Top 15 AI-Powered Managed IT Services for Accounting Firms (And the Best Provider for Each)

If your firm’s systems went down on March 15 for three hours, could you still meet filing deadlines without overwhelming your team or risking client trust? For many small and mid-sized accounting firms, the honest answer is no. Today, firms rely not only on traditional IT infrastructure but also on AI-driven automation, predictive analytics, intelligent document processing, and advanced cybersecurity systems. When these technologies fail, the impact extends far beyond temporary inconvenience—it disrupts workflows, delays compliance, and weakens competitive positioning. That’s why AI-powered managed IT services have become essential for modern accounting firms seeking resilience, efficiency, and scalable growth.

Verito Managed IT specialists state that based on customer data, a 3-person accounting firm can lose up to 350 dollars per hour billable rate due to downtime, 1.5 times higher during tax season. The cost of downtime can steadily go up for bigger firms where the amount of services and complexity involved increases. For instance, a 5-person accounting firm can lose up to about 1,500 to 2,250 dollars per hour. This estimation takes lost billable time and overtime into consideration. However, another aspect that cannot be quantified is reputational damage for your firm, which is just as impactful.

At the same time, the risk side is getting sharper. Recent surveys show that nearly one in five small and medium-sized businesses could be forced to close permanently after a successful cyberattack.

Accounting firms hold tax IDs, Social Security numbers, payroll data, and banking details, so they are attractive targets. A single ransomware incident can cost a small business well into six figures once you add recovery, downtime, fines, and lost business.

Regulators are also tightening expectations. Under the FTC Safeguards Rule, CPA firms that provide tax preparation and similar services are treated as financial institutions. They are expected to maintain a written information security program and appropriate technical safeguards for client information, regardless of firm size. That sits on top of IRS Publication 4557, state privacy rules, and due diligence questions from larger business clients and banks.

Against that backdrop, “calling the IT guy” when something breaks is not enough. Break-fix arrangements and ad-hoc internal efforts leave gaps in monitoring, patching, backups, and incident response. Managed IT services for accounting firms replace that reactive model with a proactive, contract-backed partnership that covers day-to-day support, cybersecurity, compliance, and the uptime of your core tax and accounting applications.

In the sections that follow, managed IT is viewed strictly from an accounting firm’s point of view. We look at where specialist private cloud providers, general MSPs, and niche security or communications vendors each make sense, and for every one of the 15 services we spell out what it actually covers in practice, why it matters for a CPA firm, and which types of providers are known for delivering it well.

Who Should Read This

This guide is written for leaders who are accountable for both client delivery and firm risk, not just for IT technicians.

If you are a managing partner, firm owner, COO, or operations leader at a small or mid-sized CPA or accounting firm, you are the primary audience. That typically means teams in the 5 to 100 employee range, with a mix of year-round staff and seasonal preparers, and a tech stack built around applications like QuickBooks, Sage, Lacerte, Drake, CCH, UltraTax, and practice management or workflow tools.

It is particularly relevant if any of these are true:

• You have experienced outages, slow systems, or last minute “IT fires” during busy season and want a more predictable model.

• You are worried about ransomware or phishing, but do not have a clear view of how backups, email security, and staff training fit together.

• You know you are subject to the FTC Safeguards Rule and IRS Publication 4557 but are not confident your Written Information Security Plan reflects what is actually implemented in your firm.

• Your current IT setup is a patchwork of an internal “IT person,” a local consultant, and a separate hosting provider, making it hard to know who owns what.

Even if you already work with a managed service provider, this guide will help you benchmark the services you receive against what leading accounting firms are asking for today. You can use the 15 services as a checklist in vendor conversations, RFPs, or internal planning.

How We Chose These 15 Managed IT Services

Not every IT service belongs on a partner’s priority list. For this guide, the 15 managed IT services were chosen based on how much they move the needle for real accounting firms, not just how often vendors mention them in marketing.

Specifically, each service had to score high on at least three of the following:

• Reduces Downtime During Busy Season

If a service does not meaningfully cut the risk of outages or long slowdowns between February and April, it is hard to justify. That favors proactive support, monitoring, backups, and hosting that is built with tax season in mind.

• Lowers Cyber and Ransomware Risk in a Measurable Way

Services like managed security, backup and recovery, and security awareness training directly affect your exposure to ransomware and data breaches. Given the financial and reputational impact of a successful attack on a CPA firm, these made the list ahead of nice-to-have tools.

• Supports IRS and FTC Compliance Expectations

The updated FTC Safeguards Rule, IRS Publication 4557, and state privacy rules expect firms to maintain appropriate technical safeguards, written plans, and ongoing monitoring, not just one-time paperwork. Services that help you maintain those safeguards in practice are included.

• Improves Staff Productivity Without Compromising Security

Remote work, virtual desktops, identity and access management, and managed hosting all sit at the intersection of convenience and control. They earned a place here because they let your team work from anywhere while keeping client data protected.

• Has a Clear Owner and is Realistic for Smaller Firms

Every service on this list is something a small or mid-sized firm can reasonably outsource to a managed IT provider, cloud host, or specialist vendor. Internal-only practices with no clear vendor responsibility are outside the scope.

The result is a practical checklist that covers what most growing firms need from managed IT support for accounting, without drifting into tools and projects that matter more to large enterprises than to a 10, 25, or 50-person CPA firm.

The 15 Managed IT Services Every Accounting Firm Should Evaluate

1. Fully Managed IT and Private Cloud for Accounting Firms

Provider to Consider: Verito

For many firms, this is the foundation. Fully managed IT combined with private cloud hosting means one partner is responsible for the health of your core systems: servers, workstations, tax and accounting applications, backups, and security controls. Instead of piecing together a local IT consultant, a separate hosting provider, and several security tools, you get a single environment designed around busy season uptime and data protection.

In practice, this looks like your tax and accounting software running on secure infrastructure in a data center, while your staff connect remotely from the office or home. The same provider manages user accounts, permissions, updates, monitoring, and day-to-day support, so there is no debate about who owns what when something breaks.

For an accounting firm, fully managed IT with private cloud should include at least:

• Hosting for key applications such as QuickBooks Desktop, Lacerte, Drake, CCH, UltraTax, and related tools.

• Centralized user management with strong authentication and access controls.

• Routine maintenance, monitoring, and patching of servers and core services.

• Integrated backups and clearly defined recovery objectives.

• A help desk that understands tax deadlines and the specific software you run

Verito is built around this all-in-one model for tax and accounting firms, with private servers, managed IT, and security delivered as a single stack rather than separate projects. Rightworks and Ace Cloud Hosting are notable alternatives for firms that want a similar private cloud approach but prefer different commercial terms, ecosystems, or geographic footprints.

2. Managed Backup, Disaster Recovery, and Business Continuity

Provider to Consider: Verito (VeritGuard)

Many firms discover that their backups do not actually work at the worst possible time. Files were not included, restores are painfully slow, or the backup system itself was encrypted by ransomware. Managed backup and disaster recovery are about avoiding that surprise and knowing, in advance, how quickly you can get back up if something goes wrong.

A robust approach starts with defining recovery time objectives and recovery point objectives for critical systems. In plain terms, that is how long you can afford to be down and how much data you can afford to lose. From there, the provider designs a backup strategy with frequent snapshots, offsite replication, and regular testing so those objectives are realistic rather than wishful thinking.

For accounting firms, managed backup and recovery should include:

• Automated backups for servers, application data, and shared file stores.

• At least one offsite or immutable copy that ransomware cannot easily encrypt.

• Periodic test restores, with evidence that data can be recovered quickly.

• Clear recovery plans for common scenarios, such as server failure or ransomware.

• Alignment between backup coverage and your Written Information Security Plan.

Verito’s VeritGuard offering is an example of this type of service built specifically around hosted tax and accounting environments, with documented recovery objectives and regular restore testing. Firms that still run key systems on premise can look for MSPs that build their backup and recovery services on platforms such as Datto or Veeam, and then hold them to the same standard: documented objectives and regular, successful restore tests.

For firms that already rely on a hosted environment for tax and accounting software, there is a practical benefit in having the same provider design and test the backup and recovery strategy. VeritGuard is structured around that idea, tying frequent snapshots, offsite copies, and restore runbooks directly to the private servers that run your core applications.

Even if you ultimately choose a different route, comparing your current backup approach against what a purpose-built service like VeritGuard offers is a straightforward way to check whether your firm is genuinely prepared for a serious outage or ransomware event.

3. 24/7 Remote IT Support and Help Desk for Accountants

Provider to consider: Ace Cloud Hosting

Round-the-clock IT support is often what partners notice first when they move from break-fix to managed IT. During busy season, issues rarely stick to business hours. A preparer locked out of a tax application at 9:30 p.m. or a partner unable to connect from home on a Sunday needs help immediately, not the next morning.

A proper 24/7 help desk for accounting firms is more than someone answering the phone. It should be staffed with technicians who can quickly triage user issues, remote into systems, and resolve common problems without bouncing you between tiers or blaming another vendor. It should also be sized so that your team is not waiting in long queues when incidents happen at peak times.

For accounting firms, look for 24/7 support that includes:

• Guaranteed response times backed by service-level agreements.

• Support by phone, email, and remote access, including after-hours and weekends.

• Familiarity with common accounting and tax applications, not just generic Windows issues.

• Clear escalation paths when a ticket involves servers, hosting, or third-party vendors.

• Simple reporting so you can see volumes, response times, and recurring issues over time.

Ace Cloud Hosting pairs tax and accounting application hosting with 24/7 support for end-users, which is useful when you want a single team handling both access and application-level issues at any hour.

For firms that prefer their 24/7 help desk to sit inside a broader managed IT relationship, Verito and Rightworks both offer round-the-clock support aligned with their private cloud platforms, and are worth shortlisting alongside Ace when you evaluate coverage, responsiveness, and accounting software expertise.

4. Proactive Monitoring and Patch Management

Provider to consider: Rightworks

If no one is watching your systems between support tickets, you are depending on users to be your monitoring system. That tends to fail during busy season, when people work around glitches instead of reporting them. Proactive monitoring and patch management shift this responsibility to your managed IT provider so most issues are caught and handled before they interrupt work.

Monitoring should cover servers, network devices, and workstations. The provider installs agents that track performance, disk space, service health, and security alerts. Patch management then applies security updates and stability fixes on a defined schedule, with some changes tested first so they do not break tax or accounting applications at a bad time.

For accounting firms, a solid monitoring and patching program should include:

• Continuous monitoring of servers and critical services, with alerts to the provider.

• A documented patch schedule for Windows, third-party software, and core infrastructure.

• Maintenance windows planned around tax deadlines, not generic business calendars.

• Reporting so you can see patch status and outstanding risks at a glance.

• Clear rules for emergency patches when a serious vulnerability is disclosed.

Rightworks builds monitoring and patch management into its hosted environments for accounting and tax applications, so the same team that runs the infrastructure is watching performance and applying updates on an agreed cadence.

Firms that want a similar model with different commercial options or private server layouts can look at Verito and Ace Cloud Hosting, both of which bundle monitoring and patching into their managed IT and hosting stacks. If you prefer a more traditional MSP approach, regional providers such as CorpTech and GoCorpTech can fill this role as long as they offer the same level of transparency around maintenance windows and patch reports.

5. Managed Security Stack and Threat Detection (EDR, SOC, Firewalls)

Provider to consider: Verito

Modern attacks rarely start with obvious viruses that basic antivirus tools can catch. Attackers use phishing, remote access tools, and legitimate credentials, then move quietly through networks before launching ransomware or stealing data. A managed security stack is designed for this reality rather than the world of simple malware.

At the endpoint level, that usually means endpoint detection and response instead of traditional antivirus. These tools watch behaviour, not just file signatures. On the network side, managed firewalls and intrusion detection systems control and inspect traffic. Above both sits a security operations function that reviews alerts, correlates suspicious activity, and responds to incidents.

For CPA and accounting firms, a managed security stack should provide:

• EDR on all workstations and servers, managed by security professionals.

• Next-generation firewalls with sensible rules and ongoing tuning.

• Centralized logging and alerting, ideally with analysts watching for real threats.

• Integration with email security, identity and access management, and backups.

• Regular security reporting that non-technical leaders can understand.

Verito integrates this stack into its private cloud and managed IT services, so endpoint protection, firewalls, and monitoring are aligned with how your tax and accounting workloads actually run. Ace Cloud Hosting and Rightworks also invest in security for hosted applications, and specialist providers such as Nerds Support can be options if you prefer to split security from hosting, but in practice most firms benefit from fewer seams between their security and their core infrastructure.

6. Managed Email Security and Anti-phishing

Provider to consider: Mimecast

Email is still the easiest way into a firm. Attackers use phishing to steal credentials, trick staff into sending money, or plant malware that leads to full ransomware incidents. Many breaches begin with a single user clicking a convincing email that sailed through basic spam filters.

Managed email security adds multiple layers on top of whatever platform you already use, usually Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Instead of relying on default settings, a specialist tool inspects messages in depth, blocks obvious and subtle threats, and gives your IT provider visibility into what is being stopped.

For accounting firms, a strong email security service should include:

• Advanced spam and phishing filtering that learns from real campaigns.

• Attachment sandboxing, where files are opened in a safe environment before reaching users.

• URL rewriting and link protection to block known malicious sites at click time.

• Impersonation and domain spoofing protection for partners and firm leadership.

• Detailed reporting so you can see blocked threats and high risk users over time.

Vendors such as Mimecast and Proofpoint are well known in this space and integrate tightly with Microsoft 365. Many MSPs deliver these platforms as part of a broader managed security stack so you get consistent policies across email, endpoints, and remote access instead of piecemeal settings managed by different teams.

7. Compliance and WISP Support (FTC Safeguards, IRS 4557)

Provider to consider: Verito (VeritShield WISP)

Most firms now know they need a Written Information Security Plan, but many still treat it as a one-time document written to satisfy a lender, large client, or regulator. The updated FTC Safeguards Rule expects more. Regulators want a living information security program that is documented, implemented, and periodically reviewed. IRS Publication 4557 points in the same direction by laying out practical safeguards for taxpayer data that should be reflected in how your systems are actually run.

Compliance and WISP support services exist to bridge the gap between regulations and daily operations. Rather than leaving partners to interpret legal language, the provider helps you document your current controls, identify gaps, and maintain a WISP that matches your environment. They also help align technical services such as backups, monitoring, and access controls with what the WISP says you do.

For an accounting firm, WISP and compliance support should cover:

• Drafting or updating a WISP that is specific to your firm, not a generic template.

• Mapping regulatory requirements from the FTC Safeguards Rule and IRS Publication 4557 to concrete controls and processes.

• Documenting technical safeguards provided by your IT and hosting partners.

• Setting a review cadence to keep the WISP current as systems and vendors change.

• Preparing evidence and summaries you can share with banks, larger clients, or insurers.

Verito, through its VeritShield WISP service, focuses on building and maintaining WISPs for tax and accounting firms that need to align with the FTC Safeguards Rule and IRS Publication 4557. Specialist consultancies such as Nonasec remain options for firms that prefer an independent advisory partner working alongside their existing IT or cloud providers.

Many firms discover that their WISP, their actual controls, and their vendor contracts have drifted apart over time. One way to pull those pieces back together is to work with a provider that already operates SOC 2 Type II infrastructure and has mapped its services to FTC Safeguards and IRS Publication 4557 in detail.

VeritShield is set up with that goal in mind, using the safeguards already present in Verito’s hosting and managed IT stack as the backbone of a living, reviewable WISP. For firms that want fewer moving parts between policy and practice, that kind of integrated approach can be more manageable than coordinating several separate advisors and vendors.

8. Identity and Access Management (MFA, SSO, Least Privilege)

Provider to consider: Solution Builders

As more systems move to the cloud, the old network perimeter matters less. Attackers increasingly target user accounts directly, using phishing and password reuse to gain access. Identity and access management puts controls around who can log in, from where, under what conditions, and with which level of privilege.

In practical terms, this usually means multi-factor authentication for all remote and cloud access, single sign-on where possible so users have fewer passwords to juggle, and clear rules about which roles can access sensitive data. Well-implemented identity controls make it much harder for attackers to move freely even if they manage to steal a password.

For accounting firms, identity and access management should provide:

• Mandatory multi-factor authentication for email, remote access, and cloud applications.

• Centralized identity via Microsoft Entra ID or Okta, with clear user lifecycle processes.

• Role-based access controls that limit who can access payroll, banking, and high-risk systems.

• Conditional access policies that restrict logins from risky locations or unmanaged devices.

• Regular reviews of privileged accounts and shared credentials

Providers such as Solution Builders often build identity and access management programs on top of Microsoft 365 and Entra ID for small and mid-sized businesses. Other MSPs specialize in Okta or similar platforms. When you evaluate providers, confirm that strong identity controls are enforced everywhere, not just on a few high-profile systems.

9. Remote Work and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) for Accounting Firms

Provider to consider: Verito

Remote and hybrid work are now standard in many firms, especially during busy season when staff want the flexibility to work from home or on the road. At the same time, partners do not want sensitive tax data scattered across personal laptops. Virtual desktop infrastructure and hosted desktops solve this by keeping applications and data in the data center while staff connect to a secure virtual workspace.

With VDI or hosted desktops, each user signs into a virtual session that lives on servers in the provider’s environment. From the user’s perspective, it looks like a familiar Windows desktop. From a security perspective, client data never leaves the controlled environment, even if the user connects from a home PC.

For accounting firms, a good remote work and VDI setup should include:

• Consistent, responsive virtual desktops that can handle tax software, document management, and office tools.

• Secure access from a range of devices, with multi-factor authentication and session controls.

• Centralized management so updates and patches are applied once, not separately per device.

• Integrated printing and scanning support for common office workflows.

• Clear performance and uptime commitments during peak filing periods.

Verito delivers hosted desktops and remote access built specifically for accounting applications, so the same environment that runs your tax software also underpins your remote work setup. Rightworks and Tabush Group remain strong options for firms that want a more traditional VDI platform, and providers such as Ace Cloud Hosting offer alternative hosted desktop models, but whichever route you choose should be tested against your busiest weeks, not just off season usage.

10. Managed Hosting for Accounting and Tax Software

Provider to consider: Verito

For most firms, the core line of business applications are still desktop based. QuickBooks Desktop, Sage, Lacerte, Drake, ProSeries, UltraTax, CCH, and legacy tools are common. Managed hosting for accounting and tax software takes those applications off local servers and workstations and runs them in a secure, high-availability data center.

Instead of worrying about on-premise servers, VPNs, and hardware refreshes, your staff connect to hosted applications through a secure remote session. The provider handles server maintenance, storage, performance tuning, and backups in the background. This approach gives you the flexibility and uptime benefits of the cloud without forcing a complete move to browser-only tools.

For accounting firms, managed hosting should provide:

• Support for all the tax and accounting applications you rely on, including mixed vendor stacks.

• High-availability infrastructure with clear uptime targets around filing deadlines.

• Regular updates and maintenance coordinated so they do not disrupt busy season.

• Integrated security controls, including network isolation and strong authentication.

• Tested backups and restores for both applications and underlying databases.

Verito hosts a broad range of tax and accounting applications on private cloud infrastructure that is tuned for busy season loads and integrated with its backup, security, and WISP services. Ace Cloud Hosting and Rightworks are other established hosts in this space and can be good benchmarks if you want to compare different approaches to licensing, storage, and performance guarantees.

11. Managed Endpoint and Device Management

Provider to consider: Solution Builders

Even with strong hosting and cloud platforms, laptops and desktops are still where staff work every day. Unmanaged endpoints are a common weak link. Machines drift out of date, lack encryption, or run inconsistent security software. Managed endpoint and device management addresses that by standardizing and controlling the devices that connect to your systems.

In a managed endpoint program, your provider defines standard build images for firm devices, enrolls them into a management platform, and enforces policies on updates, encryption, and security tools. They also handle inventory, so you know which devices exist, who uses them, and whether they meet firm standards.

For accounting firms, effective endpoint management should include:

• Standardized configurations for Windows laptops and desktops used by staff.

• Full disk encryption and secure configuration for any device with client data.

• Centrally managed antivirus or EDR agents on all endpoints.

• Regular reporting on device compliance and patch status.

• Processes for secure onboarding and offboarding of staff devices.

Providers like Solution Builders and similar MSPs offer this type of structured endpoint management for small and mid-sized businesses. When you assess managed IT proposals, ensure that endpoint management is clearly defined and not left as an informal, device-by-device arrangement.

12. IT Strategy and vCIO Services for Accounting Firms

Provider to consider: Dynamic Quest or similar

Technology decisions accumulate over time. Servers are added, tools are adopted, and vendors change, often without a clear roadmap. IT strategy and virtual CIO services give firms a way to align technology decisions with practical goals rather than treating them as isolated purchases.

A vCIO (Virtual Chief Information Officer) engages at the leadership level. They review your current environment, listen to growth plans, and help prioritize projects. This might include planning a move away from aging on-premise servers, rationalising overlapping tools, or budgeting for security and compliance work over several years instead of reacting case-by-case.

For CPA and accounting firms, valuable vCIO support usually includes:

• Annual or semi-annual IT strategy sessions that include firm leadership.

• Multi-year roadmaps that align with growth, remote work plans, and service mix.

• Budgeting guidance so major upgrades do not arrive as surprises.

• Advice on vendor selection and consolidation across hosting, practice management, and communications.

• Help translating regulatory requirements into realistic technical projects.

Providers such as Dynamic Quest position vCIO services as part of their managed IT portfolio for professional services firms. Many regional MSPs offer similar engagements. When you evaluate them, look for advisors who can talk fluently about tax season realities and compliance, not just hardware refresh cycles.

13. Security Awareness Training for Accounting Staff

Provider to consider: KnowBe4

Many incidents begin with a human decision. A staff member clicks a link, opens an attachment, or replies to a convincing email that appears to be from a partner or client. Technical controls are essential, but they are not enough by themselves. Regular security awareness training gives staff the knowledge and habits they need to act as a line of defense.

Good training is practical and frequent, not an annual slide deck that everyone rushes through. Short modules on phishing, password practices, handling client data, and reporting suspicious activity make a difference. Phishing simulations help identify people who need extra coaching and keep awareness high.

For accounting firms, security awareness training should cover:

• Recognising and reporting phishing and business email compromise attempts.

• Handling tax documents, payroll data, and IDs safely in email and file-sharing tools.

• Password hygiene and the reasons behind multi factor authentication.

• Secure use of remote access tools and home devices for work.

• Clear incident reporting steps when something looks wrong.

KnowBe4 is one of the best known dedicated security awareness platforms and is widely used by firms that want structured training campaigns and realistic phishing simulations managed through a single console. Ninjio is a common alternative with a different content style. 

Accounting-focused cloud and IT providers such as Verito and Rightworks often layer these or similar platforms into their managed security offerings, which can be helpful if you would rather have one partner configure campaigns, interpret results, and align training with the specific tax and accounting tools your staff rely on.

14. Managed VoIP and Unified Communications for CPA Firms

Provider to consider: RingCentral

Phones and video calls are still central to client relationships. As firms move away from traditional phone systems, managed VoIP and unified communications services provide flexible, internet-based calling that is easier to manage and better suited to remote and hybrid teams.

A managed VoIP solution replaces or augments your existing phone system with software-based phones, desk phones, and mobile apps. Features like call routing, queues, voicemail to email, and conferencing are handled centrally. When integrated with your practice management or CRM tools, staff can see client context when calls come in and log call notes more easily.

For accounting firms, managed VoIP and unified communications should offer:

• Reliable voice quality and uptime, even during busy periods.

• Flexible call routing and queues for tax season and after-hours coverage.

• Simple, remote-friendly options so staff can take calls from home or on the road.

• Built-in conferencing and screen sharing for client meetings.

• Options to integrate with practice management, CRM, or ticketing systems.

Platforms such as RingCentral are widely used for this purpose, either managed directly or via an IT or telecom partner. Alternatives include Nextiva, 8×8, and Zoom Phone. The right choice usually comes down to how well the platform integrates with your existing tools and how comfortable your staff are with its interface.

15. Vendor Management and Application Integration for Accounting Tech Stacks

Provider to consider: DevsData

Most firms now rely on a stack of tools rather than a single system. Tax software, practice management, document management, workflow automation, time and billing, portals, and e-signature tools all have to work together. When something goes wrong, partners often end up mediating between vendors who point fingers at each other.

Vendor management and application integration services give you one party to coordinate with software providers, hosting platforms, and telecoms. They handle escalations, track open issues, and work through technical questions. On the integration side, they help tools share data where APIs or integrations exist, and design workarounds where they do not.

For accounting firms, vendor management and integration support should bring:

• A single point of contact for technical issues across your core applications.

• Clear records of incidents and resolutions so recurring issues can be addressed.

• Guidance on which integrations are supported and how to configure them.

• Help evaluating new tools in the context of your existing stack.

• Reduced time spent by partners and managers coordinating with multiple vendors.

Engineering-focused consultancies such as DevsData often take on complex integration work for professional services firms. Some MSPs also offer vendor management as part of their standard engagement, acting as the first line of contact with software and telecom vendors so your partners and managers do not have to spend hours chasing tickets.

Comparing Verito, Rightworks, and Ace Cloud Hosting Across These 15 Services

For most firms, the short list of providers that can realistically cover a large share of these 15 services looks similar: Verito, Rightworks, and Ace Cloud Hosting.

Each has strengths, and each can be the right choice depending on what your firm values most.

1. Verito: Closely Aligned with the Full List of IT Services

Verito is built around tax and accounting firms that want a single provider for private cloud, managed IT, backup and recovery, security, WISP support, and remote access. In practical terms, that means many of the services in this guide are delivered as part of one integrated stack rather than through separate projects.

Firms that prioritise having one accountable partner for uptime, safeguards-aligned compliance, and day-to-day support tend to put Verito near the top of their list for that reason.

2. Rightworks: Notable Provider for Hosting and Virtual Desktops

Rightworks is widely known for hosting tax and accounting applications and delivering virtual desktops. For firms whose main objective is to move desktop software off local servers and give staff consistent remote access, it is a credible option.

Some firms later decide they want more opinionated support around WISP maintenance, documentation of safeguards, or security awareness training, and at that point they either layer on additional providers or look at platforms, including Verito, that bundle more compliance and security work into the core service.

3. Ace Cloud Hosting: Focused on Application Hosting and 24/7 Support

Ace Cloud Hosting is well-regarded for hosting QuickBooks Desktop and other accounting applications, backed by 24/7 support. That focus can be attractive if your primary concern is reliable access to specific products with round-the-clock help desk coverage. Where firms need a more comprehensive managed IT layer around that hosting, they often still have to plan separately for WISP upkeep, identity and access management, and ongoing staff training, either with their own internal team or other partners.

In practice, any of the three can be part of a workable strategy. If your goal is to minimise seams between hosting, security, and safeguards compliance across as many of the 15 services as possible, Verito usually offers the most complete single vendor fit, with Rightworks and Ace Cloud Hosting remaining strong alternatives where hosting depth or specific application requirements are the primary drivers.

How to Choose the Right Mix of Managed IT Services for Your Firm

Very few firms will buy all 15 services in one step. The goal is not to tick every box on day one, but to build a roadmap that addresses the most serious risks and bottlenecks first.

A simple way to prioritize is to answer a few direct questions:

• How much downtime did you experience in the last two busy seasons and what did it cost in billable hours, overtime, and lost work?
  
  

• If ransomware encrypted your core systems tomorrow, how quickly could you realistically restore them and how much data would you lose?
  
  

• Do you have a Written Information Security Plan that accurately reflects what your systems and vendors do now, or is it an old document that no longer matches reality?
  
  

• Is multi-factor authentication mandatory for email, remote access, and cloud applications across the firm, or only in a few places?
  
  

• Does anyone outside of day-to-day staff have clear responsibility for monitoring, patching, and backup testing, with reporting you can review?
  
  

• Are there single points of failure, such as one internal “IT person” or an aging on-premise server, that could derail filing deadlines if they fail at the wrong time?

Once you have honest answers, you can group the 15 services into three tiers:

1. Immediate Risk Reducers

Fully managed IT and hosting, backups and disaster recovery, email and endpoint security, and WISP support usually land here. These directly protect uptime, client data, and regulatory compliance.

1. Productivity and Remote Work Enablers

VDI or private cloud access, managed endpoint programs, VoIP, and vendor management help teams work efficiently from anywhere without creating new security gaps.

1. Strategic and Optimization Services

vCIO strategy, advanced integration work, and deeper identity and access management refine how IT supports long term firm goals.

If you already have an MSP or cloud host, it is useful to map which of these services they actually provide and which ones either fall to internal staff or are not owned by anyone. That exercise often reveals that certain critical services, such as tested backups or WISP maintenance, were assumed rather than explicitly scoped. Accounting-focused providers like Verito can help firms sanity check their coverage and prioritize changes without forcing a complete rebuild of everything that already works.

Bringing Your Managed IT Strategy Together

Managed IT is not a single product. It is a set of services that touch almost every part of how an accounting firm works – from the applications your staff rely on, to where client data lives, to how you respond if something goes wrong in the middle of March. The 15 services in this guide are not theoretical. They reflect what firms that care about uptime, security, and compliance, are actually buying and holding their providers accountable for.

In practice, most firms will combine several types of partners. Some will work with a specialist host for tax and accounting software, a managed service provider for day-to-day support, and one or two focused vendors for areas like email security or VoIP. Others will prefer a more consolidated relationship where one provider handles hosting, support, security, and WISP guidance together. Larger firms with internal IT staff often add co-managed arrangements and vCIO input to that mix.

What matters most is not the label on the provider, but whether you can clearly answer a few basic questions:

• Who is responsible for monitoring and patching your systems

• Who owns backup and recovery and has proved it works

• Who maintains your Written Information Security Plan and maps it to the controls that are actually in place.

• Who sets and reviews the policies around identity, access, and remote work that staff follow every day.

If you can map each of those responsibilities to a specific service and provider, with realistic expectations about recovery times and support, you are already ahead of many firms. From there, the priority is to close the gaps that carry the highest risk, using the 15 services outlined here as a checklist rather than a shopping list. An accounting firm that treats IT as critical infrastructure instead of background plumbing is in a much better position to protect clients, stay compliant, and keep its own team productive when it matters most.

FAQs:

1. What are examples of managed IT services for accounting firms?

Common managed IT services for accounting firms include fully managed IT support, private cloud hosting for tax and accounting software, 24/7 help desk coverage, proactive monitoring and patch management, managed security stacks with EDR and firewalls, backup and disaster recovery, email security, identity and access management, WISP and compliance support, security awareness training, VoIP, and vendor management. Firms do not have to adopt all of them, but most need a mix that covers support, security, and compliance.

2. How much do managed IT services cost for a 10 to 20 person CPA firm?

Costs vary based on scope and whether hosting is included, but for a 10 to 20 user firm it is common to see all in managed IT and hosting bundles priced on a per user basis, often in the low to mid hundreds of dollars per user per month for comprehensive support, hosting, and security. More limited support only arrangements may cost less but often leave gaps in hosting, backup, or security that need to be addressed separately. The most useful comparison is not price alone, but what is included and how it affects downtime and risk.

3. Do small accounting firms really need a fully managed IT provider?

Even small firms have the same basic risks as larger ones. They hold sensitive taxpayer data, rely heavily on a few key applications, and are subject to FTC and IRS expectations. A fully managed IT provider gives them access to monitoring, security, and recovery capabilities that would be difficult to build in-house. Very small practices sometimes start with hosting, backup, and security from a specialist provider, then grow into broader managed IT as they add staff and complexity.

4. What is the difference between managed IT and co-managed IT for accountants?

In a managed IT model, the provider takes primary responsibility for day to day support, monitoring, security, and often hosting. In a co-managed model, the provider shares responsibilities with an internal IT person or team. The external provider might handle monitoring, patching, and higher level security, while internal staff support users and manage some systems. Many larger firms use co-managed IT to combine internal knowledge of firm workflows with outside expertise in infrastructure and security.

5. How do managed IT services help with IRS and FTC compliance?

Managed IT services support compliance by implementing and maintaining many of the technical safeguards that regulations expect, such as access controls, encryption, monitoring, logging, backups, and incident response processes. When combined with WISP support, they also help document those controls in a way that aligns with the FTC Safeguards Rule and IRS Publication 4557. Providers that understand accounting can usually map their services directly to specific safeguards in those frameworks.

6. Should we choose one provider for hosting and IT, or separate vendors?

Both models can work, but using one provider for hosting and managed IT often simplifies accountability. When a single provider is responsible for the hosted environment, backups, security, and support, there is less room for finger pointing and gaps. Separate providers can make sense if you have a strong internal IT team or unique requirements, but that approach requires more coordination from firm leadership. Many accounting firms choose a specialist partner like Verito to handle hosting, support, and WISP work together so they can focus on clients rather than vendor management.

TL;DR:

• Managed IT services for accounting firms are no longer optional insurance. They directly protect billable hours in February to April, reduce the odds of a firm threatening a cyber incident, and help you stay on the right side of IRS and FTC requirements.
  
  

• At a minimum, firms should have fully managed IT support, proactive monitoring and patching, tested backups, strong email and endpoint security, and clear WISP documentation mapped to the FTC Safeguards Rule and IRS Publication 4557.
  
  

• For firms with remote staff, multiple locations, or rapid growth, services like private cloud hosting for tax and accounting software, virtual desktops, and identity and access management become critical for both security and productivity.
  
  

• Some services are highly specialized (for example, VoIP, email security, or VDI) and are often delivered by focused vendors. Others, such as managed IT support, private cloud hosting, and WISP guidance, are often most effective when bundled with an accounting focused provider like Verito to avoid gaps and finger pointing.
  
  

• You do not need to buy all 15 services at once. Start by quantifying your downtime and cyber risk in financial terms, then prioritize the services that have the biggest impact on uptime, security, and compliance for your specific firm.