Many tax firms rely on ASP because it seems convenient and secure: An external partner provides server capacity, handles updates, and ensures stable access for all employees. But this convenience comes at a price. Using ASP completely relinquishes control over data and processes. Client data is stored in a provider's data center, which controls storage, backups, interfaces, and access rights. For firms, this means maximum dependency —and little scope for developing their own digital strategy.
This is precisely where Microsoft Azure offers an alternative. Unlike with an ASP, the law firm itself determines what its IT landscape looks like and which tools it uses. The decisive factor, however, is not only the flexibility of the platform, but also the ability to build its own data space with Microsoft Fabric. Fabric bundles information from specialized applications such as Addison or DATEV, document management, email, or client portals in a central data lake that remains the property of the law firm. This creates a foundation that goes far beyond simply operating DATEV as an ASP.
While in an ASP, all data and processes remain locked within the partner ecosystem, Azure Fabric opens up the opportunity to pursue a separate, sovereign data strategy . Evaluations in Power BI, AI-supported analyses, or the integration of additional tools become possible without an external provider dictating every decision or blocking interfaces. The law firm has full control over storage, formats, and evaluations—and thus true independence.
It's often said that Azure only makes sense for large organizations. In reality, smaller law firms can benefit in particular : They only pay for the resources they actually use, can start with pilot projects step by step, and gradually build their own platform . The security of European Azure data centers meets the highest standards, and the close integration with Microsoft 365 makes the transition easy.
The central argument is therefore:
ASP means dependency, Azure with Fabric means data sovereignty.
For law firms that want to shape their own digital future, Azure is not just a technical option, but a strategic decision.
