Accountess – From on-Premise to Cloud-First

How Pepas Cloud delivered a complete cloud migration and enterprise-grade cybersecurity program for Accountess, in under two months, without disrupting daily operations.

95%

OPERATIONS IN CLOUD

2 Mo

DELIVERY TIME

Zero Trust

SECURITY MODEL

Executive Summary

Accountess is a leading tax advisory and accounting company, offering support to hundreds of client organizations with complex financial and tax consulting services, accounting, M&A, audit, payroll, human resources, and compliance — including clients operating under NIS2 and DORA regulatory frameworks. As the company continued to grow, leadership made a strategic decision to modernize its IT foundation to support scale, performance, and long-term resilience.

In partnership with Pepas Cloud, a Microsoft Solutions Partner specializing in cloud transformation and cybersecurity, Accountess implemented a comprehensive modernization program. The initiative included migrating document management to SharePoint Online and OneDrive, transitioning workloads to Microsoft Azure, centralizing identity in Microsoft Entra ID, and strengthening governance across Microsoft 365.

Today, approximately 95 percent of Accountess operations run in the cloud, supported by a secure, scalable, and future-ready digital infrastructure.

“In accounting, precision and trust are essential. Our priority has always been to create an environment where teams can focus on delivering value to clients, not on managing documents.”

 

Mihaela – Virginia Teleman – General Manager

Positioned for Growth — Ready for the Next Level

Accountess had built a strong business on its expertise in financial services, serving hundreds of client organisations across accounting, M&A, audit, payroll, HR, consulting, and financial and tax consultancy. With a client portfolio that includes organisations subject to NIS2 and DORA regulatory requirements, Accountess operates in an environment where data security, availability, and compliance are fundamental.
As the business continued to grow, leadership identified a strategic opportunity: to transition toward a cloud-first architecture that could scale with the business, simplify administration, and deliver the security posture that clients and regulators increasingly expect.

Strategic goals

  • Eliminate reliance on physical servers and on-premise infrastructure
  • Establish a modern, Zero Trust–aligned cybersecurity framework
  • Create a structured document management environment across all service lines
  • Enable distributed teams to collaborate securely, including controlled document exchange with external clients
  • Build a foundation capable of supporting future AI automation and advanced compliance initiatives such as NIS2 and DORA

The Transformation: Three Pillars of Modernisation

Cloud Migration to Microsoft Azure

Cybersecurity and Zero Trust Identity

SharePoint Online and OneDrive

Working in close partnership with the Accountess team, Pepas Cloud designed and delivered a multi-layered modernisation programme across infrastructure, identity, and document management, making sure that security and governance were embedded into every layer.

Pillar 1 — Cloud Migration to Microsoft Azure

To shift from physical hardware and build a resilient, scalable operational foundation, critical workloads were migrated from on-premise servers to Microsoft Azure. Pepas Cloud architected a secure cloud environment tailored to the operational needs of a compliance-focused accounting firm. 

Azure infrastructure delivered by Pepas Cloud:

  • Secure virtual networking with workload isolation to protect sensitive financial and HR data
  • Optimised virtual machines sized for accounting, payroll, and compliance workloads
  • Backup and disaster recovery configurations ensuring business continuity and data protection
  • Encrypted connectivity between all environments, meeting DORA and NIS2 security requirements
  • Migration of core operations from physical servers to Azure — physical hardware now used for archival and backup

By moving to Azure, Accountess gained predictable performance under Microsoft’s enterprise SLA, on-demand scalability, and freedom from the costs and limitations of managing on-premise infrastructure.

Pillar 2 — Enterprise Cybersecurity and Zero Trust Identity

For an accounting company managing sensitive financial data on behalf of clients, including organisations subject to NIS2 and DORA compliance standards, cybersecurity is not a feature; it is a business requirement. Pepas Cloud designed a Zero Trust security framework from the ground up, built on Microsoft Entra ID and the Microsoft 365 security stack.

Cybersecurity measures implemented:

  • Centralised identity management in Microsoft Entra ID, replacing fragmented access controls
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) enforced across the entire organisation
  • Conditional Access policies controlling how, when, and from which devices users can access company resources
  • Device compliance management ensuring only secure, managed endpoints connect to company systems
  • Full activity auditing and monitoring providing complete visibility across the Microsoft 365 and Azure environment
  • Principle of Least Privilege access controls embedded across SharePoint, OneDrive, and Azure workloads
  • Secure external collaboration mechanisms enabling controlled document exchange with clients
  • Microsoft 365 tenant hardening, including resolution of legacy permission inconsistencies and optimisation of synchronisation behaviour

Security controls were designed before deployment began, an architectural choice that allowed Pepas Cloud to build compliant, auditable, and resilient systems. This approach is directly aligned with the security-by-design principles underpinning both NIS2 and DORA.

Pillar 3 — Document Management Redesign with SharePoint Online and OneDrive

The migration to SharePoint Online and OneDrive was among the most impactful elements of the programme. Pepas Cloud redesigned the information architecture to reflect how Accountess actually operates, rethinking how documents are organised, accessed, and governed across hundreds of client relationships and multiple service lines.

Dedicated, structured environments were created for each business function: accounting, payroll, HR, consulting, and audit services. This structure ensures clarity and consistency across the organisation, simplifying both daily operations and compliance evidence collection.

Document governance measures implemented:

  • Role-based access controls based on the Principle of Least Privilege across all service lines
  • Structured SharePoint site architecture reflecting Accountess’s actual operational model
  • Controlled external sharing for client document exchange, with full audit trails
  • OneDrive synchronisation optimised for both in-browser and local access without security trade-offs
  • Reduction of excessive file versions and cleanup of legacy permission structures

Delivering Change Without Disruption

Two Months. Zero Disruption.

Pepas Cloud executed the full transformation in approximately two months through a disciplined, phased delivery methodology. At every stage, the priority was to maintain operational continuity — ensuring teams could continue serving clients while the new environment was built alongside them.

“Because the rollout was structured and collaborative, teams were able to transition smoothly while continuing daily operations without interruption. The cutover was nearly invisible to end users — which is exactly how a successful migration should feel.”

 

Ana – Corina Mitrică – Managing Partner

The Results: A Secure, Scalable, Cloud-First Business

Following the transformation, Accountess operates with a fundamentally stronger digital foundation, one that supports the firm’s growth ambitions and the compliance requirements of its client portfolio.

  • ~95% of operations running in Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 — physical servers now used only for archival
  • Zero Trust cybersecurity model fully implemented, aligned with NIS2 and DORA security-by-design principles
  • Centralised identity and access management via Microsoft Entra ID, with MFA and Conditional Access enforced across the organisation
  • Structured SharePoint Online architecture with role-based access controls across all service lines
  • Faster document access and significantly improved collaboration, both internally and with external clients
  • Simplified IT administration through centralised identity, governance, and Microsoft 365 management
  • Full audit trails and activity monitoring, supporting ongoing compliance evidence requirements
  • Business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities built in from day one

Accountess: Ready for Future Innovation

The cloud and cybersecurity foundation put in place by Pepas Cloud is designed not just for today’s operational needs, but for tomorrow’s demands. With infrastructure on Azure, documents on SharePoint Online, and identity centralised in Microsoft Entra ID, Accountess is positioned to pursue the next wave of innovation with confidence.

Planned initiatives include AI-driven automation of document processing and financial workflows, advanced NIS2 alignment programmes for the firm and its clients, expanded data governance strategies, and enhanced compliance reporting capabilities for clients operating under DORA and other regulatory frameworks.

“Modernising our digital environment was a strategic step forward. We now have the flexibility, control, and resilience to support our clients as we grow — and a partner in Pepas Cloud that translates both deep technology expertise and regulatory knowledge into real, working solutions.”

 

Ana-Mihaela Cernescu – Managing Partner

A Long-Term Strategic Partnership

Accountess was built on a simple but powerful promise — to contribute to the sustainable growth of every organisation it serves, through innovative solutions in tax consulting, M&A, audit, HR, and financial and tax management. Delivering on that promise, at scale, demands an infrastructure that is every bit as reliable as the firm itself. With Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and a Zero Trust security model now at its core, Accountess has exactly that.

Discover more about Accountess at accountess.ro

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