Why OC and Los Angeles Law Firms Are Going To The Cloud
It’s inevitable that law firms (or any business for that matter) are going to have to eventually do a network upgrade at some point. We’re all a part of the same cycle – your network is old and outdated, you refresh, you use it for a few years, it gets old and outdated again, you refresh, you use it for a few years… It’s an endless cycle.
For some firms, this cycle works. Typically they are firms that are able to very accurately forecast their annual business caseload and revenue and have a very clear idea of where the firm will be in a few years and what they will need.
Unfortunately, this is not the case for most firms. Most law firms we run into don’t know if they will land a big case in the future, which will require extra employees and additional resources from the network. Or they aren’t sure how the firm would handle another economic downturn and if there would even be a budget for a refresh. Or they don’t have a clear plan for how to grow with the changing times and implement things such as BYOD, remote workers or how to respond to the ever-increasing security threats.
Luckily, law firms now have another option to consider when they are faced with an upgrade: cloud computing.
Why Cloud Computing For Law Firms Works
No More Network Upgrades: As suggested above, you don’t have to do network upgrades anymore if you move to the cloud. There are no more servers and no more upgrades to an onsite network because now all of the computing is done offsite in a incredibly secure and compliant data center that is constantly being upgraded and updated. Law firms now have an incredibly predictable cost for IT every month and are able to take advantage of backend hardware and software upgrades without having to shell out the cash for it every time.
Scalability: Cloud is based on the pay-per-use model. You only pay for the resources you need and use, and it is simple to scale this up and down depending on number of employees, amount of network “power” needed, how much data you have, etc. Think of it like your utilities and electricity bill.
Flexibility: I like to say that Cloud computing is agnostic, meaning that it doesn’t care if you want to work on a PC, Mac, tablet, or smart phone. It’s the exact same desktop with the exact same applications and data no matter what device you prefer to work on. Not only does cloud not care what you work on, but it also doesn’t care where you work. No longer are you tied to the office, but now you can access your entire network (applications, files, email, everything!) anywhere you get an Internet connection, like at home, a coffee shop, on the road, courtroom, hotel on the beach in Costa Rica, your neediest client’s office, bar down the street, cousin Joey’s house…you get the idea.
The are numerous other benefits to cloud computing, such as built-in disaster recovery, easily customizable platform, and drastically reduced maintenance, and I encourage you to learn more on our cloud computing page.
If you’re interested in seeing how cloud computing could work in your law firm, get a free Cloud Readiness Assessment from WAMS. We’ll do a network health check to see what’s going on with your current network, show you a cost comparison for your specific on-site network vs. cloud, and then provide you with an action plan if you decide to move to cloud computing. Sign up for yours today here!
