QuickBooks

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QuickBooks 2015 Best Price

QuickBooks

I recently purchased QuickBooks Pro 2014 with an upgrade to QuickBooks 2015 for $149, the best price for QuickBooks 2015 that I could find at the time. My QuickBooks CD arrived yesterday and I plan to try QuickBooks 2015 as soon as I can get my upgrade. Intuit releases QuickBooks 2015 on 9/22/14. My experience tells me that you can get the best price for QuickBooks 2015 here; no coupons needed and no hassle.

With QuickBooks 2015, you can easily create invoices and sales receipts to keep track of who owes you money, what they bought, and when they paid you. Stay on top of your expenses by entering and paying bills from vendors, downloading your bank and credit card transactions directly into QuickBooks and gain insights into your business by drilling down to see the details behind the numbers.

Don’t delay, purchase QuickBooks 2015 beginning 9/22/14.

QuickBooks

QuickBooks Virtual Server

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Business Systems Support QuickBooks

I install a lot of software, sometimes on a very large scale. My software installation best practice requires that anytime I install software for a client, I review release notes and minimum systems requirements from the software manufacturer. It’s not uncommon that major changes occur between version updates that will impact an installation that I’m doing.

Recently, I encountered a situation that challenged my default server installation methodology to the core. This challenge will prove to impact the way I look at QuickBooks in the future.

My server installation best practice requires me to consider virtualizing any server environment before I consider using a physical server. Virtual technologies integrated with RAID storage arrays are mature and as common as Ford trucks. Only a few architectural instances dictate a physical server; an on site domain controller and a network fax server using multi port pots lines come to mind.

My back up and disaster methodology depends upon continual data protection, continually writing an updated virtual server image to local and offsite storage. CDP is pretty much the norm in the industry today.

My most recent QuickBooks installation environment revolved around the role Remote Desktop Services plays in reducing costs and increasing manageability. It’s almost a no brainer to build a thirty user QuickBooks Enterprise 13 set up with Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services on top of VMware, using Acronis to write a virtual image into a datacenter. However, QuickBooks release notes and latest system requirements stopped me dead in my tracks.

First, I came upon QuickBooks system requirements and Intuit’s concept of “natively installed” splattered all over the Intuit QuickBooks Support Systems Requirements page. I had not seen these requirements in the past. Check these out:

Apparently, Intuit does not recommend or support QuickBooks installation on a virtual server. An IT person might say, “so what.” My experience tells me that only a fool will run a large QuickBooks environment without a yearly Intuit QuickBooks Support Contract. There are always reasons to get Intuit’s assistance to keep your QuickBooks operational.

Secondly, if the failure to support QuickBooks installed on a virtual server is not bad enough, Intuit states that “QuickBooks will work with systems running RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) but this is not recommended because performance issues may cause QuickBooks to operate slowly.”

Essentially, Intuit prefers that the two pillars of server technology, virtualization and RAID be completely avoided, to the extent that Intuit will not support you if you deploy virtualization and RAID. This strikes me as a large problem or a great opportunity.

How might this situation effect you?

Time To Chose A QuickBooks Hosting Provider

QuickBooks

If you are tackling a new QuickBooks server installation, consider this story line.

Let me be honest with myself here. I would like to have a five user QuickBooks installation that allows me the same functionality as a commercially hosted QuickBooks setup, one that would run me $250 per month.

Actually, I really want to recoup my cost by hosting a few of my clients for $50 a user. I know of twenty clients that I can host right now. It can’t be that hard, as I find myself opening up my new $1000 Dell server I succumbed to purchasing online.

Much to my surprise, the server sets up almost automatically right out of the box. My new copy of QuickBooks Pro sets up quickly. Within a few hours, I’m up on the network and sharing files and QuickBooks with my other two employees. So, I’ve decided to add a couple more employees and set this server up for a few customers. Although sharing QuickBooks with a few employees and customers sounds simple and straight forward, this story usually ends with many unhappy customers and a project that turns into a money pit.

Consider the real gotchas.

The $1000 on sale server might be enough to share QuickBooks among three employees, but it won’t live in a situation that demands any more stress. Options like virtualization, redundant power supplies, redundant disk arrays, multiple processors and up to 32GB memory for multiple application loads do not come standard on a $1000 server.

Terminal Services, a necessity for running QuickBooks in a multi user remote access environment requires additional Microsoft licensing to be purchased. Microsoft states, “In addition to a server license, a Windows Server Client Access License (CAL) is required to access the Windows Server software. If you wish to utilize the RDS functionality of the Windows Server software, an incremental Terminal Services Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services Client Access License (TS CAL), or the new Remote Desktop Services Client Access License (RDS CAL) is required as well”

Intuit will not support QuickBooks Pro in a Terminal Services environment for end user customers. One will lose access to any support help from Intuit unless the Enterprise version and Enterprise support are purchased and run exclusively.

The typical software architecture to add multiple secured users to Windows Server is not possible, when clients require any third party add on software or integrated FEDEX or UPS shipping functionality. Virtualization of QuickBooks and the underlying server software established itself as a mature technology long ago. Third party software is expensive but an absolute must.

Recently, Rick Fallahee, CEO of NovelASPect, offered some great advice about choosing an application Hosting provider. One of Rick’s suggestions is spot on. “When searching for an application hosting provider, make sure they offer Citrix.” Microsoft Terminal Services presents a “remote desktop” to the end user. But software designed to virtualize applications such as QuickBooks and Peachtree often finds its way to the cutting room floor in order for hosting providers to cut cost. Citrix removes boundaries imposed by default Terminal Services and allows effortless printing and scanning from USB devices such as POS devices, webcams, microphones, scanners, digital cameras, and more. Citrix facilitates access from many types of devices like Apple MACs and smart phones. Invest your $250 a month (a typical five user hosted application) in a solution with Citrix.

QuickBooks Enterprise retails for $3000 for a five user version. A fully virtualized and redundant server setup from Dell with appropriate licensing runs well over $20000. I don’t think I’ll be offering up my $1000 server to host QuickBooks Pro and Premier to my customers anytime soon.

If you need QuickBooks hosting or Peachtree hosting, contact me. I can help out.

New Company File in QuickBooks

QuickBooks

I start out each year with a new company file for QuickBooks. It seems perfectly reasonable because my QuickBooks complexity does not effect my process of creating the file. Starting with a new file keeps QuickBooks operating fast and error free. I’ve always taken my process for granted because is as simple as exporting lists and templates and beginning with opening balances in the appropriate accounts. Also, I export my financial statements and compare year to year trends in Excel. I’ve read several places that creating a new company file each year is a best practice.

I can see multitudes of problems for companies that have more complex requirements for QuickBooks than I have. In the past, I argued that creating a new company file each year was best practice. However, I now know that extenuating circumstances can prevent a business from creating a new file every year.Here’s what Intuit has to say about it.

If my business were more complex, I would have serious concerns around the limitations that payroll and time entries, online banking and comparative yearly reports have on my ability to mitigate performance problems with QuickBooks by creating a new company file every year. The large company files as well as the database serving methodology employed by QuickBooks seriously impacts QuickBooks Multi User performance.

I regularly upgrade networks to gigabit to mitigate the QuickBooks performance situation, something I do not do with Peachtree companies. I’m not recommending that you move to Peachtree. But, I am concerned that QuickBooks client server software architecture needs to be reevaluated, de-bloated and moved to a 21st century state of the art client server design. If my business’s accounting needs depended upon application performance and tight integration between payroll, time entry, banking and year to year comparative reporting, I would have to seriously consider something else other that QuickBooks Multi User.

Intuit’s efforts in licensing and improving Hosted QuickBooks and QuickBooks Online are admirable. But, hosted solutions are not the answer to every businesses’ requirements. Tell a doctor I know that’s office has no Internet connectivity, that he needs to move QuickBooks 2006 to QuickBooks online for the latest features and you’ll know what I mean.

The current state of QuickBooks client server performance needs a hard look by a few good client server architects. I don’t think I’m alone in my opinion. What do you think?

You Can Still Buy A New XP Pro Computer

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Business Systems Support QuickBooks

I published this article almost a year ago. I wanted to update everyone that might need an XP Pro computer. As of yesterday, I can still purchase a new XP Pro computer. There continues a need to have a physical CPU with XP Pro, necessary to run legacy applications, especially in the security and medical businesses that I’m most familiar with.

I’m still amazed at the number of times people inquire about purchasing a new XP Pro computer. I see no reason not to buy an XP Pro computer. I configured a new Dell business desktop computer today for a project I’m working on.

The Dell summary worksheet details my computer specs for a new QuickBooks server, a great deal considering it has 2gb memory, 3 year on site service and 3 year anti virus software. As a mater of fact, I will use this computer as a multi session terminal server designed for both local access and remote access from the CPA’s office. The entire project costs will come in under $1000 plus the QuickBooks license.

If you need a new computer, all the major players still sell Windows 7 Pro downgrades to XP Pro. It just takes a bit of effort to configure and purchase them. I continually need a steady supply of XP Pro computers for small businesses.

If you want to save a good bit of money, try searching Amazon for off lease desktop or refurbished desktop. Check the specs carefully for memory, hard drive size, dvd burner and the operating system to get a great deal.

They say one picture’s worth a thousand words. Check out this screen shot of my prototype QuickBooks terminal server on a shoe string. You can plainly see three users’ remote desktop QuickBooks Multi User sessions and an administrator desktop session simultaneously working on an XP Pro based terminal server. This stuff’s so much fun.

QuickBooks Server Remote Applications On A Shoe String

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Business Systems Support QuickBooks

They say one picture’s worth a thousand words. Check out this screen shot of my QuickBooks Remote Application Server, a QuickBooks multi user terminal server on a shoe string. You can plainly see three users’ remote desktop QuickBooks Multi User sessions and an administrator desktop session simultaneously working on an XP Pro based terminal server. This stuff’s so much fun.

The key to all this fun is a product called Thinstuff, a remarkable tool that changes an XP computer into a multi user terminal server computer. The cost can be as little as $99 for a three user license. Thinstuff uses several license models to help companies save on expense. Try it out by downloading a trial from their product purchase page.

I know you will be as impressed as I am. Thinstuff XP/VS Terminal Server Lite and XP Pro saves me a substantial amount of money over Microsoft Server 2008 Standard Terminal Server or utilizing a hosted QuickBooks solution that averages around $50 per user per month. If you need control or have requirements for faxing, label printers, bar coding or other unusual things, this is the way to go.

To gain access from the Internet, port forward remote desktop through the local firewall to the QuickBooks server or avoid any tricky firewall configurations at all by adding another level of security with LogMeIn Hamachi. Install it on the server and any of your remote users including your CPA.

I’m still amazed at the number of times people inquire about purchasing a new XP Pro computer. I see no reason not to buy an XP Pro computer. I use XP Pro commercial desktop computers to build the Holy Grail of QuickBooks setups, QuickBooks Remote Application Servers, multi user terminal servers. I also use them to build QuickBooks Dedicated Production Servers, the standard QuickBooks multi user client-server deployment that I detail in my book.

The Dell summary worksheet details my computer specs for a new QuickBooks server, a great deal considering it has 2gb memory, 3 year on site service and 3 year anti virus software. As a mater of fact, I will use this computer as a multi session terminal server designed for both local access and remote access from a CPA’s office. The entire project costs typically come in under $1000 plus the QuickBooks license.

If you need a new XP Pro computer, all the major players still sell Windows 7 Pro downgrades to XP Pro. It just takes a bit of effort to configure and purchase them. I continually need a steady supply of XP Pro computers for small businesses. If you want to save a good bit of money, try searching Amazon for off lease desktop or refurbished desktop. Check the specs carefully for memory, hard drive size, dvd burner and the operating system to get a great deal.

Annoying QuickBooks Error Codes

Business Systems Support QuickBooks

If your a QuickBooks user like me, you’ve probably noticed all of the mentions of errors popping up in QuickBooks about the time anyone gets up a head of steam to do a bunch of work. Again, if you are like me, you want all of your software to work all of the time. So, those annoying QuickBooks errors could be a real problem. Fortunately, they’re not typically a problem for me.

If you find yourself having to deal with application errors, Intuit can shed some light on them for you. They’ve received the calls so often that error code resolution’s built into the default search on their support web site.

I recently took the opportunity to respond to a question on LinkedIn at the Successful QuickBooks Consultants – QuickBooks Technical Questions group. You must join LinkedIn or sign in to see comments in this group.

Here’s the question. I hope my answer might help you.

I’ve used and supported QuickBooks environments almost twenty years. I agree that the proliferation of errors and increased sophistication of QuickBooks can be problematic. On various forums, blogs and visits to new clients sites, I primarily see two types of errors; errors related to connectivity to company files both on the local computer and across the network and errors related to data integrity issues. I also occasionally see setup and update errors.

Improvements to and increased sophistication of QuickBooks in recent years has increased the demand on both the computer where QuickBooks resides and the network where QuickBooks accesses company files in a multi user environment. End users need to be more careful about purchasing and configuring production computers and networks, as well as executing regular automated backups and an overall maintenance program in a typical QuickBooks production environment.

Intuit’s done a decent job of publishing necessary information about configuration, backup and maintenance, but I think much of the information is difficult for most end users to both access and understand. Computer and network configurations for reasonable performance of a typical QuickBooks environment exceed normal consumer understandings of such things.

My installations tend to be relatively error free because I remove any connectivity problems by doing things like utilizing fully certified cabled gigabit networking, moving any firewall software to the Internet gateway, using fast processors with maximum memory and automating computer maintenance. I eliminate data problems by automated backups and regularly scheduled file maintenance. QuickBooks updates are typically not automated to prevent installation and update errors.

QuickBooks offers a lot of bang for the buck, especially the Enterprise version. I know of multi thousand-dollar software that can’t do what QuickBooks does. But along with this level of sophistication comes the price of sophisticated infrastructure and close attention to detail. Most end users need to know that their expectations and level of computer systems understanding might be a bit skewed by their consumer frame of reference and that it might be time to call a seasoned IT professional.

QuickBooks To Update Or Not To Update

Business Systems Support QuickBooks

I tend to work on the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” level. I’m never the first person out selling the latest business technology and I never recommend the latest and greatest software for your business systems production environment. But, you can count on me to be on the bleeding edge with my own business software and hardware, both in production and in testing and evaluation. After all, I do this for a living.

I’m comfortably familiar with the bleeding edge, except when it comes to QuickBooks, the software I use to bill and count money; that’s right, MONEY. It took me from 1999 to 2008 to change my own version of QuickBooks. There is just too much at stake to move me off of the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” level. Change isn’t easy so if you want to change a software version, one needs a very compelling reason to do so. And one needs to schedule the transition carefully and deliberately, to positively impact one’s business, as opposed to the other stuff I constantly read about.

So, if you see one of these, avoid the urge to press the left button.

You’ll thank yourself later. After all, it’s too close to the end of the year, tax season and 5:00pm.

Cloud QuickBooks – Let Me Lay It Out For You

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Business Systems Support QuickBooks

What’s all the fuss about QuickBooks not being ready for cloud computing? This one’s easy. Since version 9, Intuit fully supports QuickBooks Enterprise installed on Microsoft Server 2008 with Terminal Services deployed. Details for installing QuickBooks on a Terminal Server clear up any questions about setup and make the process easy for anyone schooled in Server 2008 Terminal Services.

Currently available hosted QuickBooks solutions sets the precedent for reasonable speed, performance and security of applications solutions from vendors like InsynQ, Right Networks, myownasp.com and many others. Licensed through Intuit for hosting QuickBooks Pro through Enterprise and various add on software, these companies move thousands of QuickBooks users off of local computers, into hosted data centers with stable monthly services charges, usually around $50 per user. Strong arguments can be made for these solutions to be QuickBooks in the cloud, but not by popular definitions.

Contributors to Wikipedia state that cloud computing “typically involves the provision of dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources as a service over the Internet.” The key phrase here is “dynamically scalable” placing cloud computing firmly in the realm of services from Amazon Web Services, gogrid, The RackSpace Cloud and others. The “cloud computing” model, pay-as-you-go for server RAM hours, data transfer and storage usage easily scales from one to thirty users, the size of a large QuickBooks Enterprise deployment.

So, what about your QuickBooks in the cloud?

It’s a matter of time before QuickBooks Enterprise will not be the only product supported on Microsoft Terminal Services, by Intuit. Until that time comes, focus on using Enterprise for your cloud computing environment. Size your Windows 2008 server for the appropriate amount of QuickBooks users and add on software. Provision your Windows Server 2008 resources from a cloud service provider. Configure your virtual server to use terminal services. Complete a routine remote installation of QuickBooks Enterprise, a very straight forward task. Determine your method to deploy the application or desktop to end users. Copy your production company files and databases to your virtual server.

Your now in the cloud with your production QuickBooks environment. Enjoy the control you have over configurations and licensing. Scale to your maximum thirty users as needed by provisioning processor, RAM and storage as needed. Perform processor intensive operations like company file verify and rebuild, manipulating financial statements and spreadsheet operations on your virtual server’s desktop. Best of all, pay-as-you-go for computing resources. Your virtual QuickBooks Multi User environment in the cloud will pay big returns. ROI determined by your monthly expense compared to market pricing of hosted QuickBooks users, currently $50, should help make your evaluation and decision making process easy.

QuickBooks PCI Compliant

Business Systems Support Cyber Security QuickBooks

Beginning in 2004, the single most important question that merchants need to ask about their business software has to do with PCI Compliance. “The Payment Card Industry (PCI) has created the Data Security Standards (DSS) in order to support merchants. Credit Card companies now require merchants to be aware of and compliant with the Data Security Standards… Merchants, Is Your POS System PCI Compliant?”

Point of Sale or POS systems bear the brunt of the load when it comes to credit card transactions in the modern retail sales business establishment. It’s nice to know that according to VISA’s List of Validated Payment Applications , Intuit’s QuickBooks ranks as a fully PCI compliant software. I consistently recommend QuickBooks Merchant Services to clients mostly because it mitigates PCI risk.

I also recommend that people use the old style dial out or dual ip-dial out credit card terminal that uses a standard telephone line whenever possible because it shifts PCI compliance back to the merchant service provider. Avoid the newer network type terminals because no typical small business network can pass PCI’s muster without the business spending a great deal of money on special firewalls and logging software.

I’m simply amazed that since 2004, credit card companies and banks have successfully shifted the risk of data breach to merchants that use their services all while building inherently less secure transactional hardware and software APIs simply because of the need to connect through the Internet.

Merchants are in a terrible position. Check out this video.

The bankers birthed an entire new business model on unloading credit card risk to merchants. Kind of reminds you of the ridiculous fees and interest rates we are paying to the same banks.