ipads, android, or microsoft surface?
by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless: technology guide & checklist
one of the key components in optimizing firm production is providing the capability for firm personnel to work from any place, at any time, at their own convenience. allowing experienced firm personnel the ability to work remotely used to be a key employee retention strategy. then came covid-19 and it became a necessity.
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giving your personnel secure access to the firm’s application and data resources allows them to work effectively outside normal office hours and avoid unnecessary commuting time.
desktop users in small firms can get by with remote control tools such as gotomypc, logmein, join.me, or windows remote desktop, which allows connection to their own desktop computer via an internet attached workstation. however, for laptop users or personnel working in satellite offices, a more robust solution is needed.
77% of firms have implemented remote access technology to access firm resources when away from the office. – cpafma survey
if the firm has 10 or more personnel who need to work concurrently from external sites, it becomes more cost-effective to utilize a remote access server solution such as citrix or windows remote desktop server (rds, formerly terminal server/wts) or transition to cloud-based applications where this is a standard capability. citrix and rds servers operate like a mainframe computer that connects to the firm’s network and allow remote personnel to work effectively over slower internet connections, even on older computers.
remote workstations are set up as “dumb” computer terminals that only show screens and send keystrokes, and in many cases allow access to applications via a tablet or smartphone as well. the advantage of this technology is that once the remote user has gone through secure login screens to access the system, all work is done within the firm’s secured network. in this way, there is little need for remote maintenance or support at the remote sites, and the risk of losing data is minimized.
today, a single remote access server can effectively handle up to 18 concurrent connections and additional servers can be easily added (if planned for upfront) for virtually any number of users.
for firms that have a satellite office with fewer than five users and very strong internet bandwidth (10mbps or more each way), an additional option may be a virtual private network (vpn). this technology extends the network connection from the main office to the remote site by using the internet and securely encrypting all communications.
while the vpn process requires significantly more bandwidth than the above-mentioned solutions, there are instances for a smaller number of users when vpn technology can be more cost-effective and easier to use than the remote server solutions. this question should always be asked of your internet service provider before changing bandwidth solutions or deciding on a remote access strategy, as different cable and fiber solutions can provide significantly different quality of service.
once again, the advent of cloud applications allows users to work remotely on any internet-enabled device, which includes not only remote workstations but also in many cases today’s tablets and smartphones.
firms should evaluate the overall cost of building remote access capabilities into their own network infrastructure against the use of cloud-based applications. firms should also factor in the benefits of extending remote access to tablets and smartphones, which may be more convenient when away from the office but should also be secured with today’s mobile device management (mdm) applications.
apple ipads initially inundated the tablet category for accountants. many of these original tablets are becoming less effective with the larger operating system and application requirements that are standard today, prompting accountants to replace them.
in addition to ipads, firms should consider android tablets and even microsoft’s surface device, which was trending in the 2018 and 2020 cpafma it surveys.
recommended actions:
- identify the number of personnel who will continue to work out of the office one day per week or more.
- determine the expected number of concurrent users within the next two years so that you can implement the appropriate solution today including use of tablets and smartphones for remote access.