Should you place your accounting software on the same computer where you have Internet access? It's true that there are virus and spyware hazards when Peachtree accounting is loaded on a work station along with the Internet, but there are also benefits to having cyberspace readily available while you are working with Peachtree.
As long as your version of Peachtree is supported, Sage Software will keep producing interim updates which are available at no charge. In the months and years that follow your Peachtree purchase, interim updates correct minor problems that are discovered. To take advantage of these free updates you must have Internet access on the computer where Peachtree is installed.
If your Peachtree program has access to cyberspace, then you can periodically open Peachtree and at the top of your screen go to SERVICES / CHECK FOR UPDATES. When you do this, your Peachtree program automatically checks the Sage Software website to see if any new updates for your version of Peachtree are available. If they are, they will be automatically downloaded and installed. You can do this as often as you like. If you have not done this before, and you have Internet access, why not try the update command right now.
Other benefits of having Internet access on your Peachtree computer include being able to E-mail customer invoices directly from Peachtree, automatically sending E-mail to vendors from Peachtree when inventory levels are low, processing direct deposit of paychecks through Peachtree, and being able to do accounting related searches of the Internet without having to get up from your desk.
Not only are there plenty of reasons to have Internet access on your Peachtree computer now, but these accounting related Internet applications will only continue to increase in importance in the future. As time goes by, more and more customers will prefer to have their invoices E-mailed to them; more and more vendors will prefer to have POs sent via E-mail; and there will be more and more federal, state, and local requirements for electronic filing.
Whether you subscribe to a new cable or DSL service, or you connect your PC to your existing Internet service, you'll need to take some precautions to prevent virus and spyware attacks. You'll also need to be sure your computer has a firewall - but these issues are not as difficult to address as they sound.
Once you have taken the appropriate security measures and the Internet is routed to your Peachtree PC, you'll enjoy the added benefits that come with Internet access and you'll be prepared for the added Internet demands that the future will most certainly bring.