Sage 50 hosting in the UK, on a server we look after.

Technically, yes. Sage 50 Accounts is a Windows desktop program, so hosting it means running it on a Windows server that your team reaches with Remote Desktop. Sage's own licence allows this: its knowledge base says the current licence agreement lets you run Sage 50 Accounts remotely. Support is a different matter, and Sage has two statements you should read together.

What that means for you

• We support the server and the set-up: Windows, Remote Desktop, user accounts and permissions, printing to your office, performance of the server, backups and monitoring. These are exactly the areas Sage says it will not cover in a remote set-up.
• Sage supports Sage 50 itself, but may decline an issue it attributes to the virtual or Remote Desktop environment. If that happens, we work the problem from the server side, and test on a copy before any change goes live.
• If you need Sage's full support in every case, Sage's recommended route is Remote Data Access on your own PCs. We will tell you if that suits you better.

Sage also notes that anything Sage 50 talks to (Microsoft Office, other Sage products, e-banking software, email) must be installed on the same computer as Sage 50. On a hosted server, that computer is the server.

1. 01

   One server holds the program and the data

   Sage 50 and your company data sit on the same Windows server in London, so there is no file sharing across the internet and no data file on a laptop to lose.

2. 02

   Your team connects with Remote Desktop

   Each person signs in with their own account and sees a Windows desktop or the Sage window. It works from Windows PCs, Macs and tablets with Microsoft's Remote Desktop client.

3. 03

   Access is locked down

   Every Remote Desktop sign-in needs a password and a code from an authenticator app, for your team and for our engineers. No one can start a Remote Desktop session with a password alone, and we can also limit access to your office IP addresses.

4. 04

   We patch, monitor and back up

   Critical and high-risk Windows updates go on within 14 days of release, in an agreed maintenance window outside your working hours. The server is monitored, and backups run on a schedule, with help from us when you need a restore.

Because everything runs on the server, a slow home broadband line affects how quickly the screen updates, not how long a Sage report takes to run. That is usually the main reason firms choose hosting over sharing the data file.

1. 01We agree a date away from your VAT return, payroll run and month end.
2. 02We build and secure the server, install your Sage 50 version and any add-ons, and test with a copy of your data.
3. 03One or two of your users try it for a few days on the copy.
4. 04On the agreed evening, you take a Sage backup, we restore it on the server and check it with you.
5. 05Your old copy stays untouched until you are happy, so you can always go back.

Because Sage does not support virtual or Remote Desktop set-ups, the trial on a copy of your data comes before the switch, not after. If something does not work the way your team needs, you find out with nothing at stake. Prefer to keep your own server? Our checklist on moving Sage 50 to a new server follows Sage UK's own steps.