Remote Access for Business Teams – Cloud vs VPN vs Traditional Office

What Are the Options for Business Remote Access?

Three options exist for giving staff access to business applications from outside the office: VPN to a local office server, published applications via Remote Desktop Gateway, and cloud server direct RDP access. For businesses running Windows accounting software and ERP, cloud direct RDP is the most reliable and least technically complex option.

Why Is Cloud RDP More Reliable Than VPN?

VPN reliability depends on: the office internet connection being up, the VPN server software being running correctly, the remote user's internet not blocking VPN traffic (many corporate and hotel networks do), and VPN certificates being current. Any one of these failing breaks all remote access simultaneously.

Cloud server direct RDP depends on: the cloud server being up (99.9% SLA, not dependent on your office), and the remote user having internet access. These are both simpler and more reliable conditions. Cloud server availability is not affected by your office internet, your office VPN server, or any other office infrastructure state.

What Internet Speed Is Required for Remote Access?

RDP for accounting software applications: 100–300 Kbps per active user session under normal use. A comfortable planning figure is 1–2 Mbps per concurrent remote user. A standard home broadband connection of 25 Mbps handles 10–15 simultaneous remote users easily. Even a 4G mobile connection (typically 15–50 Mbps) provides adequate bandwidth for individual remote Tally or Busy access.

Talk to our team about setting up remote access for your business or view Windows Server cloud plans.