Cloud Computing Models for the Enterprise Law Firm
August 8, 2017
A decade has passed, and the Internet is now ubiquitous across every market and business category. Cell phone usage has increased exponentially. Digital connectivity has enabled us to scale our businesses in new ways. For small law firms, cloud computing has allowed us access to some of the same tools that larger firms have been using for decades. Mid to large size law firms now have cloud computing options that they never had in the past, which can free up the revenue they have traditionally spent on on-site deployments.
Clearly, cloud computing is here to stay. The next step, though, is for enterprise level law firms to determine if – and how — they will leverage cloud computing. There are several options, including the elimination of on-premise servers to migrate to the cloud in a public or private pipeline or select a hybrid mix somewhere between the two.
This article looks at your options.
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Elements of the Cloud
Cloud computing is currently being used by law firms of all sizes for:
These tools help law firms manage, operate, and promote their business. The ABA suggests that cloud adoption is increasing in law firms, but some of the larger firms are lagging behind national trends.
If your law firm is considering adopting a cloud computing infrastructure or adding cloud services, you have several options to consider:
Private cloud services are often controlled and managed by a managed service provider. These types of outsourced providers typically handle security and monitoring of this cloud computing model. These services are often characterized by a high up time and they often include disaster recovery options that help your business continue on in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.
The biggest benefit of using any of these models is to allow any size law firm to eliminate the costly hardware, software, and infrastructure it takes to build out an on-site server room.
Managed Services
Today, many law firms are choosing to outsource their technology applications to a managed service provider. These outsourced technology experts can supplement existing in-house IT teams, or stand alone as your exclusive resource. The benefits of MSPs are that they can pay for themselves in increased network security and 24/7/365 monitoring of your network. These IT professionals are in the business of staying abreast of the latest innovation and the latest cyber security threats. They can help eliminate the risks associated with online document collaboration and other shared services that make your business run smoothly but create risk.
Today, clients expect an ultra-secure data environment, along with the immediacy of cloud computing. Law firms have realized that hosting hardware on premises is no longer a cost effective or secure approach in the cloud computing era.
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