How hosted desktops have the edge over Sage Drive

By Your Office Anywhere

11 Nov 2015

Many software companies nowadays are focused on developing Cloud based applications, software as a service. Our modern mobile world demands the ability to access all our applications at any time, anywhere and software vendors are falling over themselves to comply.

However, I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that many of these web based applications don’t appear to be as functional or as feature rich as their locally installed counterparts, and all too often their performance is underwhelming.

A simpler option is to host the feature rich client application, the operating system it runs on, and the data or database it uses altogether in the Cloud and access the whole lot as a remote desktop or remote application. This solution, commonly called hosted desktops or hosted applications provides the best of both worlds; the performance, functionality and features of a locally installed application with the flexibility, resilience and security offered by the Cloud.

A slightly alternative approach has been adopted by accounting software company Sage, for their popular Sage 50 Accounts package. Here they have gone for a combination of a locally installed client plus synchronisation to the Cloud with their Sage Drive solution; but how does it compare with the traditional on premise server or a hosted desktop? A quick Google search on “Sage Drive Problems” highlighted some frustrated customers on AccountingWeb so we asked one of our partners who are a leading Sage implementation consultant for their unbiased view, here’s what they came back with

Sage Drive is Sage’s attempt to “catch-up” in the Cloud arena, but it isn’t really Cloud in that the solution still heavily relies on local installs and a local database. The “Master” install of Sage synchronises the database with Sage’s cloud servers which in turn synchronises changes to other installations in the customers’ business.

There are a number of issues with how this works, primarily the master installation has to be online for the whole thing to work, so if that version is on the Finance Manager’s laptop and he’s turned it off then Sage Drive doesn’t work. So it pushes the customer to rely on an on premise server to hold the database, so not really in the spirit of Cloud computing and what if this computer crashes or is out of action for a time or even stolen?

If the master installation is given an updated version of the application then all the other installs must be updated before they can use it. If you have an organisation with 10 users this takes a bit of time, and in our experience, doesn’t always work, so you have to raise a helpdesk call with Sage. This is so different when using a Cloud Hosted Desktop with Sage installed as the application only has to be updated once on the hosted server and everyone gets the new version instantly.

The Sage Drive also appears to be the cause of a lot of corrupted databases, which in our experience never seems to happen on a Hosted Desktop platform. This again requires another call to Sage support.

Incidentally we understand Sage Drive is hosted with Amazon Web Services, so not held in the UK, this may be important to customers who have compliance policies regarding where data is kept.

All in all, in our view a hosted desktop platform provides a much more stable, trouble free and flexible way of running Sage as a proper Cloud application. So what are hosted desktops? In short hosted desktops are simply a hosted Windows server running as a hosted Terminal Server to provide the user either a full remote desktop or just individual remote applications, depending on preference. The application e.g. Sage and its database also reside on the server, so they can be accessed anywhere via the Internet and on any device, including Mac, iPads and Android tablets. A good hosted desktop provider will manage the server, providing backups, anti-virus, patches and updates to your application when required.

Enjoyed this? Read more from Your Office Anywhere

Latest news

1

Post Office future secured as council explores new options Abington Street Post Office

Post Office future secured as council explores new options

17 Sep 2025

2

Airframe Designs supports new defence strategy with pledge to nurture talent Jerrod Hartley

Airframe Designs supports new defence strategy with pledge to nurture talent

17 Sep 2025

3

Fox Group makes second acquisition since Stellex Capital backing Roger Thistlethwaite, managing director NMS Civil Engineering Limited. Paul Fox, CEO Fox Group. John Flood, Executive Director Fox Group

Fox Group makes second acquisition since Stellex Capital backing

17 Sep 2025

4

Villa at Wrea Green bought for £3.6m by Haythornthwaite family The Villa Wrea Green courtesy of The Villa Wrea Green

Villa at Wrea Green bought for £3.6m by Haythornthwaite family

16 Sep 2025

5

Fourth Lancashire Bodycare store to shut Nick Holloway of administrators Interpath

Fourth Lancashire Bodycare store to shut

16 Sep 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
LBV124 September/October Launch Event
MBP Arc Cinema Preston Opening 205
Networking
18 Sep 2025

LBV124 September/October Launch Event

The Arc Cinema, Preston, PR1 2BL

08:30 - 10:30

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Ladies Lunch
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
18 Sep 2025 - 18 Sep 2025

Ladies Lunch

Lancaster Golf Club, Lancaster, LA2 0AJ

12:00 - 16:00

Cumbria Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880461633-4862066883-1-original.20241022-110415.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
19 Sep 2025 - 19 Sep 2025

Cumbria Business Expo 2025

Carlisle Racecourse, Carlisle, CA2 4TS

09:00 - 15:00

Your Business, Your Region: Making sense of devolution and Local Government Reorganisation
Chorley Council breakfast event new
LBV Hub Networking
23 Sep 2025 - 23 Sep 2025

Your Business, Your Region: Making sense of devolution and Local Government Reorganisation

Worden Hall, Leyland, PR25 3DH

08:00 - 11:00

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: September
Sept Freelancer (1).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
23 Sep 2025 - 23 Sep 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: September

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Speed Networking with BNI
2.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
24 Sep 2025 - 24 Sep 2025

Speed Networking with BNI

Chorley Football Club, Chorley, PR7 3DU

16:00 - 19:00

The Marketing Metrics That Matter – Sept 25
Metris 25.09.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
25 Sep 2025 - 25 Sep 2025

The Marketing Metrics That Matter – Sept 25

Door4 Office, Burnley Wharf, Burnley, BB11 1JG

09:00 - 11:00

The Marketing Meetup IRL: Lancashire - September
TMM Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
25 Sep 2025 - 25 Sep 2025

The Marketing Meetup IRL: Lancashire - September

Chorley, PR7 2SL

18:00 - 20:00

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA) drop-in day
MTD drop in session.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
25 Sep 2025 - 25 Sep 2025

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA) drop-in day

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA) drop-in day, Blackburn, BB1 5QB

10:00 - 16:00

Help to grow management course
Help to grow - barriers to growth.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Sep 2025 - 16 Dec 2025

Help to grow management course

Preston Campus , Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV124 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin