Public Cloud Solution for Large Accounting Practice

THE CHALLENGE

At the core of these valued relationships is MCIS’s vigilance in ensuring that its clients comply with all legal and financial regulatory requirements and in ensuring the security of its clients’ data. MCIS handles a large amount of personally identifiable information (PII). This requires that the firm’s IT partner be able to demonstrate that they have a suitable information security management system and that they are compliant with the GDPR.

THE SOLUTION

MCIS previously had a UK-based IT partner. With the anticipated onset of Brexit, and to ensure the fullest compliance with GDPR, it had strategically decided to source an Irish-based IT partner and to move all data from the UK to Ireland. In choosing its new IT partner, MCIS was looking for a firm with a demonstrable track record in providing comprehensive IT support for accounting firms. MCIS also needed any prospective IT partner to be imaginative in recommending any solutions.

HOW BITS HELPED

•  After receiving a detailed listing of MCIS’ requirements, we undertook a deep and broad examination of MCIS’ pre-existing IT setup.

• We developed a number of approaches for consideration and, after consultation with MCIS, a decision was made to go with a public cloud solution using Microsoft’s Azure platform.

• We designed & commissioned a fault tolerant, Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) environment in Microsoft’s Dublin based datacentre.

• We migrated all applications and data to that virtual environment without interrupting existing working patterns.

• The new system went live over a weekend to prevent any impact on employee’s productivity.

MCIS now has a local IT services provider with a deep knowledge of the accounting sector and which can provide high levels of support both onsite and offsite. MCIS has less exposure to Brexit by having its IT provider plus all other data stored in Ireland.

The new WVD environment provides many benefits:

• By having a public cloud solution rather than a private cloud solution, MCIS can avoid any need to buy/own/depreciate the hardware, as well as any need to put hardware in a datacentre. Instead, with Azure, MCIS can utilise an existing platform provided by Microsoft’s data centres in Ireland.

• That Azure platform includes extensive fault tolerance – superior to MCIS’ previous hosted platform.

• There is lower maintenance for local machines and applications need only be presented by the virtual desktop from the datacentre and not locally on a per-machine basis.

• There is less need to upgrade local machines as they are effectively just gate-ways to the more powerful virtual desktop.

• Flexible and cost-effective configurations are possible. For example, the cost of applications can be reduced by only making them available to employees who need them when they need them.

• Data security is enhanced by that data not being held on local machines. Theft of any such local machine, though undesirable, has no impact on data security.

• The vast majority of employee (IT) work practices have been able to remain the same.