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As the world progresses with digitization and cloud management, one must make the best use of the technology that offers convenience to both the customers and the service provider. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, most law firms operated through on-site work solutions.
However, as the times called for a need for remote work, many businesses, as well as law firms, had to revamp their working mechanism and had to come up with modern solutions that were accessible from anywhere in the world.
Evidence from research suggests that moving towards efficient systems such as cloud-based management systems increase the speed and functionality of law firms. Through technology that provides connectivity throughout the globe, law firms can both revolutionize and uplift the way they work with their clients and their working space.
If you are a Law Firm IT professional, who is considering making a move to the cloud, here are your 9 reasons why you should go for it:
1. Improved and inviolable security
From the initial years of cloud computing till today, the cloud has consistently improved and remains one of the most secure forms of storing and operating data online. It has proved to be a much more secure alternative to on-premise software that law firms have been using.
The security infrastructure of cloud computing has been an abundantly focused and heavily invested field. Due to this, cloud computing is much more robust and tends to exceed the quality of servers on-premise.
2. Enhances experience through client-centeredness
One of the key things that contribute to a customer’s return rate is their digital experience and accessibility of service. When services like healthcare have already been digitized, consumers root for digital legal solutions as well.
To cater to the need and wants of the clients, moving towards the cloud offers law firms a greater insight into how they can expand their services and clientele range. Even steps as small as law blog design can make a huge difference, so the wonders moving towards the cloud will do can not be discounted.
3. Increased working flexibility
Moving towards the cloud offers lawyers or legal advisors greater flexibility to work from anywhere, anytime. Remote working opportunities serve to be more convenient in case multiple projects are going on simultaneously.
Previously what was considered to be an implausible idea, through cloud computing, remote working has proven to be a much more beneficial work arrangement, increasing the accessibility of clients and significantly reducing on-premise software challenges and limitations.
Cloud-based software opens up avenues for working with a broader client base without any on-premise restrictions.
4. Easy and automatic updates
Keeping the software up to date on the premises of your law firm can be a challenge. It will not only demand a greater team for managing the software but also to temporarily halt the proceedings until the software has been updated for each system in your office.
What can be even more tedious is that these updates may not be compatible with certain systems at certain time points and might require you to invest more to enable upgrades.
However, through cloud-based servers, the service providers are constantly updating the software to enhance performance and functionality. Cloud-based software takes off your responsibility to keep the systems updated and does so automatically.
5. Budget friendly
The systems or servers on-premise can greatly contribute to your IT bills. The cost of installing, running, and maintaining these servers can take up a bigger part of your budget, leaving you little room to expand or upgrade.
Cloud-based servers are cost-efficient in their functionality and do not demand a constant expenditure for maintenance. Rather it will only save you from a heavy IT budget.
6. Effortless scalability
Cloud-based software often at times works on a subscription plan which makes it easier to be expanded to different systems as you need to increase the number of subscribers that are using the platform.
Expanding through cloud-based software does not require you to invest in additional servers or bring in new technology or a technology team. Through cloud-based computing, training new employees and making it accessible to a larger team has been made easier.
7. No more VPN hassle
The need for virtual private networks is pronounced when you have on-premise management software. Without VPN, your access to documents and certain essentials is limited. However, cloud-based software is free of this need.
Many service providers for cloud-based computing software are functional without a VPN and allow lawyers as well as clients to access files without having to overcome this barrier, that too in a secure way.
8. Sound support network
Moving to the cloud means moving above IT issues. cloud-based software offers greater support to its users and not just IT professionals.
Through features of customer support channels, live chat, and on-call support, you can solve most of the problems that you may encounter while using the cloud, that too without having to ask your IT team.
The use of cloud computing makes you technically self-sufficient to some extent since it’s easier to navigate, even if there are minor problems.
9. Cohesive and compatible
As a law firm IT professional, you must ensure that the central and supplementary software are working smoothly and securely with each other. Integrating software solutions can be both daunting and, at times, difficult to manage.
This is what cloud-based software does easily. It allows you to integrate your tools and add in further and customize according to your needs.
Conclusion
If you are a law firm IT professional, moving toward the cloud will be a decision you will not regret. While it will add both professional and work value, it will ease your everyday interactions and allow you a greater focus on carrying out the bigger tasks of projects that will truly add to the success of your work and most likely increase the number of your clients.
