The modularity of Internet-based accounting applications provides businesses with a degree of flexibility in implementing these solutions. These solutions and the networks they run on are designed with a "building-block" approach, making it possible for firms to start with basic applications and network structure, then add functionality as needs expand.
A business most commonly starts with a general ledger, which essentially acts as the "foundation" of an accounting solution. Once it is up and running smoothly, additional capabilities such as linking incoming online orders and payroll data to the ledger–can be added. An example of this approach is Great Plains’ Dynamic C/S + financial management package, which can be supplemented with Dymanics.Order or Dynamics.Employee, both of which can be enabled with minimal internal IT support.
Internet-based accounting solutions can be implemented in two ways: in-house or in a hosted environment.
- Internal management
In the in-house model, a company maintains the accounting application within its own network. Data is also housed on the internal network, which is protected using firewalls and other Internet security measures. Installation training and ongoing support is usually handled in conjunction with a VAR or systems integrator.
- Hosted applications
By "leasing" an accounting solution from an ASP, a growing company is, in essence, outsourcing the IT functions of financial management. The business still maintains control over its financial data and record keeping, but rents someone else’s infrastructure to process it. This setup allows growing companies to limit the amount spent on IT resources and personnel. By leasing applications, businesses save on implementation costs and get their solutions up and running more quickly. The company’s accounting tools reside on the ASP server and users access them using Cisco's intelligent networking solutions. A company’s data can be housed on internal servers and remotely managed by its ASP, or it can reside at the ASP’s data farm.
Regardless of the solution you choose, these products are designed to be easily and quickly customized for your business needs. For instance, Great Plains’ Dynamic C/S + products are designed with interview-style wizards and "template" capabilities that allow users to enable features quickly and consistently. In addition, Great Plains’ alliance with Cisco Systems means that resellers can now offer growing businesses complete software and network hardware solutions that are easy to implement and fully optimized.