Tax and Accounting Software Hosting for Orange County Firms
Tax software hosting means your tax and accounting software and your client files run on one Windows server in a secure datacenter instead of on each preparer's computer. Your team signs in over a VPN with MFA and works on that server through Remote Desktop, from the office or from home. We're North Blue Networks in Orange, and we build, secure, back up and look after these hosted servers for CPA firms, tax preparers and bookkeepers across Orange County.
- Your firm's own hosted Windows server
- VPN and MFA on every connection
- Hosted in Los Angeles, close to Orange County
- Our own team answers after hours
Why firms move their software to a hosted server
In most small firms, client files end up everywhere: on a preparer's desktop, in someone's Downloads folder, on the laptop that goes home every night in April. Backups catch some of it. When someone leaves, nobody is quite sure what left with them. A hosted server puts the software and every client file in one place, so staff see the same files and the same version of the software wherever they sign in, and nothing about a client has to live on a laptop.
What a hosted server gives your firm
One home for client files
Every return, workpaper and scanned document lives on the server's shared drive, in folders by client and year. Nobody needs to save anything to their own desktop.
The same software for everyone
Your tax and accounting software is installed once, on the server, so every preparer is on the same release. We install each year's release early and check it before your team relies on it.
The office desktop, from anywhere
Staff connect over the VPN, confirm it's them with MFA, then open Remote Desktop. The screen at home is the same one they see at their desk.
A lost laptop isn't a lost client file
Client files stay on the server, so a stolen laptop shouldn't hold any returns. We turn off the account and that laptop can't reach anything.
Simple starts and departures
A new hire gets one account. When someone leaves, we turn that account off and their access to every client file ends at the same moment.
Backups you've seen work
The whole server is backed up and we test the restores, so a folder deleted in March is an inconvenience rather than a crisis.
Three places client files can live
Most firms we talk to are in the first column, or halfway to the second.
| On each person's computer | On a server in the office | On a hosted server | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where client files are | Spread across desktops and laptops | In one place, inside the office | In one place, in a secure datacenter |
| Working from home | Files get emailed or copied to home computers | A VPN into the office, which only works while the office internet is up | VPN and Remote Desktop from any internet connection |
| A laptop is stolen | Whatever was saved on it is exposed | Whatever was copied to it is exposed | Client files stay on the server; we turn off the account |
| Someone leaves the firm | Hard to know what they kept | Turn off their account | Turn off their account |
| The hardware fails | That person's files may be gone | The whole office waits for the repair | Handled in the datacenter by our team, with no office visit |
| Who keeps it updated | Each person, or nobody | Whoever looks after your IT | We do |
How access stays secure
Remote Desktop left open to the internet is a favorite target for attackers, so ours never is. The server can only be reached through the VPN, and the VPN asks for MFA every time.
VPN first, then Remote Desktop
The server has no Remote Desktop port open to the internet. Staff connect to the VPN, then to the server.
MFA on every connection
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) on the VPN means a stolen password on its own gets nobody in.
Encryption
Traffic is encrypted between each computer and the server, and client data is encrypted where it's stored.
Access by role
Partners, preparers and admin staff each reach only the folders their job needs.
Watched around the clock
We monitor the server around the clock and keep Windows and its security software patched.
Where hosting fits the FTC Safeguards Rule
The Safeguards Rule asks tax and accounting firms for MFA on systems that hold customer information, encryption of that information when it's stored and when it's sent, access limited to what each person needs, and monitoring or testing. A hosted server built this way covers those technical parts in one place. It also makes your written information security plan (WISP) easier to write, because there's one system to describe instead of a dozen computers. Your firm still names the person in charge and approves the plan. This is general information, not legal advice.
Where your server runs
Orange County firms usually run from the Los Angeles datacenter we maintain presence in, close to home, which keeps Remote Desktop responsive. The building belongs to the datacenter operator. The server hardware, the virtualization platform and the network inside our space are ours, and our own Data Center Operations team looks after them. Your firm's server is used only by your firm: your staff share it with each other, and no other business has accounts on it.
When hosting is the right call, and when it isn't
A good fit
Firms with preparers who work from home, more than one office, client files scattered across computers, or an office server that's due for replacement.
Probably not worth it
If everyone works in one office and your server is healthy, hosting mostly adds a monthly bill. We'll say so.
Software that already runs in a browser
If your tax and accounting software is already a web service, there's no program to host. We'd look at where your client files and scans live instead.
Vendors with their own hosting rules
Some tax software vendors support only particular hosts. We check your vendor's current policy before proposing anything, and if they want their own hosting, we'll help you set that up rather than work around it.
How a move to a hosted server works
We plan the switch around your deadlines, never in the middle of tax season.
A free IT check-in
We learn which software you run, where client files live today and who works from where.
Check the vendor rules and licensing
We confirm your software vendors support a hosted server and sort out the Windows and Remote Desktop licensing.
Build it and test it with your team
We build the server, install your software and have a couple of your staff do real work on it before anyone else moves.
Move the files and switch over
We copy the client files across over a weekend, set up each computer, and check in with every user on the first morning.
Related services and guides
- IT for accounting and tax firmsDay-to-day IT, security and Safeguards Rule help for Orange County firms.
- Setting up tax softwareOffice server, peer-to-peer or hosted, and what each vendor supports.
- How to write a WISPUsing IRS Publications 5708 and 4557 to write your firm's plan.
- The Safeguards Rule in plain EnglishWhat the rule asks of tax and CPA firms, and what small firms can skip.
- Business VPN and remote accessThe secure connection your team uses to reach the server.
- SSO and MFAOne sign-in for staff, with MFA on every account.
- Hosting on North Blue CloudWebsites, application servers and custom apps on our own hardware.
- Tax and accounting software supportInstalls, yearly updates and vendor calls for the software you run.
Frequently asked questions
What is tax software hosting?
Who offers hosted servers for accounting and tax firms in Orange County?
Is a hosted server secure enough for client tax data?
Will our tax software run on a hosted server?
Is a hosted server the same as cloud hosting for accountants?
Is our server shared with other companies?
Can staff connect from home or from a Mac?
What happens if our office internet goes down?
Who owns the client files if we leave?
Should we host, or replace our office server?
Start with a free IT check-in for your firm
Pick a time that suits you, or call and talk to an engineer now.