7 Key Features to Look For in a QuickBooks Enterprise Hosting Provider

One of the most popular desktop-based accounting and financing management software, QuickBooks Enterprise, is a game changer for many. From invoicing to payroll and inventory management, QB Enterprise helps you go above and beyond standard accounting tasks.

Leading businesses are hosting QB Enterprise on the cloud to get added benefits of the software and the benefits of the cloud technology. But how? They do this by partnering with the best QuickBooks Enterprise hosting provider. Reputed hosting providers are backed by robust data security mechanisms, which ensure that all your sensitive business data is safe on the cloud.

If you, too, are looking for an ideal Intuit QuickBooks Enterprise hosting provider who can transform your QB Enterprise accounting experience, you must know what to look for in them.

Here, we will guide you with the key features to consider when choosing the best QB Enterprise hosting provider for your business. Read on to explore them and strengthen your decision-making process to have never-before accounting experience.

How To Choose A QuickBooks Enterprise Hosting Provider

Here’s a 7 important checklist to make sure that you cover all the bases before reaching a final decision. Have a look at this:

1. Pricing Structure-

A flexible pricing structure for QB Enterprise hosting services can help you properly manage your finances. You can check if the cloud hosting provider has monthly and yearly payment structures. In addition, ask if they have any offers for first-time users.

Many cloud hosting providers attract customers with lucrative offers; however, you must choose one that provides quality hosting service. Many lucrative offers sound appealing but aren’t built to high-quality standards.

You can ask the service provider if they can provide an itemized cost estimation. This will help you see if there are any hidden costs, and you can compare this with other service providers.

In addition to the above, you can ask the hosting provider to give you a complete overview of their technology and security standards. To ensure full protection of your data and quality customer experience, it’s recommended that you ignore cheap service providers and spend a little more per month to guarantee a top-notch quality of service and security.

2. Intuit Authorization-

Intuit endorses a select number of QB Enterprise hosting providers as authorized partners. They provide hosting services to customers with existing licenses for QuickBooks Enterprise software. Availing QuickBooks desktop Enterprise with hosting services from an Intuit-authorized service provider ensures that you get guaranteed security, reliability, and uninterrupted accounting operations.

3. Data Security-

Hosting your business data on the cloud means sharing the most vulnerable aspects of your business. Irrespective of the business size, you should always keep data security as the top priority, especially when you’re hosting QB Enterprise on the cloud. That said, when you look for the best Enterprise hosting provider, ensure that they have robust mechanisms to safeguard your business data. You can check if they are equipped with the following:

• Network antivirus
• Multi-level firewall
• Intrusion Detection and Prevention System
• Multi-factor authentication system, etc.

4. Server Uptime Reliability-

Another critical factor to consider while choosing the best Enterprise hosting provider is server uptime reliability. You can’t access the QB files or the software remotely if the hosting server is down. Such instances can drastically impact on your business, leading to financial losses. So, to ensure business continuity, you’d require round-the-clock access to your data.

To ensure those mentioned above, you can check the server uptime record of the service provider. You can ask the service provider for a detailed uptime report for the last few months and decide whether or not to opt for their services.

With server uptime being so critical, leading Enterprise hosting providers are offering high server uptime of 99.99%. It means you can access the application and all your accounting files whenever you need them, as there is less chance of the server being down. In case a problem arises, you can contact the hosting provider to resolve the issue.

5. Customer Support-

Having round-the-clock customer support is essential for your business to run continuously. Instances might happen when you encounter a problem with the hosted QB Enterprise application during non-business hours. In such cases, you must be able to contact your hosting provider and get rid of the problem immediately.

Ensuring this requires you to check if the cloud hosting provider is backed by skilled professionals who can provide a quick resolution to your issues. Additionally, check if you can contact the customer support team via various means, like phone, chat, or email.

Reputed cloud hosting providers give 24×7, 365-day IT support to their customers. If any hosting provider commits you the same, you are in safe hands.

However, it is recommended that you ask the hosting provider about the average resolution time. Plus, ensure that they provide customer support via various means.

6. Scalability-

A business’s needs and requirements keep on changing with time. That said, you also need to mold the resources accordingly. The cloud hosting provider should offer scalability in their services. It means you should be able to scale your resources up and down as required.

For instance, you must add more users to your QuickBooks Enterprise account during the peak tax season. In such cases, you must be able to scale up the resources by effortlessly contacting your cloud provider. Once your requirements are fulfilled, and you no longer need the additional resources, you must be able to scale down the resources. This way, you can pay for what you use and save significant money for your business.

7. Free Trial-

One of the most effective ways to judge the quality of Intuit QuickBooks Enterprise hosting service is by hosting the application for a few days. You can ask the service provider if they have a free trial offer wherein you can host the accounting application for a few days.

If they have this offer, go for it and check if your expectations align with the commitments made by the service provider.

Conclusion: Best QuickBooks Enterprise Hosting Provider

The availability of multiple QuickBooks Enterprise hosting providers can make it challenging to select the best fit for your business. However, the list of considerations mentioned in this post should help you decide which hosting provider to opt for.

While lucrative offers might be appealing, you should consider the service provider who provides high-quality service. In addition, keep data security among your priorities. Your cloud hosting provider must have robust data security mechanisms to safeguard your mission-critical data. Besides, ensure that you get round-the-clock IT support, high server uptime, and scalability options from an Intuit-authorized hosting provider.

Last but not least, check if the commitments of the service provider align with your expectations. Ask the hosting provider if you can host QB Enterprise for free on their cloud servers for a few days. This way, you can measure the service quality of the cloud provider.

Don’t think twice if you see all the parameters being fulfilled by a service provider. Go ahead and start an all-new journey of cloud-hosted QuickBooks Enterprise with that service provider.

FAQs:

Q: What is QuickBooks Enterprise hosting?

QuickBooks Enterprise hosting refers to the process of accessing and using QuickBooks Enterprise software on remote servers provided by a hosting provider, rather than on a local computer.

Q: What are the key features to look for in a QuickBooks Enterprise hosting provider?

Some key features to look for include high levels of security, reliable uptime and performance, customizable hosting plans, scalability, 24/7 technical support, and backup and disaster recovery options.

Q: Why is security an important feature to consider when choosing a hosting provider?

Security is important because it ensures that your data is protected from unauthorized access, theft, and other potential threats. A good hosting provider should have strong security measures in place, such as firewalls, encryption, and multi-factor authentication.

Q: What is uptime and why is it important?

Uptime refers to the amount of time that a server or system is operational and available for use. It is important because it directly affects the availability and accessibility of your QuickBooks Enterprise software. A good hosting provider should offer high uptime guarantees, such as 99.99% uptime or better.

Q: What is scalability and why is it important?

Scalability refers to the ability of a hosting provider to accommodate changes in the size and needs of your business, such as increased traffic or the addition of new users. It is important because it allows you to easily and quickly adjust your hosting plan as your business grows.

Q: Why is 24/7 technical support important?

24/7 technical support is important because it ensures that you have access to help whenever you need it, whether it is during business hours or outside of them. A good hosting provider should offer a range of support options, including phone, email, and chat support.

Q: Why are backup and disaster recovery options important?

Backup and disaster recovery options are important because they help protect your data in the event of unexpected events, such as hardware failures or natural disasters.