Tax & AccountingAugust 26, 2025

Reduce technology maintenance overhead

By: Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting
Right now, chances are you're managing logins for tax software, separate credentials for audit tools, different update schedules for practice management — and somehow keeping it all secure. Every application wants its own attention, its own maintenance window, its own troubleshooting session when things go sideways.

Your IT setup shouldn't feel like a part-time job, and that’s where CCH Axcess™ can help. You get one integrated system so you don't have to worry about configuring integration points.

Centralized login and authentication controls

Have you ever been locked out of your software right before a deadline or at a critical time? CCH Axcess solves password frustrations with one unified account system that covers every module. Instead of managing separate credentials across multiple applications, your team uses one login for everything.

Here's what happens behind the scenes to make this possible:
  • Administrators create user accounts once in a single directory that spans all CCH Axcess modules.
  • The system applies firm-wide password policies automatically across CCH Axcess™ Tax, CCH Axcess™ Practice, and other modules.
  • Multi-factor authentication requires users to enter a mobile code after their password for additional security.
  • Single Sign-On integration connects with your existing Active Directory or corporate identity systems.
  • Permission changes made in one central location instantly affect access across all applications.
What could this tangibly mean for your day-to-day operations?
  • Firm-wide and customizable password rules instantly apply to every CCH Axcess module without additional configuration, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
  • Multi-factor authentication protects your system even if passwords get compromised in data breaches.
  • Security policies take effect immediately across all applications instead of requiring separate implementation.
Larger firms can plug into existing Active Directory systems so new hires automatically get the right access levels. Smaller firms get enterprise-level security without the complexity. Either way, your staff focuses on client work instead of password recovery emails, and IT maintenance becomes manageable again.
The software maintains itself while your team focuses on what generates revenue.

Install and Update Manager Automation

Once you've streamlined access, the next task is keeping everything current.

Updates once meant blocking out half a Saturday to patch everything individually, hoping nothing breaks in the process. However, when you work with CCH Axcess™, you get the benefits of centralized update management that perfectly syncs all your components and simplifies what used to be a complex process:
  • The Install and Update Manager handles updates for all CCH Axcess components through one interface.
  • Administrators can schedule automatic updates to run overnight or trigger them manually when convenient.
  • The system coordinates all module versions, so CCH Axcess Tax, CCH Axcess™ Knowledge Coach, and other modules all remain compatible.
  • Updates download and install in sequence, maintaining data connections between all applications.
  • The guided installer walks users through any manual steps without requiring technical expertise.

If you’re a growing firm, this becomes especially valuable. You're not burning weekend time on maintenance, and you're not waiting for your IT person to coordinate updates across multiple systems. The software maintains itself while your team focuses on what generates revenue.

Open Integration and API Expansion

With security and updates handled, you can focus on making your technology work smarter. Those APIs everyone talks about actually solve real problems by connecting your existing tools and automating routine tasks.

The integration capabilities work at several levels:

  • The Open Integration Platform provides APIs that can connect CCH Axcess™ Data Axcess Solutions with external CRMs, ERPs, and industry tools.
  • Custom applications and utilities can be built on top of Axcess APIs to handle unique workflow requirements.
  • Third-party integrations from the CCH® Marketplace extend functionality without custom development.
CCH Axcess APIs enable accounting firms and third-party software vendors to create integrations and automation that connect with CCH Axcess data. You can stop hunting through different systems trying to figure out which one has the current information. Those weekend software update sessions become someone else's problem because the system handles it. And security gets less complicated since everything runs through one place instead of five.

The accounting firm technology guide

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Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting

Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting is a leading provider of software solutions and expertise that helps tax, accounting and audit professionals research and navigate complex regulations, comply with legislation, manage their businesses and advise clients with speed and accuracy.

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