Scenario - ARight bookkeeping and accounting business

'ARight', is a small bookkeeping and accounting business, which has operated from a home-based office for the last 10 years and currently employs three people. The business is rapidly expanding and extending its network across regional NSW. In the next six months, the business will move into new commercial premises, employ another six people and start a mobile service across regional NSW.

You have been hired by the business and Helen Ready is your boss. She has employed you to assist her with the transition and expansion of the business. She currently operates her system from her stand-alone desktop computer. Helen is not very savvy with computing technology and has limited ICT skills.

She wants to get it right for her new set up and expanding clientele, which is located across Regional NSW.

Helen's vision is to have a network of mobile bookkeeping and accounting service operators across Australia and eventually internationally. Helen has heard about cloud computing, but is not sure what it means. Majority of her financial records are manually maintained and uploaded into single stand-alone bookkeeping software. She started using a software system for her business two years ago.

She does not have an overall ICT strategy for her business expansion.

She wants to reduce ongoing ICT costs and increase productivity as she expands.

She is not sure what to do.

Helen has tried to learn more about cloud computing seeking other sources of information from other businesses who use cloud computing and their operations as well as other general surveys, data, articles, books, references, search-engines, and also from friends, customers, associates, and vendors.

As you learn more about the ICT needs of your workplace scenario or ARight scenario, what sources of information about cloud computing are available and what options would be useful for the business?

Outline sources of information about clouding computing and the options specific to your own workplace scenario or small business ARight scenario.