Professionals are Finding Benefits in Cloud-Based Security for Their Business

As businesses and organizations learn more about the overwhelming advantages to hosting their financial software and data in the cloud, many are left with one nagging question: is the data safe and secure? It goes without saying that every company is seeking a guarantee that their sensitive accounting data will truly be protected and that they will have reliable access to their hosted applications like QuickBooks, Peachtree, Simply Accounting, Sage 50 or other financial apps. So what information is out there to best address these concerns?

Recently, Microsoft commissioned a study conducted by comScore. Small and midsize businesses were surveyed and the results were quite encouraging. 35% of businesses surveyed said that they have experienced noticeably higher levels of security since switching to the cloud. In addition, 32% say they spend less time worrying about security and less time managing data security protocols per week. Organizations on average have reduced security management time by 18 hours per week by switching to managed IT services, reducing resources and workload required for their in-house IT staff. These numbers go to show that not only is this new level of security improving business operations, but many companies are feeling overburdened by security concerns and are desperate to transfer this responsibility to a certified hosting provider.

When a company spends less time and resources on data security and reliability, they can then invest these savings back into the business. 41% of businesses surveyed said that due to IT savings, they were able to employ more people in roles that directly benefited the sales and growth of their company. Choosing to have your software hosted also allows for improved agility. In the same survey, 52% of businesses said that using the cloud enabled them to more quickly add new products and services that benefited their business and their clients as well.

For bookkeepers, client’s data protection is of the utmost importance. This includes protection from potential disaster such as fire, earthquakes, theft or other natural disasters. Symantec conducted a study on May 14, 2012 entitled the “2012 SMB Disaster Preparedness Survey.” The concerns regarding disaster preparedness was prevalent for 34% of cloud adopters. Of those surveyed, 41% found that they were better prepared for an IT disaster by having their accounting software and data hosted in the cloud. If ever a disaster were to strike, having the financial data backed up and instantly accessible through a hosting provider will save clients and businesses alike.