Boost Your Business Valuations with ValuAdder on Remote Desktop Services (RDS)

As a CPA, attorney, or business broker, you know how important it is to maintain tight control over sensitive valuation data. But with you and colleagues working from different locations – office, home, client visits, or on the road – how do you keep everything secure and accessible? The answer is simple: ValuAdder on Remote Desktop Services (RDS). This setup gives you secure, flexible access to your valuation tools and data, no matter where you are working. And with the right architecture, it also supports attorney-client privilege and confidentiality standards.

The Power of RDS + ValuAdder

Imagine being able to access ValuAdder from anywhere, without worrying about data leaving your firm’s controlled environment. That’s what RDS makes possible. Here’s how it works:

ValuAdder runs on a Windows Server with Remote Desktop Services (RDS).
Users connect remotely – either through a RemoteApp or full desktop experience.
Data stays safe on your firm’s server or storage. You see real time screen updates, while your keystrokes and clicks are sent over an encrypted connection.

The result? You get flexible, anywhere access, but all data remains securely under your control. It’s like having your own private cloud, but without the risk of someone else having access.

What Your IT Team Needs to Do

While you focus on the professional side, your IT team will handle the technical setup. At a high level, the work involves deploying the server, securing the environment, and configuring the application.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s involved:

Core Tasks for IT:

Set up Windows Server: Install, join to the domain, and apply security policies.
Deploy RDS: Implement a session-based RDS model, which includes Session Host, Connection Broker, Web Access, and (if needed) RD Gateway for internet access.
Install ValuAdder: Set it up under an admin account and test with a user profile.
Configure RemoteApp: Make ValuAdder available as a RemoteApp, and restrict access to the right security groups (e.g., CPAs, valuation team, or attorneys).
Backups: Implement automated, encrypted backups of ValuAdder data.

Your IT team will also ensure that everything is running smoothly so you can focus on your work without any hiccups.

Many small firms don’t have a dedicated in-house IT team. In this case, partnering with a managed IT service provider (MSP) specializing in professional services (such as those supporting CPAs, brokerages, and law firms) is an excellent alternative.

These providers can handle the entire RDS setup, ongoing maintenance, security monitoring, backups, and compliance-aligned configurations on your behalf – often including hosted options in secure environments. This approach delivers the same benefits of centralized control and remote access without the burden of managing servers yourself.

Keep Client Data Safe: Attorney – Client Privilege & CPA Confidentiality

One of the biggest benefits of using ValuAdder on RDS, instead of a browser-based SaaS, is that all your data stays on your firm’s servers. This makes it much easier to argue that you’re maintaining confidentiality according to attorney-client privilege or CPA and broker professional ethics.

Key Security Measures IT Should Implement:

Network Isolation: Put the RDS server on a restricted network segment. Expose it externally only through RD Gateway or a firm VPN with multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Identity Controls: Use MFA and strong password policies, ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive data.
File Access Governance: Store ValuAdder valuation projects in secure, access-controlled network shares or folders.
Logging & Monitoring: Enable RDS sign-in logs, audit file access, and regularly review these reports for sensitive matters.
Endpoint Strategy: Prevent files from being copied to unmanaged devices and only allow exports to approved, encrypted locations (e.g., document management systems).

These measures help ensure that your data stays in safe hands – no matter where you and your team are working.

Day-to-Day Usage: How You Interact with ValuAdder

From a professional’s point of view, working with ValuAdder on RDS will feel like it’s running right on your computer – even though it’s actually hosted on the central server. The key difference? The data never leaves your firm, only the user interface is streamed over RDS.

Here’s how the typical workflow looks:

Connect to the Network: You connect using a VPN or directly through RD Web or RD Gateway, logging in with MFA for added security.
Launch ValuAdder: You can open ValuAdder from a portal, desktop shortcut, or Remote Desktop client, whether they’re on a Windows PC, Mac laptop, IOS, Android or other supported device.
Work on Projects: Open ValuAdder projects stored on secure network folders tied to your professional engagement.
Save Back to Secure Storage: All work – valuations, reports, and exports – gets saved to controlled, firm-managed file shares or a document management system (DMS), not to the local device.

This setup ensures that you and your team get the flexibility you need without compromising security.

Governance, Flexibility, and Best Practices

With RDS and ValuAdder, you get the flexibility to work anywhere – while keeping your data secure and under control. Plus, scaling is a breeze: Simply adjust RDS capacity or group memberships to accommodate more or fewer users. There’s no need to change how ValuAdder is installed.

Governance & Best Practices:

Define Policies: Create clear policies on where ValuAdder files should be stored, who can access them, and how long they’re retained for each client or matter.
Export Governance: Require that all exports (PDFs, spreadsheets, exhibits) be stored in your firm’s DMS or matter-specific folder, not emailed from personal accounts.
Regular Review: Work with IT to review user access, group memberships, and RDS logs regularly, especially when engagements close or employees leave the firm.

What You Get: Secure, Scalable, and Efficient Business Valuations

ValuAdder on RDS is the perfect solution for firms that need the flexibility to work remotely while keeping full control over sensitive valuation data. With this architecture, you’ll have the security, flexibility, and scalability you need to meet both attorney-client privilege and CPA confidentiality requirements. So, whether you’re working with clients across town or across the country, you can rest easy knowing your data is always safe, centralized, and under your firm’s control.

See Valuation Tour