After meeting hundreds of accountants at this year’s Digital Accountancy Show (DAS) and the Festival of Accounting & Bookkeeping (FAB), Cloud2Me took the opportunity to dig deeper into the IT setups used across the industry.
The results showed a fascinating mix of progress, outdated practices, and a few eye-openers that suggest many firms still need support in making the switch to cloud.
What the survey revealed:
- Cloud adoption is growing, but many still have one foot in the past. Over a third of firms now run a hybrid setup, mixing cloud tools with traditional servers.
- Physical servers aren’t dead yet. Surprisingly, more than 1 in 5 firms still keep a server in the office, raising concerns about security and resilience.
- Most firms rely on generalist IT support. 58% said they lean on a local provider with more traditional IT solutions, and not one that specialises in accountancy.
- Just 7% of respondents are using an Accountancy specialist Hosted Desktop provider, despite the clear benefits around Accountancy application knowledge and data protection.
- And in many firms, IT is left to one person. Almost a third said one partner or director is solely responsible for all IT decisions which poses a clear risk if that person is unavailable or leaves.
So what’s stopping firms from moving fully to the cloud? High migration costs were one of the most common reasons given – 22% flagged this as a concern. But according to Cloud2Me, this fear is often overblown.
“There’s a perception that switching to the cloud is expensive, but in reality, it’s often far more affordable than staying stuck with outdated tech.” said Helen Brooks, Head of Commercial at Cloud2Me.
Other barriers included lack of time or capacity with 14% saying they simply didn’t have the headspace to consider making the change. A further 27% selected ‘Other’, which suggests many firms just don’t know where to start.
“Sometimes, it’s not about the tech but more about the time,” added Helen. “Firms are stretched, and making big changes can feel overwhelming. That’s why it’s so important to work with a provider who can guide you through it.”
As more firms move toward the cloud, Cloud2Me continues to offer tailored support to help accountancy practices modernise their IT in a way that makes sense for them. The full survey results show just how varied the current landscape is and how much opportunity there still is to improve security, reduce reliance on local servers, and lighten the load for internal teams.
About Cloud2Me
Cloud2Me specialises in Hosted Desktops, tailored specifically for Accountants With a focus on efficiency, cost reduction, and preventing downtime, Cloud2Me partners with firms of all sizes to deliver scalable, secure, and future-proof IT solutions.
