What Is Sage Cloud?

Sage accounting is the UKs best-selling suite of accounting software and payroll software. Sage is predominantly a desktop-based program, installed on a Windows PC and often using a server to share the database with other users on a local network. This leads to some confusion with customers about what is Sage Cloud, and whether or not there is a cloud version of Sage.

Sage 50 Accounts and Sage 50Cloud Accounts software are aimed at small and medium businesses and include modules to create quotes, create and send invoices, track invoices, manage cash flow, VAT including Making Tax Digital, time tracking, inventory management and connections to businesses bank accounts to make reconciliation easier.

So, what is Sage Cloud?

Sage have resisted the temptation of making its flagship Sage 50 accounting and payroll software fully cloud based, i.e. running in a web browser or via mobile apps, with all the data held on cloud-based servers. Instead Sage have stood by the feature rich functionality and performance that desktop applications can deliver, and have instead created some “cloud” add-ons to help its customers benefit from cloud solutions, if they choose. So, Sage cloud is really a name change the represents some cloud features that are available as extra features rather than a fundamental change to the way Sage works.

 

What Sage programs are cloud based?

Small business owners and sole traders have the option of a cloud-based accounting solution called Sage Business Cloud Accounting, formerly known as Sage One. This does run as a fully cloud based product in a browser, it is an online accounting and payroll solution whose accounting features allow you to create and send invoices, track invoices to manage your cash flow and connects to your bank account for reconciliation.

Sage’s most popular software, Sage 50Cloud Accounts, utilises an add on known as Sage Remote Data Access, previously called Sage Drive. This synchronises Sage data from the master PC to Sage’s secure cloud servers, where it can then be sync’d back down to other PCs either for another user working remotely or perhaps to the accountant. Sage Remote Data Access is available for Sage 50C Standard, Plus and Professional.

Sage 50Cloud (or Sage 50C) is licenced on a monthly subscription basis, unlike its predecessor called simply Sage 50 Accounts. Customers who cancel the subscription can no longer enter new data into Sage, although they can use it read only.
Sage no longer retail the perpetual licence for Sage 50 Accounts, although additional users and companies can be added to an existing licence.

Like Sage 50C Accounts Sage 50cloud Payroll is also still a desktop application. It can integrate with Sage 50Cloud Accounts and also make payslips and P60s available online.

 

Is Sage Remote Data Access (Sage Drive) any good, is it really Sage Cloud?

The theory behind Sage remote data access is sound, as a way of sharing Sage data with people not on the same local network, such as remote employees or your accountant. In practice it has a reputation of being problematic. Some customers report connection issues and data corruption. This is especially trying for customers or their users who have poor or intermittent broadband services. The feedback from Sage consultants we’ve spoken to is that Sage Drive is fine for 1 or 2 user systems, but any more than that and it can have problems.

 

I want to run my business “in the cloud” should I still use Sage Cloud?

Yes, although Sage 50c Accounts and Payroll is designed to run on a network, with data held on a server you can very much run Sage software in the cloud properly, securely and reliably using hosted Sage running on a Hosted Desktop aka Desktop as a Service (DaaS) solution.

The benefits of running Sage Cloud applications on a hosted desktop are:

• Run Sage from anywhere over the internet, anywhere in the world where you have an internet connection.
• No issues with corruption. If your internet drops Sage just sits in the background waiting for you to reconnect, then you just carry on as you left off.
• Multiple users can work on the same Sage database in real time from different branches or offices, from home, from a customer site, hotel, beach, wherever.
• Run Sage on non-Windows devices. Prefer to use a Macbook, no problem, you can connect to your hosted Sage on Macs, iPads, Android tablets, even phones if your eyesight is good.
• No server costs. Did you know that the average small business server uses about 850W of electricity? Over 24 hours that’s over 20kWh per day or over 7,446 kWh per year. At the time if writing electricity for businesses is, on average £0.28 per kWh. Or £2,085 a year. Add to that the cost of licences, support, upgrades, running your own server is considered an unnecessary expense nowadays.
• No IT worries, remote desktop servers are fully supported by the DaaS provider including all Windows updates, antivirus, backups, and fixing things on the server if they go wrong.
• The security of running in the cloud with ISO 27001 information security system and 99.5% uptime guarantee.

 

How does Sage Cloud work on hosted desktop?

A hosted desktop uses Windows Remote Desktop Services. It is a dedicated Windows server hosted in a UK data centre and connected to over the internet. It is much like the Windows server you may have in your office with your Sage data, except that it also acts as a PC in that the Sage client desktop application also runs on it. This means that the software and data are sat side by side on the same computer. Multiple users can then connect to this server to run Sage at the same time. You can add Payroll and other applications such as Microsoft Office to run on the server as well.

As a Desktop as a Service solution the server and all surrounding infrastructure is managed and supported by the provider. So there are no additional IT worries.

 

How do I find out more about Sage Cloud on a hosted desktop?

Please get in touch with our friendly and helpful sales consultants who can answer any question you have about Sage Cloud on a remote desktop solution. Just complete the form below or give us a call on 01282 500318. Or email

Sage accounting is the UKs best-selling suite of accounting software and payroll software.  Sage is predominantly a desktop-based program, installed on a Windows PC and often using a server to share the database with other users on a local network.   This leads to some confusion with customers about what is Sage Cloud, and whether or not there is a cloud version of Sage.

Sage 50 Accounts and Sage 50Cloud Accounts software are aimed at small and medium businesses and include modules to create quotes, create and send invoices, track invoices, manage cash flow, VAT including Making Tax Digital, time tracking, inventory management and connections to businesses bank accounts to make reconciliation easier.

So, what is Sage Cloud?

Sage have resisted the temptation of making its flagship Sage 50 accounting and payroll software fully cloud based, i.e. running in a web browser or via mobile apps, with all the data held on cloud-based servers.  Instead Sage have stood by the feature rich functionality and performance that desktop applications can deliver, and have instead created some “cloud” add-ons to help its customers benefit from cloud solutions, if they choose.  So, Sage cloud is really a name change the represents some cloud features that are available as extra features rather than a fundamental change to the way Sage works.

 

What Sage programs are cloud based?

Small business owners and sole traders have the option of a cloud-based accounting solution called Sage Business Cloud Accounting, formerly known as Sage One.   This does run as a fully cloud based product in a browser, it is an online accounting and payroll solution whose accounting features allow you to create and send invoices, track invoices to manage your cash flow and connects to your bank account for reconciliation.

Sage’s most popular software, Sage 50Cloud Accounts, utilises an add on known as Sage Remote Data Access, previously called Sage Drive.  This synchronises Sage data from the master PC to Sage’s secure cloud servers, where it can then be sync’d back down to other PCs either for another user working remotely or perhaps to the accountant.  Sage Remote Data Access is available for Sage 50C Standard, Plus and Professional.

Sage 50Cloud (or Sage 50C) is licenced on a monthly subscription basis, unlike its predecessor called simply Sage 50 Accounts.   Customers who cancel the subscription can no longer enter new data into Sage, although they can use it read only.

Sage no longer retail the perpetual licence for Sage 50 Accounts, although additional users and companies can be added to an existing licence.

Like Sage 50C Accounts Sage 50cloud Payroll is also still a desktop application.  It can integrate with Sage 50Cloud Accounts and also make payslips and P60s available online.

 

Is Sage Remote Data Access (Sage Drive) any good, is it really Sage Cloud?

The theory behind Sage remote data access is sound, as a way of sharing Sage data with people not on the same local network, such as remote employees or your accountant.   In practice it has a reputation of being problematic.  Some customers report connection issues and data corruption.   This is especially trying for customers or their users who have poor or intermittent broadband services.   The feedback from Sage consultants we’ve spoken to is that Sage Drive is fine for 1 or 2 user systems, but any more than that and it can have problems.

 

I want to run my business “in the cloud” should I still use Sage Cloud?

Yes, although Sage 50c Accounts and Payroll is designed to run on a network, with data held on a server you can very much run Sage software in the cloud properly, securely and reliably using hosted Sage running on a Hosted Desktop aka Desktop as a Service (DaaS) solution.

The benefits of running Sage Cloud applications on a hosted desktop are:

• Run Sage from anywhere over the internet, anywhere in the world where you have an internet connection.
• No issues with corruption. If your internet drops Sage just sits in the background waiting for you to reconnect, then you just carry on as you left off.
• Multiple users can work on the same Sage database in real time from different branches or offices, from home, from a customer site, hotel, beach, wherever.
• Run Sage on non-Windows devices. Prefer to use a Macbook, no problem, you can connect to your hosted Sage on Macs, iPads, Android tablets, even phones if your eyesight is good.
• No server costs. Did you know that the average small business server uses about 850W of electricity?  Over 24 hours that’s over 20kWh per day or over 7,446 kWh per year.  At the time if writing electricity for businesses is, on average £0.28 per kWh.  Or £2,085 a year.  Add to that the cost of licences, support, upgrades, running your own server is considered an unnecessary expense nowadays.
• No IT worries, remote desktop servers are fully supported by the DaaS provider including all Windows updates, antivirus, backups, and fixing things on the server if they go wrong.
• The security of running in the cloud with ISO 27001 information security system and 99.5% uptime guarantee.

 

How does Sage Cloud work on hosted desktop?

A hosted desktop uses Windows Remote Desktop Services.   It is a dedicated Windows server hosted in a UK data centre and connected to over the internet.   It is much like the Windows server you may have in your office with your Sage data, except that it also acts as a PC in that the Sage client desktop application also runs on it.   This means that the software and data are sat side by side on the same computer.   Multiple users can then connect to this server to run Sage at the same time.  You can add Payroll and other applications such as Microsoft Office to run on the server as well.

As a Desktop as a Service solution the server and all surrounding infrastructure is managed and supported by the provider.  So there are no additional IT worries.

How do I find out more about Sage Cloud on a hosted desktop?

Please get in touch with our friendly and helpful sales consultants who can answer any question you have about Sage Cloud on a remote desktop solution.  Just complete the form below or give us a call on 01282 500318. Or email sales@yourofficeanywhere.co.uk