In the early years, cloud computing was taken on by the innovators and early stage adopters. Then, as with any new tech, it spread to the mainstream. But, there are always the old guard. The ones distrustful of change. Those with the most to lose if adoption fails somehow. The legal, medical, and financial sectors are the last to the game. The fall out of a data loss or breach for each of them could be catastrophic. But, the technology continues to prove the business case. The cloud helps people work better, smarter. Here we outline the benefits many law offices are now enjoying by switching to the cloud.
Constant Availability
With the cloud, data storage is centralized, so users are able to access and store data independently and in real-time. The cloud host also handles server maintenance, security architecture, and updates meaning your systems are up-to-date and available around the clock without any work on your behalf. Cloud traffic is generally encrypted and password protected which allows authorized users to access the information anywhere. This is especially beneficial to national and international law firms where documents need accessed by parties in multiple geographies.
Increased Efficiency
Legal offices are notoriously document heavy and those documents are very rarely one-pagers. When the documents need to go to another party, the business will often rely on an in-house postal vendor that handle the mailing and transporting. All of that takes office space, storage space, shipping costs, and time. When all of your document storage is in the cloud, the ability to quickly and simply collaborate is tremendous boon to efficiency.
Cloud-based apps also allow in-house teams to provide other departments with templates for basic contracts or agreements, as well as to assign tasks and automate workflows, saving time and simplifying more complex work processes. Such platforms also allow General Counsels to track the status of ongoing legal matters in a single dashboard, giving them more control than using manual tools. A central database makes it easier for legal teams to generate insights from their data, helping them take on a more strategic role within the organization.
Scalability
One of the most recognized benefits across industries is the scalability of the cloud. Big cases may require adding on exceptional amounts of paralegals that may or may not be there for the long haul. With your operations in the cloud, you can easily scale your services to meet the current demand in only a matter of days. Cloud solutions are also frequently designed to be modular, allowing for quick implementations and expansion without the need for complicated and expensive IT projects. Organizations can start with a small number of functions and expand at a later date as business needs require.
Great Lakes Computer can help you move some or all of your business to the cloud.
Whether you are considering a small step to cloud services by moving your email server environment to Office 365, or ready to take a giant leap and rid your workers of PC’s to our Complete Cloud Solution powered by Avatara, Great Lakes Computer is ready to guide you and manage your transition. Contact us to learn more.
