off Site Backups Cisco firewalls Cisco routers Uninterrupted Power Supply Mirror disks RAID implementation 24/7 Onsite Monitoring N+1/2N redundancy
Data Centers
Applications in the Cloud Over 400 Hosted Applications QuickBooks Premier QuickBooks Enterprise Thomson Reuters Suite Microsoft Office CCH Suite Lacerte Drake Qqube Spring Ahead Microsoft Exchange Services 1040SCAN Office Tools Pro Smart Vault ACT! Sage Products Results CRM T-Value ProSeries Bill.com Concur
Time and Money Savings Instant access to financials Faster turn-around time Accountant and Client can work in the files at the same time No more Accountant s Copy or Backups Stop sending documents and files back & forth Decrease I.T.
Summary Reduced Cost Cloud technology is paid incrementally, saving organizations money. State of the Art IT Infrastructure with 24x7x365 Hands On Service Better security and compliance with continuous monitoring, results in improved reliability, performance and productivity Disaster Recovery Automatic Offsite Backups remove the liability and ensure backups with integrity as well as stored remotely. No Application Learning Curve You are using the same applications you use today, full Desktop versions. They are just now stored and running in the Cloud versus locally where you manage. Allows IT to Shift Focus No longer having to worry about constant server updates and other computing issues, you can now shift the focus to be on billable hours. More Mobility 24x7 access from anywhere
Vendor Questions to Ask? Check List SOC2 and SSAE16 Data Center Accredited Managed Service Provider Authorized QuickBooks Commercial Host SLA Service Level Agreement Hours of Support / Self Service Help Desk Private Label Storage Fees Restriction of Applications Server Administration License Fees Seamless Windows with Multi-Monitors Mobile Device Compatibility
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