Archive for the ‘environmentally friendly’ Category

Cloud Computing Benefits for Accounting Firms

August 19th, 2012
Posted by: Julia Uglietta


By Julia Uglietta
Associate, Marketing and Sales

Accounting firms deal with data day in and day out. The volume of numbers that go through an accounting office each day is unimaginable. The number of emails that go in and out of the offices is inundating.

It’s not only the size issue that challenges accounting offices every day.  Rather, it’s also the need to work faster while remaining efficient – in addition to improving better client and interoffice communications. These goals sound fairly standard for a successful business, right?  But in fields such as accounting, where large amounts of data are being received and stored, achieving these goals can be onerous.  The good news is, however, that new technology known as cloud computing is helping accounting firms attain these goals and save money too.

AIS Network accounting

Taking business to the cloud allows accountants to work from anywhere, at any time.

Taking accounting firms to the cloud is a way to reduce costs, improve efficiency and make data more accessible.  Throughout the industry, the discussions about cloud computing and how many accounting practices are moving to an outsourced cloud computing model has people thinking.  Accountants can see clearly that cloud computing is moving up and moving fast.  Now, more firms are looking into cloud solutions before they buy that next new sever.  They’re performing a cost benefit analysis, and in the process, they’re discovering that the operational expenditure associated with implementing an outsourced model is more desirable than the large capital expenditure associated with buying and maintaining all those new servers.

Not only does migrating to a cloud-based, paperless environment cut costs for accounting firms, but it also introduces new efficiencies.  When you put your data and applications in the cloud and entrust a cloud provider to care for them round-the-clock, you’re achieving IT efficiencies such as:

  • Eliminating the need for physical storage (throw out those old filing cabinets!)
  • Upgrading to industrial strength physical security (including partial or full fault tolerance, fire protection, etc.)
  • Improving backup and disaster recovery processes
  • Enhancing data security
  • Increasing availability (through improved power redundancy,  etc.)
  • Extending IT resources with a 24x7x365 team of hosting experts

For many accounting firms, this makes the decision to switch to the cloud even easier.

The most brilliant feature of the cloud is, in my opinion, its “anywhere” accessibility – which is an aspect that most accounting firms will find appealing.  When your data and your applications are in the cloud, they are accessible via any Internet-enabled device whenever you need them and wherever you are.  It just makes life easier.  Allowing the staff to work faster (and, I might add, without necessarily increasing billable rates) allows them more time to focus on the clients’ needs.

Most customers prefer communicating with their accountant via the Internet, and in many ways, the new cloud-based dashboards, reporting applications and unified communications systems that are now available only make this easier.  By enabling better collaboration and communication among geographically diverse staff and clients, accounting firms’ processes and workflows are vastly improved and the work gets done much faster – often with greatly reduced travel costs.

Life in the cloud has changed many industries’ ways of operating.  Slowly but surely, accounting firms will ease into cloud computing and reap benefits that were previously unachievable any other way.

 

 

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Going Green with Cloud Computing

August 8th, 2012
Posted by: admin

 

By Julia Uglietta
Associate, Marketing and Sales

“Going green” is a phrase that has become increasingly popular over the last decade.  Among many businesses, it has become a major focus to become more green by becoming less wasteful and paying more attention to the environment when making decisions about products, resources, and energy consumption.   At the same time, the use of cloud computing has also taken off recently. And although both movements are not directly associated with one another, there are a number of green benefits that come along with cloud computing.

“The cloud” is a metaphor for the Internet that may connote a strong impression of nature and the sky.  And, while nature may not be the underlying purpose of this new technology, the cloud is fairly associated with environmental stewardship.

Cloud Computing giving off a green advantage today

The Cloud is already a symbol representing nature and the sky, and while nature may not be the underlying purpose of this new technology, the cloud is fairly associated with environmental stewardship.

First, cloud computing is all about extending your existing IT capabilities and capacity on the fly without the hassle of investing in new infrastructure, licensing new software, training new staff and so forth.  That’s a pretty good value proposition, especially when you consider that moving to the cloud might lead to IT cost savings as well.

Now, factor in the energy savings and resource conservation that you may achieve by using cloud computing as an energy efficient approach to data center consolidation.  Cloud hosting providers are increasingly becoming competitive about their eco-friendly status and rightly so.  More data centers are doing all they can to make their building and hardware as energy efficient as possible. Their facilities are being designed with power conservation in mind as well as energy efficient hardware and equipment, and cloud providers are promoting environmentally conscious internal programs and policies (such as recycling bins, green certified office cleaners, employee education programs, etc.).  Also, with cloud computing, server virtualization makes datacenters more agile by enabling more efficient use of existing software and hardware resources. Less hardware leads to less waste and reduced power demand/ energy consumption.  In this way and others, “less is more” can finally be accomplished through cloud computing.

And, that is also evident in the workplace.  For example, since some businesses are moving to cloud-based virtual desktops, they can cut down on the number of devices they need. One physical machine can now be configured to access multiple different desktops.  Moreover, the cloud has also enabled a new wave of telecommunicating and video conferencing.  This is clearly saving time, money and energy. With fewer people having to travel to a physical location, less energy is being used in the daily work routine.

It’s important to remember that cloud computing environmental benefits go hand in hand with economical benefits as well.  In the Forbes article, “Cloud Computing’s Hidden Green Benefits,” the author states, “By 2020, [the Carbon Disclosure Project] estimates large US companies that use cloud computing can achieve annual energy savings of $12.3 billion and annual carbon reduction equivalent to 200 million barrels of oil.”

Many hosting companies are making it their mission to become as green as possible and still more is yet to come from the industry.  For our own part, we take the environment seriously.  While we don’t claim to have all of the answers, we are committed to doing our part, daily, to foster eco-friendly leadership and contribute to making this industry greener.  Cloud computing will continue to grow rapidly throughout the decade, and hopefully, the green benefits will only increase with it.

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