IT Support for Accountants in Edmonton: ready before tax season slows you down

Tax season is coming and the scanners already feel slow

Our IT specialists and technicians visit your Edmonton firm, and many issues get fixed fast in a group chat plus remote access. We provide managed IT for an accounting firm of about 75 people, and that work included cost savings of $33,000 a year on their email system. When we restore a failed server from local storage, it has taken less than 2 hours. From $55 per PC per month.

Call (604) 813-7881

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24/7 emergency line

Our regular hours are Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm MT. For emergencies we’re 24/7 on the same number, (604) 813-7881, and it’s always answered by a person. Call us at (604) 813-7881 or email hello <at> bensonhunt <dot> com.

Who provides IT support for accountants in Edmonton?

IT support for accountants in Edmonton comes from a local team of IT specialists and technicians who visit your firm, with a group chat and remote access for quick fixes. We cover email, backups, security and the IT side of your accounting software. Our Edmonton address is for mail only. Call (604) 813-7881, our main line for all three cities.

Alberta firms often ask us about breach reporting, client file exchange and what CPA Alberta expects. This page covers how we help on the technical side. The accounting firm IT support overview has the full list of what we cover.

3cities with a local team: Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary
24/7emergency line (604) 813-7881, always answered by a person

Managing partner or office manager? Here’s your short version.

If you’re the managing partner

Can IT save money? For one firm of about 75 people, managed IT saved $33k a year on email.
What if the server dies mid-season? Restores from local storage have taken less than 2 hours.
What does it cost? From $55 per PC per month, confirmed in writing.

If you’re the office manager

Who answers? A person, at (604) 813-7881. 24/7 for emergencies.
Who comes in? A local Edmonton technician, when it needs hands.
Who checks the seats before February? We do, with a pre-season check.

Why it matters, in plain words

Three pieces of tech worth asking any IT provider about.

Hyper-V

Why an old server doesn’t have to mean a lost week

On Hyper-V the server can come back on other hardware, so a dead box isn’t a dead firm. That’s how restores from local storage take less than 2 hours.

Immutable backups

Why a backup that can be deleted isn’t enough

Ransomware hunts for backups before it locks client files. Copies locked for 30 days can’t be changed or deleted in that time.

Multi-factor sign in

Why one leaked password shouldn’t open your email

Tax season brings a wave of fake sign in pages. A second check on a phone or key stops most stolen passwords.

More plain guides: RAID 10, business firewalls, DNS filtering, or all of them.

What tax season support do you offer for accounting firms in Edmonton?

Tax season doesn’t move, so we offer help around it: a check before it starts, rechecks during it, and a technician who can come to you.

Pre-season check

A look at your setup before the busy weeks.

Before tax season starts we can review your computers and scanners, remote access, accounts for seasonal staff, updates, and your backups. We use a 3-2-1 backup plan with immutable backups (locked so they can’t be changed or deleted for 30 days), and we do spot checks on multiple copies of the backups and a yearly disaster recovery test, so you know the files come back.

Ask us what the check covers for your firm.

Tax season rechecks

A second look once the season is under way.

We can check your setup again during tax season, so small problems are found early. Ask us what a recheck includes for your firm.

On-site technician in tax season

A technician can come to your Edmonton firm, because we understand the urgency.

Tax season is urgent for accounting firms, and we understand that. An on-site technician is available during tax season. Many issues can still be solved quickly with remote access. To ask about an on-site visit, call (604) 813-7881.

What does IT support for accountants in Edmonton cover?

Computers, network, email, backups and security, and the IT side of your accounting software.

Alberta privacy context

Alberta’s PIPA has a breach reporting duty for many private organizations.

The OIPC Alberta: breach notification page says organizations with personal information under their control must tell the Commissioner without unreasonable delay when a breach creates a real risk of significant harm. Check the page for current rules and ask your lawyer how they apply to your firm.

Good records help in a bad week: who had access, what was stored, and what logs exist. We help with the technical side of that.

CPA Alberta guidance

CPA Alberta publishes cybersecurity resources, including a guide on IT best practices.

See CPA Alberta: cybersecurity resources. We can compare your setup with the guide in plain language and tell you where the gaps are.

Professional rules are set by CPA Alberta, so check with them for current requirements.

On site in Edmonton

Our technicians come to your Edmonton office, with the group chat for everything else.

We have no Edmonton office. Our Edmonton address is for mail only, and our technicians come to you. Many issues are fixed quickly in a group chat with your users, plus remote access.

Call (604) 813-7881 for the whole team.

Backups and ransomware

A 3-2-1 backup plan plus immutable backups (locked for 30 days), with spot checks on multiple copies and a yearly disaster recovery test.

Ransomware is a risk for any firm that holds client files. We plan backups so you can recover, and use DNS security from Cisco (or an equivalent service if price is a concern, since we’re technology agnostic), Cisco Meraki and Huntress as layers. See the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: ransomware playbook.

Faster storage for an Edmonton firm

An accounting firm here in Edmonton needed fast storage. We worked with them to upgrade their server storage to SSD, so files open quickly when the whole office is busy.

Tony took this photo of a tidy microserver rack like the ones we set up for clinics and offices. We keep the firm’s name private.

A tidy microserver rack after an SSD storage upgrade — A tidy microserver rack, the kind of clean install we aim for.Taken by Tony Phung

Software we support

Logos belong to their owners. We’re independent IT support, not the software vendor.

How does IT support for accountants in Edmonton work?

1Reach us by the channel that suits you
2We fix what we can quickly
3A technician comes on site

Every firm gets its own group chat with dedicated technicians, on WhatsApp, Slack, Google Chat or Microsoft Teams. It’s for IT help, so keep SINs and client financial details out of the chat.

Also see

Security and cloud

IT questions from Edmonton accounting firms

Do you provide IT support for accountants in Edmonton?

Yes. Our local team of IT specialists and technicians visits Edmonton accounting firms, and many issues are also fixed quickly in a group chat with remote access. Call (604) 813-7881, our main line for Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.

Do you have an Edmonton office?

No. Our Edmonton address, 1312 Webber Greens Drive NW, is for mail only. Our technicians come to your firm.

Does Alberta privacy law require us to report a breach?

Alberta’s PIPA has a reporting duty for many private organizations when there is a real risk of significant harm. Whether it applies to you is a question for your lawyer or the OIPC Alberta. We don’t give legal advice. Check current rules.

Who answers the phone after hours?

A person. Our regular hours are Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm MT. For emergencies, the same number, (604) 813-7881, is answered by a person 24/7.

See all questions

What does CPA Alberta say about cybersecurity?

CPA Alberta publishes cybersecurity resources, including a guide on best practices in IT use. We can walk through it with you and show what it means for your computers, email and backups. Check CPA Alberta for current requirements.

What software do you support for Edmonton accountants?

We support the IT side of tools such as QuickBooks, Sage, Sage ERP, NextERP, OfficeTools, Karbon, Xero, Caseware, TaxCycle and CCH iFirm. We’re independent IT support, not the vendor. See the overview page for details.

Can you help before our busy weeks?

Yes. We offer a pre-season check of backups, remote access, updates and accounts, and rechecks during tax season. An on-site technician is available in Edmonton during tax season because we understand the urgency. Tell us your key dates and we’ll plan around them.

How do I ask for an assessment or audit?

Call (604) 813-7881 or email hello <at> bensonhunt <dot> com. There is no booking tool and we don’t list prices online.

Ready to talk about your Edmonton firm’s IT?

Call our main line at (604) 813-7881, which serves Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary, or send us a note. Our regular hours are Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm MT. For emergencies we’re 24/7 on the same number, and it’s always answered by a person.

Prefer email? Write to hello <at> bensonhunt <dot> com or use our contact page.

Vancouver office: Benson Hunt Technologies, #250-1766, 997 Seymour St, Vancouver BC V6B 3M1. Edmonton mailing address: 1312 Webber Greens Drive NW, Edmonton, AB T5T 7C5 (mail only).

Call (604) 813-7881

Book a free IT review