Ask the Experts: How can cloud computing help folks on the go?

Grazed from NewsObserver. Author: Deanna Gibbs Lanier.

How can cloud computing help entrepreneurs on the go? Or small businesses with employees who spend most of their time on the road, and need access to company information anywhere, any time? Shop Talk put those questions to Deanna Gibbs Lanier, director in advisory for KPMG LLP, an audit, tax and advisory services firm with 87 offices, including Raleigh. Lanier helps clients see what it means to conduct business “in the cloud” – accessing emails, documents and applications through a combination of the Internet, plus hardware and software as a service.

Some firms find cloud computing to be a less expensive alternative to the traditional software licensing model, where companies are contracted to pay for a set number of users — even if that number shrinks over time. Cloud computing allows companies to add or decrease users as they go, and pay only for what they use, Lanier said. Some cloud models for small offices can start as low as $7 per user, per month, she said…

KPMG recently surveyed more than 200 senior corporate tax professionals, and found that cloud computing is being embraced by more companies, Lanier said. But 52 percent of respondents said they are generally not included in company discussions on making the switch…

Read more from the source @ http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/01/28/2638303/how-can-cloud-computing-help-entrepreneurs.html