Service
Cloud migration for accountancy practices
Move off ageing on-premise servers to Microsoft 365 and the cloud, safely, in planned stages, with secure remote working and no lost client data.
If your practice still runs on a server humming away in a cupboard, you'll know the feeling: it's slow, it's expensive to keep alive, and if it ever dies, so does everyone's work. It's also the main reason secure remote and hybrid working is harder than it should be. Moving to the cloud fixes the lot, done carefully, by people who understand a practice.
Because we work almost exclusively with accountancy firms, we know that a migration isn't really about technology, it's about not losing a single client record, not breaking IRIS, CCH, Sage or TaxCalc, and not having any of it land in the middle of January. We plan around your work, not the other way round.
Why practices move to the cloud
No server to fail
An ageing on-premise server is a single point of failure. Move to Microsoft 365 and the cloud and there's no box in the office that can take the whole practice down with it.
Work securely from anywhere
Partners and staff get to their files, email and tools from the office, from home or from a client's premises, with the right controls, not a security hole.
Predictable cost
No big, irregular bills for server hardware, replacements and emergency call-outs. Cloud licensing is a steady, budgetable monthly cost that scales with your headcount.
Easier collaboration
Shared documents, email and Teams that just work across the practice, instead of files trapped on one machine or emailed around in versions.
A better security posture
Modern cloud platforms come with multi-factor authentication, encryption and monitoring built in, a stronger starting point than most on-premise setups.
Less to maintain
No server operating system to patch, no failing disks to nurse through another year. That's less risk for you and fewer things to go wrong before a deadline.
How we move you safely
A migration done in a rush is how practices lose data. We don't work that way. We move you in planned phases, keep your existing systems running until the new ones are proven, and treat your client data as the sensitive thing it is, especially while it's in transit, when it's most exposed.
We also pick the timing carefully. No firm should be migrating servers in the run-up to the self-assessment deadline, so we work around the January peak, not during it. If you'd like the bigger picture first, read our practical roadmap for moving to the cloud.
A phased migration, step by step
- 1
Assess
We review what you've got, servers, software, data and how your team actually works, and flag anything that needs special handling.
- 2
Plan
We agree a clear, written plan: what moves, in what order, with realistic timings that avoid your busy season.
- 3
Pilot
We move a small group or a single system first, prove it works, and iron out any wrinkles before they reach the whole practice.
- 4
Migrate
We move everyone over in stages, with your old systems still available as a safety net until the new setup is confirmed.
- 5
Support
Once you're settled, ongoing managed support keeps it all running and secure, no handover into the void.
Based in Ruthin, supporting practices right across North Wales.
Secure remote and hybrid working, done properly
The whole point of moving to the cloud is that your team can work from anywhere, but for a practice handling confidential client records, "anywhere" has to mean "securely". We set up multi-factor authentication and the right access controls so the wrong person can't reach your data, even if a password is stolen. We also look after device security, so a laptop used at the kitchen table is as protected as the one on the office desk.
Done this way, hybrid working stops being a security worry and becomes a genuine advantage, easier hiring, happier staff, and no compromise on your duty to protect client information.
Your practice software, handled honestly
Here's where a lot of "move everything to the cloud" promises fall apart. Plenty of practice software does live happily online, Xero, QuickBooks Online and Sage Business Cloud are built for it. But some core tools aren't. Certain IRIS, CCH and Sage products are desktop or server-based, or come with specific hosting requirements. We won't pretend they magically become web apps, because they don't.
What we do instead is make them work properly in your new setup: hosting the software where it needs to be hosted, setting up secure remote access to it, and keeping the integrations intact so your practice-management, bookkeeping, tax and payroll tools still talk to each other and to HMRC agent services. The result is a practice that runs in the cloud without you having to abandon the software your team relies on.
Migrations also lean on solid foundations. We make sure your move is underpinned by reliable backup and disaster recovery, and once you're settled in the cloud, our managed IT support keeps the day-to-day running smoothly, so the cupboard server stays gone for good.
Questions practices ask us
Will we lose any client data when we move to the cloud?
No. We plan every migration so nothing is left behind. Data is copied (not moved) first, checked against the original, and only switched over once we've confirmed it's all there. Your existing systems stay available until we're both happy the move is complete and working.
Does this mean all our practice software becomes online?
Not necessarily, and we won't pretend otherwise. Some practice software, certain IRIS, CCH and Sage products, is desktop or server-based, or has specific hosting requirements. Where a product can't simply become a web app, we host it properly, set up secure remote access, and make sure it still talks to the rest of your tools. The aim is everything keeps working, accessed securely from anywhere.
How much disruption will there be to client work?
As little as we can manage. We do the heavy lifting in stages, outside working hours where it helps, and we never schedule a major cutover during the January or July peaks. Most staff notice little more than signing in somewhere new, with the same files and tools where they expect them.
Is the cloud actually secure enough for confidential client records?
Handled correctly, it's usually more secure than an ageing server in a cupboard. We apply multi-factor authentication, sensible access controls and device security so staff can work from home safely. We also harden the move itself, because client data is at its most exposed while it's in transit. See our cyber security service for how we lock things down.
How long does a migration take?
It depends on the size of your practice and what you're running, but most small-to-mid firms move over a few weeks rather than days, deliberately, in phases. We start with a free Health Check so we can give you a realistic timeline before you commit to anything.
Related services
- Managed IT support Day-to-day helpdesk and proactive care, on one predictable per-user price, so your practice just works.
- Cyber security & Cyber Essentials Protect sensitive client data, stop invoice fraud, and get Cyber Essentials certified with confidence.
- Backup & disaster recovery Reliable, tested backups and a recovery plan, so a failure never costs you client records or January.
See where your practice's IT really stands
Book a free, no-obligation Practice IT Health Check, a plain-English, 15 to 20 minute review of your backups, security, compliance gaps and cloud-readiness. No jargon, no hard sell.