Voices

This clears it up: The cloud is <i>not</i> an actual cloud.

IMGCAP(1)] What actually is the cloud? The easiest way to explain it is this: your software is in a computer room miles away from your physical location.  

I've actually been to the cloud and I think it's kinda funny and an interesting place to visit. The cloud is just a warehouse; they take your driver's license and they scan you in and they look at your eyeballs and make sure that you're not some bad person. You go into this area where it's a bunch of servers and wires and it's hot. And you walk around and you're thinking, “So this is the cloud!”  Really, I had the opportunity of going into one of those rooms and basically it's just a secure spot of servers. If you've never been to the cloud, you're really not missing anything. 

Everyone was saying “Oh! You gotta go, you gotta go!” So I went ready to be awe-inspired. I was just like, “Oookay.” It was funny because my cloud provider, Byron from Simplified Innovations, took me and he was so excited. He was like a kid in a candy shop.

It must be an IT thing. 

The biggest deal about the cloud is that your data and programs are not on your laptop. You've got to use a browser and the Internet connection and somehow it works. A lot of people think that I'm this big technologist, but I'm really not. I just use technology to run my business.

I think the most important thing about the cloud is that it fundamentally changes the way you work with your clients. Yes, you have to be careful about security, and yes, you have to use secure companies, but believe me - when you're in the cloud, you're going to be so much happier and secure.

It'll change the way you work and that change is what becomes priceless.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
MORE FROM ACCOUNTING TODAY