For many accountancy firms, remote desktop and application presentation technologies have been the quiet workhorses of IT. Citrix, RDS and Omnissa Horizon (formerly VMware Horizon) have underpinned access to legacy, non‑cloud applications for years, keeping highly sensitive client data inside the data centre while giving teams the flexibility to work from anywhere. That model proved its worth during COVID when firms could pivot to home working almost overnight.
Why this approach still matters in accountancy
Accountancy workflows deal with confidential client data, strict regulatory oversight and seasonal spikes. Centralising desktops and apps helps you to:
- Keep data within controlled environments for governance and audit
- Simplify operations with centralised security monitoring, patching and image control
- Deliver consistent performance for line‑of‑business (often legacy) applications
At the same time, user expectations have shifted. Video calls, rich collaboration and modern peripherals have pushed many firms to blend remote apps for legacy workloads with locally run modern productivity on managed endpoints, typically using Intune with Autopilot for build and lifecycle.
The perception of “legacy”—and what’s next
As firms plan hybrid‑to‑cloud strategies, the remote desktop layer can start to feel like a legacy anchor, especially where long‑running Citrix or Omnissa Horizon platforms, ageing infrastructure or complex licensing drive up cost and operational friction. The good news: you don’t have to abandon the model that protects your data. You can modernise it.
Two pragmatic paths: Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop
We see two Microsoft options fitting most accountancy scenarios without diving into too much detail:
- Windows 365 (Cloud PC) – Ideal for smaller firms or simpler use cases. It offers a dedicated, persistent desktop per user with streamlined management. If you want a predictable, “sign in and go” experience with minimal moving parts, this is often the right place to start.
- Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) – Better suited to larger estates where you want granular control, pooled/multi‑session density, and the ability to tune cost and performance at scale. It can reduce run costs and offer management flexibility for bigger, more variable environments.
What about collaboration and calls? Microsoft Teams media is now optimised for both Windows 365 and AVD, enabling high‑quality calling and meetings rather than the choppy experiences many remember from early days.
Hybrid without compromise: AVD on Azure Local (on‑premises)
If you have data‑locality needs or want to step away from costly virtualisation stacks, AVD can run on‑premises using Azure Local (the evolution of Azure Stack HCI) while still being managed from Azure. This lets you keep session hosts close to your users or systems, meet residency requirements, and create a practical bridge to the cloud.
A practical path for accountancy IT
When we help firms modernise, we typically recommend:
- Discovery & mapping – Catalogue apps, dependencies and data flows; baseline user experience.
- Identity & security – Align on Microsoft Entra, MFA, Conditional Access and baseline hardening.
- Pilot – Prove user experience (including Teams calls), validate licensing and management.
- Migrate & optimise – Move priority workloads, tune density and autoscale, right‑size images.
- Measure & iterate – Track cost per user/session, session stability, sign‑in times and call quality.
Many of our consultants run Windows 365 day‑to‑day, and we deploy AVD where scale and control matter—so we can help you compare options with lived operational insight.
How Kascade can help
Kascade has a long history with remote desktops, from Citrix Presentation Server through to modern cloud platforms. We’ll help you assess your current estate, design the right‑fit architecture and run a low‑risk pilot. If you’re ready to modernise your remote desktop layer, we can also align it with your broader transformation:
- Explore Modern Workspace with Kascade
- Plan your Hybrid Cloud journey with Kascade
Speak to Kascade to find the right approach for your firm, whether that’s Windows 365, AVD or a hybrid of both. We’ll help you keep sensitive data where it belongs, simplify operations and improve user experience.
Experience AVD and Windows 365 for yourself
Discover which option is right for your firm with a live, practical demo. We’ll walk you through the real user experience (including Teams), show how legacy apps work as RemoteApp or full desktops, and give you a clear view of what migration could look like in your environment.