Cloud2Me’s latest survey conducted at AccountEx Manchester sheds light on the significant challenges accountants face when transitioning to cloud-based IT solutions.

In an era where digital transformation is the key to staying competitive, many accounting firms are grappling with complex IT setups and the obstacles that come with moving to the cloud.

According to the survey, nearly half (46%) of accountants surveyed operate with a hybrid IT setup, combining both cloud and server-based applications. Just over a quarter (27%) have fully embraced cloud-only (SaaS) solutions, demonstrating a growing shift toward digital-first operations. Yet, the survey also highlights the persistence of more traditional setups, with 11% of firms still using hosted desktop providers and 14% relying on office-based servers to run their desktop software.

However, it’s not just about the choice of infrastructure—it’s about overcoming the obstacles that cloud migration presents. The survey reveals that accountants are facing significant hurdles as they attempt to modernise their IT systems, with the top three cited reasons being:

A lack of time and headspace
A shortage of internal IT experience
High migration costs

Other significant barriers to fully adopting the cloud included concerns about downtime, uncertainty about uncapped cloud-related costs and an ongoing preference to accountancy desktop apps to their cloud versions!

“Accountants are navigating a difficult landscape when it comes to IT transformation,” said Jack Bedell-Pearce, Cloud2Me’s Business Development Director who was at the convention. “Our survey highlights that many are embracing a ‘best of both worlds’ approach as evidenced by nearly half of all respondents opting for a hybrid approach. Those that are struggling to make the transition to hybrid are mostly worried about the migration process. This doesn’t have to be as difficult as it sounds, especially if they opt for a Hosted Desktop setup, where companies like Cloud2Me can effectively clone, virtualise and migrate their existing hardware setup relatively easily.”

Another key finding from the survey is how IT management responsibilities are handled across firms. While just over a third (38%) have in-house expertise (usually a Partner or Director with IT experience), a whopping 59% of firms continue to rely on local IT support providers (MSPs). While this has traditionally been a good model for practices running in-house servers for their accountancy applications, generalist MSPs may not have the relevant expertise to virtualise such specialist software. This in turn would explain our top three challenges to the adoption of a hybrid/cloud setup – a lack of experience, time and high cost.

About Cloud2Me

Cloud2Me specialises in cloud migration and IT solutions, tailored to help businesses make the transition to cloud infrastructure. With a focus on efficiency, cost reduction, and minimising downtime, Cloud2Me partners with firms of all sizes to deliver scalable, secure, and future-proof IT solutions. For more information, visit Cloud2Me’s website.