Tag: cloud

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PowerBI, Data Warehouses and Combining QuickBooks Enterprise Data with Other Data

Businesses of all types are looking for ways to discover more useful information hidden in their systems. With a desire to implement business intelligence tools such as Microsoft PowerBI, companies need the ability to combine and analyze data coming from a variety of sources. The data can help businesses inform their conclusions rather than leaving it up to “gut”, supporting decision making in all areas of the company.

The tools for exposing and combining data are many. Enterprise ETL (Extract/Transform/Load) products have been available for many years. When it comes to SMBs and the applications they utilize, the options aren’t quite as prevalent nor as powerful. In most cases, businesses are left to working with data exports and a bunch of linked Excel worksheets.

Noobeh understands that businesses need their data available for integration, analysis and reporting. Noobeh are experts in deploying SMB applications such as QuickBooks Enterprise desktop, Acctivate Inventory, Sage ERP, MISys Manufacturing and more, all on the Microsoft Azure platform, positioning the applications and their data perfectly for use in business analytics and data warehouses.

Data warehouses and data lakes are growing in popularity because there is simply too much disparate data present in any growing business to effectively analyze it one data silo at a time. The number and variety of data sources in a single small business can be far larger than the company realizes until it attempts to capture and report on that data.

Any approach to data warehousing should consider the potential number and variety of data sources involved. This is among the reasons for Noobeh electing to work with Microsoft Azure and PowerBI. The Azure platform provides the infrastructure services and platform tools to enable data connections needed, powering the data warehouse and exposing the data to PowerBI and other reporting and analysis tools.

Even QuickBooks Enterprise desktop data can be extracted into its own standalone data warehouse, connected to a broader data warehouse and then combined with other business data. When businesses can combine data from their various solutions, even those which may still be desktop-bound, the power of the information and intelligence contained in it can be revealed.

Whether the purpose is process improvement, performance monitoring, management reporting or combined operational intelligence, collecting and storing the data is the first step. Noobeh is there to help make it happen.

jm bunny feetMake sense?

J

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Enhancing Business Insight: Noobeh Cloud Services and Azure-Based Solutions

Technology is evolving and so are our ways of using it. While the rules of accounting haven’t changed for years, the solutions we use to do the work have changed a lot. Yet there remain many businesses that haven’t yet embraced the idea of fully digital workflows, integrating and automating how data moves through the “system” to provide a comprehensive view of the business and how it is performing.

This is where accountants and bookkeepers can best serve their clients, by helping them implement the platforms and solutions which transform operations and provide greater insight into these areas.

Over 20 years ago, a technology model was developed which allowed businesses and the accounting professionals who serve them to work directly and collaboratively in the clients’ accounting system. By hosting QuickBooks and Sage desktop products on host servers, small business users and their accountants could both access the software and the data in real time.

This new approach was a boon for accountants, bookkeepers and others working with small business clients as it not only enabled closer work, but also provided those advisors an opportunity to do more – and more complex – work with the client. Yet many platforms and working models created barriers to broadening the scope of service or access to client systems, limiting to just basic accounting products like QuickBooks, and not effectively addressing the rest of the business need.

As technology has evolved, so have these transformations.

More accounting professionals understand the benefits as well as the necessity of moving from analog to digital workflows, removing manual entry and improving efficiency and accuracy of data. Yet this improvement doesn’t require changing accounting software and undoing years of learning and business knowledge. Rather, the platforms and connections must be the primary focus, replacing the manual with automation and smoothing out the bumps where data isn’t flowing at all. If the system isn’t in place to handle the complete flow of the data, there is a break. Like a pipe leaking water, this break results in data loss – which is also loss of business intelligence.

A key to all of this is the consideration of where the data ultimately resides. When business data exists in closed silos – whether web-based software or closed hosting platform – it takes a comprehensive approach to collection, storage and analysis. This is among the benefits to be derived from the modern cloud and Noobeh’s Azure-based hosting approach.

Noobeh’s hosting is not just about the desktop or the applications.

The cloud platform, and Azure in particular, also provides resources for data analysis and business intelligence, workflow and data flow automations, improved security and identity management, IoT and computing on the network edge.

For professionals looking to evolve their practices by helping clients go beyond basic recordkeeping and reporting, it’s time to delve into the operational details, data flows and development of real business intelligence and insight. Noobeh Cloud Services and Mendelson Consulting have the platforms and the supporting services to help bring it all together, improving profitability and performance of their clients through the intelligent application of technology.

jm bunny feetMake Sense?

J

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Taking a Hybrid Technology Approach is Most Advantageous for Many Small Businesses

When discussing technology and cloud, most IT resellers and MSPs serving small businesses equate “cloud” with web-based applications (SAAS) and web-based file sharing and assume that any talk of cloud desktops means desktop-as-a-service (DAAS). Unfortunately, web applications and file sharing services, and especially DAAS, are often NOT the best or most advantageous solutions available to the SMB/SME organization.

Rather than taking an “all or nothing” approach to cloud, small businesses benefit more from a strategic combination of cloud servers and desktop software, a hybrid model where the business gains the best of both worlds.

It is sometimes frustrating that small business IT personnel are the drivers behind migrating businesses from desktop applications to their web-based counterparts.

Most SMB software purchases are solely handled by IT, disregarding other important stakeholders.

Capterra’s 2023 SMB Software Buying Trends Survey

These non-business users pave the way for moving the business to cloud-based applications rather than modernizing the platform for existing applications to enable improved processes and workflows. This is especially challenging for accounting and finance operations where the businesses are being encouraged to migrate without first considering the underlying business processes or the accessibility of the impacted and associated data.

Businesses have developed an appreciation for the stability and predictability of desktop applications, along with the recognition of the challenges of transitioning from a system that is deeply integrated into existing workflows. Training users and adapting the work while migrating to cloud applications can be complex and costly without delivering significantly new or increased business benefits.

Data control and security are also large considerations. Most desktop applications allow businesses to retain direct access to and control over their data. Sensitive information remains within their reach rather than under the direct control of a 3rd party SAAS provider from whom they must gain permission and access to retrieve their data.

Rather than pushing the business towards web-based application services, a hybrid approach that modernizes the server and network platform as well as the user working environment may make more sense and provide the organization with greater advantage. This allows businesses to leverage their investments in desktop software, processes, training, and data and still make significant operational improvements and transformations.

Even more, some businesses rely on specialized software that isn’t easily replicated in a web-based environment. Existing desktop applications, especially industry-specific or custom-built tools, may not have cloud equivalents. Migrating these to the cloud server platform allows for uninterrupted productivity even as the business transitions from local to cloud-based platform and operations. Employees comfortable with existing software can maintain productivity without significant adjustments.

Using a cloud server to replace on-premises servers and user desktops, and keeping desktop and network applications working more securely, with improved access and management is the hybrid approach most advantageous for small and medium size businesses.

Noobeh works with Microsoft Azure, providing cloud servers that are scalable so small businesses can adjust their computing resources based on demand. Whether it’s expanding during peak seasons or downsizing during quieter periods, cloud servers offer flexibility that on-premises machines can’t.

Businesses can continue to use the critical desktop application tools they rely on and retain direct control over their data at the same time. Sensitive information remains within their cloud network, but users can access it from anywhere.

This hybrid model combines the benefits of cloud servers, including scalability, cost-effectiveness, agility, and security, with the benefits of keeping existing desktop software, including functionality, stability, data investment and control.

A hybrid approach to modernization allows small businesses to leverage the advantages of both cloud servers and desktop software, tailoring their technology stack to the unique needs of their businesses and in a way that is most advantageous to the business.

jm bunny feetMake Sense?

J

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Better QuickBooks Hosting with Noobeh

QuickBooks hosting is a type of service that allows small businesses to access their QuickBooks Desktop accounting software and data from anywhere with an internet connection. QuickBooks hosting fits into the modern cloud computing world by providing small businesses with a flexible and cost-effective way to manage their accounting and financial operations.

In the past, small businesses would need to install QuickBooks software on their own computers and maintain their own IT infrastructure to manage their accounting and financial data. This requires a significant investment in hardware, software, and IT staff, and makes it difficult for the business to scale their accounting operations as their business grows.

With QuickBooks hosting, small businesses can avoid these challenges by moving their accounting operations to the cloud. Yet not all QuickBooks hosting providers offer the same level of service or protection for your data.

Most QuickBooks hosting providers run the QuickBooks software and store the QuickBooks data on their own servers, renting space on the servers to its business customers. In most cases, many businesses will share the servers, which increases risk.

Noobeh works only with private environments where customers do not share servers or other resources. Each customer has their own private account and environment which is accessible to only their users via the Internet. This eliminates the need for small businesses to maintain their own IT infrastructure and allows them to scale their accounting and business operations up or down as needed.

QuickBooks hosting from Noobeh provides businesses with a number of other benefits, including:

Increased Security: Noobeh’s QuickBooks on Azure deliveries have advanced security measures in place to protect customer data from unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security threats.

Enhanced Collaboration: Noobeh’s QuickBooks on Azure allows multiple users to access and work on the same QuickBooks data at the same time, which can improve collaboration and productivity.

Automatic Backups: Noobeh’s QuickBooks on Azure performs regular backups of customer data, which can help ensure that important financial data is not lost in the event of a disaster or system failure.

Anytime, Anywhere Access: Noobeh’s QuickBooks on Azure allows small businesses to access their accounting data from anywhere with an internet connection, which can be especially useful for remote or distributed teams.

Totally Private: Noobeh’s QuickBooks on Azure runs on the Microsoft Azure platform and uses private Microsoft accounts, keeping things absolutely private for your business.

Noobeh’s QuickBooks on Azure hosting is a modern cloud computing solution that can help small businesses streamline their accounting and financial operations, reduce costs, and improve their overall efficiency.

jm bunny feetMake Sense?

J

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MISys Manufacturing Leverages Microsoft Azure Cloud with MISys on Azure

MISys Manufacturing software is designed for small to medium sized manufacturers, providing low cost of ownership and a flexible, modular design. When a business needs to add inventory management, purchasing, MRP, forecasting and scheduling, MISys is the solution that delivers the functionality. Noobeh cloud services has always provided hosting and managed services for MISys and MISys EXT on the Microsoft Azure cloud. Now, MISys Manufacturing has new options to take even more advantage of the power and flexibility of the Microsoft Azure cloud platform:

MISys on Azure

The new cloud deployment options for MISys Manufacturing provide direct support for Microsoft Azure databases and app services. Customers can use their own self-managed Azure subscriptions and the MISys installer can provision the app and database to get it all going. Noobeh helps businesses get started with the Azure cloud, assisting with the setup and deployment of services on the most secure, scalable, and agile platform available. Noobeh services delivered on Microsoft Azure take full advantage of the Microsoft cloud platform and all it has to offer.

While the primary focus of MISys releases starting with v6.4.5.0 have been to have an installer-assisted deployment with Microsoft Azure, the complexity of Microsoft and Azure account and subscription setup can be daunting for even experienced technicians. Noobeh simplifies these processes by assisting businesses with the creation of the accounts and the provisioning and preparation of the services necessary to support a MISys on Azure installation.

Each Noobeh MISys on Azure customer gets their own absolutely private Azure tenant account, which ensures that there is no co-mingling of resources and no possibility of interactions between customer accounts. And Noobeh deploys services with the resources necessary to deliver the right solution for each business client, knowing that adjustments can always be made as business needs change.

MISys Manufacturing can be implemented in a variety of configurations, allowing each deployment to meet the specific needs of the client. Noobeh helps companies deploy MISys Manufacturing software in all its forms, handling the installation and technical configuration whether on-premises, exclusively cloud-based, or hybrid.

Cloud Server | Cloud Database | Cloud Desktops | Cloud Everything

With Noobeh and MISys, you can choose from configurations that keep the desktop/client software local or cloud, have your database on your cloud server or just have a cloud database, or combine the benefits of managed desktops and data by putting the entire system in the cloud.

No matter what accounting solution you use with MISys, Noobeh has an answer for that, too. We’re specialists at hosting QuickBooks and Sage desktop products, and work with businesses using QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct and other web-based solutions. You need your MISys installation and your accounting software to work together? We’ve got that delivery model.

With MISys on Azure and Noobeh, business owners have the assurance that their software can be deployed in a model that meets with their specific needs and budget, and with the flexibility to change and grow along with the business.

jm bunny feetMake Sense?

J

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Web-based, Hosted and Cloud: The Confusing Journey to Transformation

There is no doubt that businesses of all sizes and types are moving from analog and paper-based to digital and electronic systems. Moving from postal letters to email, “PDF-ing” instead of printing, and EDI rather than manual order entry, businesses are taking on the challenges of transforming their processes one by one.

Cloud computing and virtualization have had a great impact in these areas, providing the foundations for process improvements and higher business intelligence than ever before. Increasingly, businesses are looking to “cloud” to help them do more with their businesses, and to do it better and more profitably.

In looking at cloud – applications, platforms, and services – it is important to understand that different approaches aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. Many businesses implement a combination of technologies and services, creating their own hybrid approach to doing business the way it works for them.

Web-based, Browser-based

When most small business owners think of implementing “cloud” in their operations, the things that initially come to mind are web-based/browser-based applications. Due in large part to how these products are marketed, web-based apps are among the most widely recognized “cloud” type of service.

QuickBooks Online edition is an example of web-based/browser-based application service. It was built to run in a browser, and you access it over the Internet. These types of applications are often referred to as “net native”, because the only exist as Internet-based service. Other examples are NetSuite and Intacct.

The key with these types of application services is that they aren’t just applications; they are subscription services that include the infrastructure and data storage as part of the solution. You access by going to a web URL in a browser, and login and use the system. You own nothing of the system – not the servers its running on, not the application itself, and (if you don’t pay your bill or export your information) not the data.

What makes these systems “cloud” is that they are running on servers – application servers, network server, data servers etc. – that are all meshed to work closely together. You do not have to worry about (in fact, you often won’t even know) exactly where in the world your system is located, and you have no direct contact with or interaction with the infrastructure on which your application and data are running. As far as users are concerned, their application and data exist “in the cloud” … somewhere.

Hosted applications can also be Cloud

Cloud or not cloud really doesn’t have anything to do with whether the software is browser-based versus disk-based (desktop). Cloud really refers to having a ubiquitous network of connected resources which allows for the creation of dynamic, agile, scalable infrastructure. Google Compute, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft Azure are the 3 primary (publicly available) cloud platforms.

Online application services generally use cloud platforms and infrastructure to support their software and data, enabling the delivery of services to large numbers of users regardless of where they are located.

Desktop applications can also be run on cloud infrastructure, enabling businesses to access and use their applications and data regardless of location or device, but to retain all the functionality and capabilities of the more mature desktop solution.

For example, NOOBEH cloud services deploys managed QuickBooks and other desktop applications from the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. With Noobeh’s approach, customers can retain essential control of their infrastructure (Noobeh manages it for them, but it is the customer’s private system), allowing it to be configured to be exactly what the customer needs.

NOOBEH Azure hosting is provided as a subscription service and can be changed or adjusted at any time with just a restart of the system. This agility gives businesses what they need now, but also allows the platform to be adjusted to changing business needs. Not having to purchase or invest ahead of needing new resources, as well as reducing the system size if less is ultimately needed, are among the many benefits of using a true cloud platform. Migrating applications and data from on-premises to cloud platforms allows businesses to reduce or eliminate their reliance on locally installed servers and network systems, which is another step in transforming the business and its capabilities.

When a business elects to migrate from desktop to web-based applications for only some functions, the result is often that other applications and data remain active on the local systems. This forces the business to retain their expensive computers, networks and local IT management services and reduces much of the value of a cloud transformation.

On the other hand, if the business elects to migrate to cloud infrastructure it allows them to migrate all their applications, data, and processes immediately, delivering immediate business benefit and providing the right platform for further improvement.
For most small and growing businesses, it is the elimination of concerns about hardware failures, not having to purchase ahead for possible future needs, and having up-to-date secure and compliant systems that deliver the full value and capability of the cloud.

Business transformation starts with the foundation, and a strong information technology platform becomes the base upon which smarter and more efficient processes are built. Whether your company is just beginning its transformation journey or is well on the way, cloud applications and platforms are integral to helping your business keep moving forward.

jm bunny feetMake Sense?

J