Is your IT bringing you down? You are not the only one. This is a huge problem during tax season. The life of a CPA firm is hectic during the first few months of the year. New employees are added to the roster, and new computers are brought in, or dug out of the closet from the years before. Some them won’t even turn on, and others may not connect to the internet.

IT outsourcing to the cloud can help. Imagine a world where you pay a monthly subscription and you can upgrade or downgrade your IT specifications on the fly. Software is already updated and the computer specs are just what you need.

Connectivity

Most cloud providers are connected 99.99% of the time. This is important, especially during tax season. Many states also get hit with terrible storms during the beginning of the year, so that adds more worries to those not connected to the cloud. In the cloud, employees can connect anywhere there is an internet connection. Even if storms take out half the city, the other half of the city is still accessible to the data and documents needed to fulfill deadlines.

Cost Effectiveness

One of the main reasons so many CPA firms are joining the cloud is due the increase in savings they have. Some other advantages are:

• Support – IT professionals are not required to install, maintain, or remove the hardware. It is all handled by the cloud provider.

• Resources – IT staff can work on more technical projects, instead of performing installs, upgrades and dealing with basic maintenance issues. Many offices still continue to have some type of network locally. This can be handled through IT outsourcing as well, but IT staff can still look at upgrading networks, and working with the cloud provider to figure out the best strategies to help your firm grow.

• Upgrades – These are performed automatically, and in most cases, when the firm has closed down for the night. There is no interference with employees performing their duties during the upgrade process. Cloud providers will usually contact the client and let them know when there is an update available, and when that update will be installed. The client can then deny the process if they wish.

• Save the Data – Backups and disaster recovery services are huge advantages of the cloud. Saving the data locally, even in the same city, is a bad idea. The cloud can store the information and have it available after a disaster strikes. So even if a flood, fire, or other disaster forces your firm to relocate, the company’s data will be saved and available when you connect via the internet.

IT outsourcing not only helps CPA firms stay grounded under any circumstances, but helps them to thrive when it is the most necessary. Up and down allocation of resources is easily maneuvered throughout the year. It is cost efficient, and clients will appreciate knowing their data is safe under any circumstances. You can find out more about the advantages of IT outsourcing by: