The Advantage of the Latest Technological Advances

Polaris Payroll™ is built from the ground up using industry leading protocols. We haven’t had to add-on modules that complicate the function of outdated software technology. Everything is integrated into one flowing system.

More specifically, Polaris Payroll is developed on the ASP.NET framework and MS SQL Server database and is designed to scale and support significant growth. It does not require any desktop installs, plug-ins, or applets. And, the system is so fast that you’ll think the software resides on your computer.

Cloud Computing Brings Power to Every Business

Using the Cloud to host and deliver your services in essence levels the playing field against the large national providers you compete against everyday. The cloud environment provides you the most powerful technology available today, that is both affordable and flexible. Cloud Computing greatly reduces the internal IT costs of a business and provides more business security, for example redundancy and automatic backups, than an internal network. Cloud Computing is at the very beginning of its growth curve and, considering the market trend, will grow to be the predominate method of software delivery for the SMB market.

A Game Changing Combination

The innovative thinking behind the Polaris Payroll design and the power and affordability of Cloud Computing combine to remove the limits of growth and profitability of your business. Supported by the latest technology and an ongoing evolution of development, Polaris Payroll offers a business model that is truly limited only by your imagination and effort.

Benefits of the SaaS Model

The Software as a Service model has developed a solid foundation in the business community over the past few years. From enterprise level corporations through the small business owners, companies have realized the benefits of software provided over the Internet. Any initial concerns have been overcome by advances in technology, and in reality, the SaaS model is much easier to maintain and keep secure than most legacy systems and internal networks.

More specifically for payroll service bureaus, the advantages reduce many hassles that effect your day-to-day operations:

• No downloads or keeping track of updates
• No special network or firewall configurations for you or your clients
• Clients don’t need to update their connectivity software
• No IT department needed
• No need to sync files
• Access the system anytime, anywhere

You also gain some valuable services that are not possible with PC-based software:

• Employer level self service. Allows companies to handle a lot more of the process.
• Employee self service. All employees from each of your clients will have access to their own payroll related information online. A value-added service that will be appreciated by your clients... especially the HR people.

Highest Level of Security

As a web-native solution, Polaris Payroll™ has been designed to be secure from all possible standpoints. Our multi-pronged strategy for handling this aspect will ensure that the system access is limited to authorized personnel, during authorized timings, and also to keep an audit trail that can provide forensic detail of any specific transaction or user in a highly usable interface.

Transmission Security
Once a client has registered and set-up with Polaris Payroll, the system provides a secure, SSL-encrypted interface to allow the employer and its users to securely access the system from remote locations.  Accordingly, we have implemented the standard Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol to encrypt and secure all data transmissions originating from, as well as terminating at the site. The SSL communications capability is built-in to our transaction interface, with all transmissions encrypted with 128-bit keys.

Perimeter Security
In order to provide a secure transaction processing environment, it is important that the physical network, where the web servers are hosted, must also be sure from outside attacks and hacking attempts right at the network’s frontiers, and within. Multi-layered perimeter security is implemented at both the hardware and software levels and includes hardware/software firewalls and establishing DMZ to keep intruders out of the network while allowing authorized applications to use the resources in a secure fashion.

In addition to the firewalls, perimeter security also involves using standard Access Control procedures to limit physical access to the servers within the data center. This tier is implemented at the data center where the Polaris Payroll servers are hosted.

Role-Based Access
The Polaris Payroll solution includes a rigorous Role Based Access Model that is centered on the concept of ‘domains’ under which each user ‘role’ functions. The domains provide the context within which each role will derive its functionality and actions authorized.

Benefits of a Hosted Solution

Polaris Payroll™ is hosted at the state-of-the-art facilities of one of the leading data center providers in the country. The SAS 70 certification brings with it  the peace of mind of knowing that a dedicated team of IT professionals is there 24/7 to make sure your data is always available and secure. In fact, data is more secure in these facilities than it is in most corporate IT departments, without the hassles... or the costs.

Monitoring and Management of Server

Your server is monitored constantly from every aspect, from CPU and memory usage to port activity. Our hosted solution comes with the added benefit of downloading and installing all the latest service packs, hot fixes and/ or patches for your server, as well as daily antivirus updates and a weekly scheduled virus scan.

Security Management

The managed firewall ensures the highest level of security by tracking and controlling the flow of communication through it. Additionally, a Managed Intrusion Detection and Prevention System detects any inappropriate or unauthorized data activity on your network. Each and every data packet is inspected, as well as overall traffic patterns, and any dangerous data detected triggers an alert for system technicians.

Backup and Storage

With an automated process, your data is completely backed up on a weekly basis, and daily incremental back ups are done to ensure that your data can be restored should something unexpected occur. With multiple geographically remote locations and secure private lines, your data is accurately stored for fast recovery if needed.

Redundancy and Disaster Recovery

In the payroll business, downtime is not an option. If your internal server goes down, it’s your headache. Fortunately, our hosted solution provides a better alternative. The co-location solution provides a complete redundant architecture with automatic traffic redirection, ensuring that your system is up and running whenever you need it.