sharing quickbooks, and simultaneous users

[nesrinamb]

I have a client who wants to set up quickbooks so that he and his partner can both access it from home, he has it set up on a regular windows 7 machine and so for has been using logmein to access it over the internet but that only allows him to use it not him and his partner at the same time.

I know intuit sells a monthly remote access service that allows this but I am unsure of the quality of the service.

Things to consider:
They have a broad band connection.
Getting extra licenses is not an issue.
They are way to small for a windows server. (but wish they had one because it would be a lot easier, RDP and bam pretty much done )

I have heard of others using a windows home server and using the terminal that comes with that. Since they only need two people on it at one time the two terminal licensees that come with home server would be just fine.

Any suggestions?

 

[ClickRight]

I think you need is a single-user license for multi-user access for Quickbooks (That's a mouthful) . That way your client and partner can both be logged into quickbooks and accessing the same QBW file at the same time. Whether you create a VPN or RDP/Logmein,etc. it will allow concurrent access to the database.

This should help:

About QuickBooks licenses

Particularly:

"If you purchased more than one single-user license for multi-user access to QuickBooks, you can use QuickBooks on the number of computers corresponding to the number of licenses you have purchased. The maximum number of single-user licenses that can access a company file at one time is five."

Also this:

Running QuickBooks multi-user on a network from a single installation

I hope I understood you correctly!

 

[oldtech]

QuickBooks Online is the correct solution.

 

[JustInspired]

If you've already got multi user,perhaps something like Hamachi would work for you.

 

[pc-quebec]

Multi users ( Quickbook Pro) means you can add up to 5 users licences, so you need 2 licences if 2 users wants to use it at same time. Quickbook Pro come with 1 licence, purchase a second license.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

*Correct Quickbooks user licenses (covered above)
*Quickbooks Remote Access (you already mentioned but you're not sure about)

First....you do NOT want to run Quickbooks over a VPN connection. Years ago...back in the early 2000 versions...Quickbooks was "light" enough (wasn't most software lighter back then?) to run through a VPN connection. These days....Quickbooks is very "heavy" as far as network needs..and it runs over .NET Framework...you (or more importantly..your end users) will not have a good experience using Quickbooks this way. You'll end up with frequent database corruption and other issues.

Quickbooks remote access is slick....powered by WebEx...two versions...one which presents only the application to the end user, and the other version which presents the entire desktop. Performs well, it's secure...but I use it for my clients that just wish to allow their accountants to access their office remotely. If a primary user is doing stuff on the computer...it's resources will be foreground app, and the remote user will have a slower time.

I agree with the other OldTech Quickbooks Online would be the smart choice for this.

 

[nlinecomputers]

QB Online. Is expensive. $40/month. Most Small Bus owners would balk at that.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

QB Online. Is expensive. $40/month. Most Small Bus owners would balk at that.

40 bucks/mo depends on which version...and that includes up to 5 users.

But...versus the cost of having a dedicated workstation....plus the electricity to run it. Dedicated workstation to run Quickbooks well...biz workstation, i5, 8 gigs rammage...probably doesn't need MS Office but might...so 750 to 950 bucks. Over 20 months equiv of online cost.

Additionally..he would need a 2 user license...so there is another 250 bucks to bring Quickbooks local install to a 2 user mode. Equiv to 6 months of the online price.

I mean...it's part of the cost of a business of having an additional employee. A second staff person needs to get to Quickbooks.

So I have a choice...over 30 months online price..with great performance and built in backup, or purchase the hardware and software and setup locally..and increase my electric bill, clutter in the office, and have a poor remote experience for the 2nd person. Plus deal with backups.

 

[nesrinamb]

@YeOldeStonecat
+1 for not using vpn, I have seen quickbooks over VPN and its anything but pleasant.

I will be presenting the webex option to the client since its likely the best option. That's what I was leaning towards in the beginning but I wasn't sure how good it was, but if you say its slick then that's probably best

 

[JustInspired]

My last foray into QuickBooks was back in 2000. Had no idea there was a web version. Worth remembering, thanks.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

@YeOldeStonecat
+1 for not using vpn, I have seen quickbooks over VPN and its anything but pleasant.

I will be presenting the webex option to the client since its likely the best option. That's what I was leaning towards in the beginning but I wasn't sure how good it was, but if you say its slick then that's probably best

Ask about simultaneous/concurrent use....I have to double check that. I know I typed about user on the computer while remote user was in..but I gotta check on that..it may be just 1 at a time. I've setup the Quickbooks remote a lot before...but the accountant does that stuff after hours usually.

 

[TenYardFight]

Just a word of warning about QB Online. Many line of business applications interface with premise based Quickbooks, but not Quickbooks Online. When it came time for me to concert QBOL to QB On Premise, the conversion was anything but smooth.

 

[layoric]

Quickbooks needing a $900 machine to run?? I run QB 2009 on a WHS which is just a P4 w/2 GB ram in multi user mode over the local network w/o issue. RD with that and they're good. There's also the option to just use the portable database option. Most say they need simultaneous access, but when prodded they realize they do not.