The desktop versions of QuickBooks accounting software were designed to help small and growing businesses to simplify their accounting systems, automate transaction entries and generate a real-time financial report.
Currently, there are four variant of the desktop software: QuickBooks Pro, Premier, Accountant and Enterprise. The Enterprise version can be upgraded to offer cloud-only solutions which is available in the subscription model, the remaining three can be installed on a PC for offline use.
From experience, we realize that a lot of clients prefer the offline version because it does not require the internet. Considering the unstable nature of our local internet services, it is a good software for retail, manufacturing, or serviced based business who do not want their daily postings to be tied to availability of internet connections.
Another benefit of the desktop version is ‘continuity’. You do not have to pay an annual license fee or have your debit card charged on a monthly or annual basis – this means that you can use the desktop version of QuickBooks for as long as you want. Besides, some users are still on the older versions dated 9 years and above.
Why do we need to upgrade then, if one can still use an older version of QuickBooks?
Technology is driving and shaping the way we do business, and as a business owner it is important to keep your business software up to date, just as you do for your Windows OS and mobile phones.
For QuickBooks, there are a number of situations where you are expected to upgrade your older version of QuickBooks to a recent version – this is totally optional and not a MUST!
This usually happens in a 4-5 year window. For example, if you have QuickBooks 2017 version, you are going to be softly reminded to upgrade in 2021/2022.
- This happens because Intuit stopped providing support for versions of QuickBooks older than 4 to 5-years and as such, excludes your older versions from regular updates which may lead to data file corruption. This happened to a business owner that upgraded her Windows OS to 10 but lost her 9-year data after they restored an older backup company’s file of 2009 in a new version of Windows OS. The simple reason was incompatibility of the software with 9 years differences.
Your data file contains a history of your financial record and as such, security is key to ensure you do not launch your QuickBooks on outdated environments. UPGRADE YOUR ACCOUNTING SYSTEM!
A new operating system like Windows 10 Os sometimes causes an old version of the QuickBooks to malfunction, Mac operating system changes are notorious for this. If your version is 4 – 5 years old and you are upgrading your computer to a new operating system, there is a chance that you will be forced to upgrade QuickBooks as well. But, if you are not thinking of upgrading your Windows or Mac OS, then you can continue with the older version.
- Finally, if you are on an old version of QuickBooks and wants to get more licenses for more people at your company, then you may be forced to upgrade. Intuit will sometimes not provide additional licenses or users if they are no longer supporting your version of QuickBooks.
We are not just sharing this useful information to make you buy QuickBooks every year, as we shared earlier, it is a one-off license that does not require an annual fee, it is to help you preserve your company data file and understand the conditions under which an upgrade is necessary.
If you need help in upgrading your data file without losing financial records, you can connect with us for more advice, guide and support via:
info@accountingsoftware.com.ng
bigresourcessolutions@gmail.com
or
call: 08105090001, 08084219399
We work with diverse industries to ensure their systems for accounting and financial operations are running smoothly!