In an era where technology reigns supreme, small businesses find themselves in a unique position. On one hand, the rapid evolution of IT can be overwhelming for some, but on the other, it presents an unparalleled opportunity. For those willing to overcome change and embrace technology, small businesses can compete on the same playing field as the industry giants. 

You hear a constant whirring or beeping sound when you walk past the server room that may be just annoying. Or it might indicate that something is failing. Or maybe you’re feeling the pain of having been told that it’s time to upgrade the server again in order to continue running your Sage software, and you ask yourself: “Didn’t we just upgrade that server a few years ago?” There is a chance you have been tempted to move everything to the Cloud, or maybe you’re being forced to because of changes to the work environment. Now is as good a time as any to make the switch for your Sage 100 software. But how do you know where to begin - or whether this solution even makes sense for you?

If you’ve considered the option of working from home or been given the option to do so, here are a few ways to accomplish that.

Using a VPN

You may have heard of VPNs but didn’t know what it meant. Without getting too technical, a VPN allows you to use a computer to connect to your office, with encryption, without physically being there. There are tools that need to be in place to accomplish this. Typically, you’ll need some or all of the following items:

Did you know that...

• ...while 80% of CPAs think their role will change drastically by 2025, only 10% of them view themselves as innovative?
• ...accounting firms with 100% of their clients using cloud computing witnessed a 15% increase in revenue year over year, compared to 4% growth at traditional firms?
• ...over the next 20 years, there's a 97.6% chance of bookkeeping jobs becoming automated and a 93.5% chance of accounting and auditing jobs doing the same?
• ...investments in artificial intelligence increased by 300% from 2013 to 2016, led by large accounting firms?
• ...global spending on blockchain solutions - which will revolutionize how audits are conducted - is anticipated to reach $2.1 billion by the end of 2018?

Whether for personal or business use, everyone seems to be moving their computing systems and data to The Cloud. So it's natural for companies to ask, "Should we move our Enterprise Resource Planning system to The Cloud?"

What does being "in The Cloud" actually mean, and how does it impact the technology choices that businesses make regarding their infrastructure? Your decisions regarding an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system will be greatly influenced by your approach to cloud computing. Here are some things you should know about that subject to help you make informed decisions regarding your IT deployment, infrastructure, and, ultimately, your ERP system.