Hosted server/desktop solutions

Hosted server/desktop solutions

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Hi All

We are evaluating the option of having a hosted solution for our server and desktops.

We basically have Iris practice suite and Iris payroll plus MS office and MS Exchange and Sage 50.

We have had a quote from Iris for hosting - the product looks good and robust but the pricing is hideous.  Their pricing has a minimum user licence of 20 - whereas we only have 10 users so basically we would be paying double of what is probably a top end price to start with.

What other players are there in the market?  I have come across hosteddesktopuk and hostedaccountants.  Have doubts about the latter as their accounts are overdue which does not inspire confidence.

Any views/experiences?

Replies (16)

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By Lenca
29th Aug 2013 11:25

MIS Hosting

Hi Jon,

Have a chat to Phil Craven at MIS Hosting, his company has been around for over 30 years and they also look after the ambulance computer systems.

Regards,

Len

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By davegibson00
29th Aug 2013 12:36

We're happy with

hosteddesktopuk.  Been there since April, minor gremlins in the first few days quickly sorted, responsive to any further requests for help.

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By pjd17mini
29th Aug 2013 12:39

Have PM'd you

P

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Teignmouth
By Paul Scholes
29th Aug 2013 12:49

Hosteddesktopuk

Hi Jon - no hesitation in recommending HDT UK, we run Iris, MS Office, Exchange and several other bits of software.  

Been with them for over 2 years and would never go back, support excellent, in fact it's the best I've had in any IT service I've ever used.  I too looked at Iris but, as you say too expensive AND they wanted a 3 year sign up, whereas HDT is 3 month revolving.

Happy to answer specific ?s via PM

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By jon_griffey
03rd Sep 2013 11:05

Thanks to all the responders and PMs.  That's given me some good stuff to work on.

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Man of Kent
By Kent accountant
03rd Sep 2013 11:55

Looked at both

@Jon - I spent some time looking at both hosteddesktopuk and hostedaccountants.

The offering from both is similar in structure and price. I'd read good reviews on hosteddesktopuk which I know Paul Scholes uses.

I also got good feedback on hostedaccountants which a considerable number of BTC software users use (I use BTC).

In the end I decided to stick with a remote backup option - mozy.com.

I'm a sole practitioner and any document sharing is currently done by e-mail, dropbox or memory stick. I currently have no real need to be able to access all my software and documents remotely.

I'll probably revisit this next year when a hosted solution will be more relevant to me as my practice grows and I'll have more of a requirement to be able to work remotely from anywhere without my own laptop. 

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By Hosted Accountants Ltd
12th Sep 2013 12:16

Hosted Options

Hi Jon

There are several options out there but most of the technology is the same. It is the support that makes the difference and, as you know, we specialise in looking after accountants and the complex software you rely on daily.

We have clients ranging from sole practioners through to a top 4 who have just gone live with 100+ users initially. We also have several clients who actively approached us to move from HDUK because of downtime issues.

I would suggest running a free pilot with us to see what you think of the speed and freedom of working from anywhere - drop me a line and I will get the team to organise this. Alternatively feel free to see us at 2020/Accountex events.

Dan

www.hostedaccountants.co.uk

0800 440 2282

 

P.S Other hosting providers are available!

P.S Accounts due this month - watch this space!

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By User deleted
12th Sep 2013 13:59

@KA ...

... if you have Windows, RDP will give you access from anywhere with an interweb connection - as long as you remember to leave you pc/server switched on

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Man of Kent
By Kent accountant
13th Sep 2013 13:08

@OGA

Thanks for that - hadn't thought of doing that. I can see how it would work - I tend to leave my laptop on a lot of the time.

Thinking ahead - I'll probably take the family on 2/3 weeks holiday next summer and I saw a hosted solution as an option to deal with work which has to be done using software on my laptop- weekly payrolls, the odd vat return - and not take a laptop with me. I'll probably need something more robust than RDP for that.

 

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By Mouse house
13th Sep 2013 13:21

Another vote for Hosted Desktop UK

I have used them for about 18 months and would never go back to a desktop/server environment. Everything I use is hosted, Iris, Moneysoft, Outlook, Office programs etc

http://www.hosteddesktopuk.co.uk/

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By Steve McQueen
13th Sep 2013 14:25

Have a very good service with...

John Youens at MAC IT 01476 515 542

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By c.szpak
13th Sep 2013 15:25

Strongly recommend

Been using www.SystemHOST.co.uk in industry since August 2006 and in our practice since January 2009.

Run QuickBooks, BTC, Moneysoft, VT Final Accounts, MS Office 2013.

Well worth a look if you are considering hosted.

 

 

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By pauljohnston
13th Sep 2013 16:16

Kent Accountant

I have done just as you have suggested, i even had to prepare a set of accounts from my laptop in Tenerife using the software and desktop in the office.

Although a little difficult to initially set up I found Radmin to be the best.and easiest to use.

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Replying to raj1234:
Red Leader
By Red Leader
13th Sep 2013 17:08

@Kent

Off topic but I noticed you mentioned doing weekly payrolls.

All my payrolls are monthly apart from one which is fortnightly which I sub-contract out. I'm wary of taking on a job that has 26 deadlines per year. Moneysoft would cope of course but would I?

I'd be interested to hear your experience of doing weeklies.

Thanks.

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Replying to raj1234:
Man of Kent
By Kent accountant
14th Sep 2013 12:43

Holiday work
Thanks Paul, good to hear that that type of access can work - I'll take a look.

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Teignmouth
By Paul Scholes
14th Sep 2013 14:44

You can run just the applications you want

Just as an aside, HDTUK also provides the ability to run just applications you want, see link, ie you don't have to take the whole Desktop with server space, Office, Exchange etc.

As to running stuff via RDP to your office, this is what we used to do, pre-hosting,for a colleague who worked 99% at home, and for me, 3-4 times a week.  The problems we had were, relying on  local and office internet access, the speed of our server (or lack of it) and, as mentioned, I had to leave one or two machines running in the office 24/7, which I was uncomfortable about given the GHG emissions.  Besides which, being Windows machines, they had minds of their own!

We saved a lot of money hosting but, the bigger saving has been in not having to deal with a server/local network and all the stuff that goes with it.  Given I was jinxed with them, never having to get tape backup tapes & drives to work is worth its weight.

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