Law firms have shown an upshot in advancing their firms with the cloud. Small- and medium-sized law firms may experience growing pains as they try to find ways to expand, but at the same time work to lower costs.

The IT department is often considered a necessary evil. IT keeps computers going, and computers allow lawyers to work more efficiently, but IT can be an expensive endeavor. Cloud service providers can help alleviate some of the IT costs, and add extra benefits your law firm does not currently have.

Flexibility

Small law firms may or may not be thinking of expanding sometime in the near future. If not, then the question that comes to mind is, why not? The cloud offers opportunities law firms do not have on their own. The thought of moving to another office and expanding the business model of the firm to include a larger IT department can be daunting in itself, but when working with a cloud service provider this task is virtually non-existent. Cloud providers build, maintain and update servers at their site, so the client (you) does not have to worry about it. As more computers get added, new software is acquired, or new analytic processes are created, the cloud handles all of the hard work, while your firm gets to do what it does best – practice law.

Better Qualified Personnel

You probably have a great IT staff currently, but IT personnel working with cloud providers take expertise to a new level. They are equipped with multiple certifications that cover software, hardware, and legal zones of expertise. Since qualified providers, such as TOSS, are prepared to work with businesses that are very small as well as enterprise-level firms, their personnel are trained at the highest level. These IT guys and gals know what your server needs are, when to perform software updates, and what the best upcoming technologies are for your firm. Learn more how this works:

Management of Resources

Have you ever seen a pop-up that reminds you it is time to update your software? Have you ever hit the “remind me later” button? Uploading new versions can seem like a waste of time, but you could be missing out on important security updates, updates that could protect your network from hackers. Cloud providers take the hassle of updates and security out of your hands. Most updates and other matters are automated and happen without you realizing it. The updates will occur after business hours, so there is no interference with your business practices.

Mobile Security

Many people think that hackers sit around trying to hack into business networks, and that is true – sometimes. Hackers also hang out at cafes and local coffee shops waiting for someone to turn on their laptop. Hackers piggy-back the wireless signal and gain access to computers all the time. When you connect to your firm’s servers, then so are they, and they are hungry for your clients’ files.

Cloud service providers have dual-authentication technology that can stop hackers from getting in. If the hackers are really good they may still get to your files, but providers also have high-level encryption, so the hackers may have the data, but they won’t be able to read it.

Disaster Recovery

This is one of the biggest reasons to have a cloud service provider. Disasters happen all the time: floods, fires, cyber attacks, etc. The loss of data can be crippling to a law firm. Imagine a fire has gone through your office and destroyed everything. Getting things ‘back to normal’ could take days or even weeks.

While your office may be in shambles, your work doesn’t have to be put on hold for long at all. When working with a cloud service provider you will have disaster recovery protection.

You can easily log into your laptop and access your calendar to see what you had planned for the day. Then you can reroute your schedule (you have to deal with the fire), and have your employees work from home for the day. Your office just went mobile with barely a hiccup in your daily routine. This is the TOSS way of making sure you are taken care of in the worst scenarios. Take a look at this short video about disaster recovery.

Cloud service providers are more than just a service connecting you to the cloud. They are your IT department, your backup provider, your disaster recovery specialist and the only way your firm will stay competitive in today’s busy market. Get a free assessment today!