Xero and ADP's New Online Payroll Platform

Posted by Terri Eyden on Aug 1 2012 4079 printer friendly

By Deanna C. White

Accounting professionals have a new option to better serve their small business clients as those clients unravel the complex nexus of their company's payroll and HR operations, thanks to a general ledger integration between Xero's online accounting software and ADP's popular RUN Powered by ADP payroll platform tailored specifically for small business owners.

San Francisco, California-based Xero announced the integration on July 17.

Xero helps accounting professionals serve their clients by enabling unparalleled online collaboration with those clients, colleagues, and prospects - ongoing insight that helps them provide better counsel to their clients.

Xero's online accounting software also provides small business owners real-time visibility into their financial position in a way that is "simple, smart, and secure," Xero officials say.

Exploring Cloud Technology

Jamie Sutherland offers the following tips for those beginning to explore Cloud technology, particularly those interested in using Xero technology:

Start with Cloud solutions that are incredibly easy to use, like Xero.
Set up your own firm on Xero and learn the benefits firsthand.
Identify which of your clients are receptive/interested in Cloud technologies.

Xero's integration with the general ledger interface of ADP's RUN Powered by ADP payroll platform allows accounting professionals and businesses to conveniently and securely transfer data to Xero's Cloud-based software, allowing them to use "best-of-breed solutions" for both payroll and accounting.

RUN Powered by ADP is an innovative, Cloud-based solution that delivers improved compliance tools for payroll, tax administration, and employee management. Accessible 24/7, RUN Powered by ADP is currently used by more than 150,000 small businesses. RUN Powered by ADP Payroll for Accountants provides thousands of accounting professionals a revenue-generating platform to easily offer payroll and HR services to their clients.

"ADP is very pleased to offer integration with Xero's online accounting solution, which stems from our commitment to providing small business owners and accounting professionals innovative and convenient alternatives that help them be more successful," said Sal Hazday, vice president and general manager of specialty products for ADP's Small Business Services division.

According to Jamie Sutherland, Xero's president of US operations, there are three key reasons the accounting profession and small businesses are moving to the Cloud: cost, collaboration, and time savings.

Sutherland said adopting Cloud technology offers the accountants who serve small businesses, and small businesses themselves, several advantages:

Offloading the back-end cost to Cloud vendors like Xero saves accounting professionals and small businesses money. They no longer need servers, networking infrastructure, firewalls, server support, storage, and backups. All this is taken care of for them by the vendor.
Collaboration is unparalleled with the Cloud. Xero has built an accounting platform for accounting professionals to manage and communicate with their clients 24/7, anywhere, anytime, from any device.
Because accounting professionals have unlimited online access to their clients, and both the accountant and small business owner can immediately view the exact same screen, it eliminates the need for the accountant to visit clients on-site. Depending on how many clients an accounting professional may have, the time savings can be considerable.
The Internet and Cloud technology have completely eliminated the painstaking and labor-intensive use of desktop computer file transfer, again saving the accounting professional labor costs and time.

"At Xero we call this single ledger," Sutherland said. "And we believe it is one of the most important breakthroughs in accounting since the personal computer."

For more information on Xero's Cloud-based technology options for accounting and its new collaboration with RUN Powered by ADP for Accountants visit the Xero website.

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