Your practice software is not ready for the cloud: How can your firm move forward?
Does your firm still rely on Windows software? Explore ways to improve its working environment: remote applications, full desktops, hybrid options and costs to plan for.
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Your firm wants to make remote work easier, bring in colleagues overseas or replace an office server. Yet an essential application still runs on Windows, and its fully web-based version does not meet all your needs.
You can improve the working environment without replacing that software immediately. The question is what needs to change: the application itself, the way people access it or the infrastructure running it.
Accounting firms face these decisions, as do professional firms and other organizations that rely on specialized applications.
1. Separate the application from its environment
Moving to the cloud can mean several different projects. Adopting a software vendor's web application changes the tool people use. Hosting a Windows application in Azure changes where it runs. A hybrid approach can also combine web features with desktop software.
Caseware describes a Hybrid Cloud approach that connects Working Papers with Caseware Cloud. It illustrates a gradual transition, without implying that every feature immediately becomes available in a browser. Caseware, integration with Working Papers.
Start with essential tasks: preparing an engagement file, reviewing work, sharing documents or retrieving a prior year. The right project preserves those capabilities while addressing the friction your team encounters.
2. Check what you actually need to keep
An older file does not necessarily mean keeping the same software version indefinitely. Conversion options still need to be checked before retiring an environment.
The Working Papers FAQ distinguishes upgrading the software from converting files. Caseware recommends a backup before attempting to convert older files directly and limits its conversion guarantee to successive versions. Caseware, Working Papers FAQ.
We recommend testing copies of representative files, along with their templates and links. That helps establish what can move forward and what still needs a particular environment, without basing the project on an assumption.
3. Understand what Azure Virtual Desktop provides
Azure is the platform that can host servers, storage and other components. Azure Virtual Desktop, or AVD, provides remote access to Windows applications and desktops.
Two experiences serve different needs:
- An individual application through RemoteApp: the person opens the application they need without displaying a complete Windows desktop.
- A full remote desktop: the person works in a Windows environment with the applications made available to them.
The software continues to run on Windows. AVD does not turn it into a web application or replace checks on compatibility, licensing and dependencies. Microsoft, Azure Virtual Desktop overview.
4. Two practical scenarios for a firm
The following scenarios illustrate project needs. They are not measured client outcomes.
Replacing the office server. A firm wants to keep software such as Taxprep while giving its team remote access. An individual remote application may be worth assessing, together with file locations, printing and connections between applications. The project concerns daily work as much as hosting.
When the application and its dependencies are available in the planned environment, access can be arranged without a VPN connection to the office. AVD's reverse connection mechanism avoids exposing session servers directly to incoming RDP connections. It does not remove any links that may still be needed to other systems. Microsoft, AVD network connectivity.
Bringing in an overseas team. A full remote desktop can bring the necessary tools together and allow access to be prepared or removed remotely. It can reduce the logistics of installing software and shipping dedicated equipment, while setting controls on data transfers to the devices people use.
The same firm might consider RemoteApp for some colleagues in Québec and a full desktop for an overseas team. The choice follows each group's tasks, working hours and connection conditions.
5. Plan security and ongoing management from the start
Centralizing applications provides a useful point of control. The project should establish who can access what, how people sign in, and which file transfers or clipboard uses are allowed.
Microsoft shares security responsibilities with the organization or its provider. Accounts, devices, applications and the machines hosting sessions still need appropriate management. RemoteApp is a way to present applications, not a sufficient security control on its own. Microsoft, AVD security recommendations.
We recommend including backups, updates, access removal and a trial of everyday tasks from the intended work locations in the project. The aim is an environment that is practical to use and maintain, with clear responsibilities.
6. Match capacity to demand and assess the full cost
Tax season may require more capacity than quieter periods. AVD can adjust available resources according to schedules and demand.
A server purchased to handle the busiest period remains an investment to carry throughout the year. With AVD, you can use more resources during peak periods and reduce that capacity when work slows down. With usage-based billing, this part of the cost follows the computing capacity used and how long it is in service. When configured well, this is a practical way to keep the bill under control and pay for capacity that matches the firm's actual needs.
The budget also includes storage, networking, associated services and licences. These items need to be assessed together and compared with actual usage. Microsoft, understanding and estimating AVD costs.
Some licences, including Microsoft 365 Business Premium for eligible scenarios, provide AVD access rights. They do not pay for Azure resources or replace licences for your practice software. Microsoft, Azure Virtual Desktop licensing.
We recommend comparing options over the same period, in Canadian dollars, including the planned migration, ongoing management and service continuity arrangements. The price of a server alone is not enough to make the decision.
7. Choose the next step based on how your team works
Before deciding, gather five pieces of information:
- The applications, versions and features your team needs to keep.
- The historical files, templates and integrations to carry forward.
- The people working at the same time, their locations and their schedules.
- The access, data transfer and continuity requirements to meet.
- The current costs and limitations driving the change.
A vendor's web application, a hybrid approach and an AVD environment can address different needs. AVD may be a transition step or a lasting solution if the use cases and costs support it.
Nebiatek has delivered multiple Azure Virtual Desktop projects for accounting firms of different sizes, with goals ranging from replacing office infrastructure to enabling remote work and supporting overseas teams.
We can help you assess whether this approach meets your needs and define a project suited to your organization. You can bring us a specific challenge without having to replace every tool you use.
Discuss a change to your systems