When your attorneys are traveling, it’s a real struggle to work effectively; they find themselves unproductive and unable to bill, which stirs up a good deal of frustration at multiple levels of your firm.
As you’ve brought younger associates aboard, they seem frustrated with how your technology works. They might even be suggesting new tools, or using their own to work around your systems.
If there’s ever inclement weather, you have a hard time staying operational at all. You’ve already had some clients get upset with you for this reason.
One approach is to set your attorneys up with software that connects them into their workstation (GoToMyPC, for example). This will give them access to their files and software at a low price. Some firms find this solution clunky, and it isn’t the most secure option out there.
Another option is to opt for a virtual private server (VPS), meaning that a provider hosts your servers (including those for your DMS and time and billing package) in their datacenter. This allows your attorneys to connect into them over the internet when they’re outside the office.
A third solution is a virtual desktop solution, which means your entire network (files, email, applications, and all) lives in the cloud. Your attorneys and staff have the same exact work experience, security, and functionality from anywhere. This does come with a commensurate price tag.
Maybe you’ve knocked on your IT manager’s door wanting to talk about the cloud. Maybe potential economies of scale have been brought up in a board of directors meeting and that prompted you to call him. Whatever the situation, your IT resource seems reluctant to explore cloud computing with you. This is not an uncommon…
Deciding to abandon your company’s entire on-site infrastructure in favor of a cloud-based environment is no quick and easy process. Besides weighing the big-picture costs and benefits to your business, it’s also critical to consider the individual personalities inside your company and how they’ll receive this kind of transition. Will they welcome the…
When it comes to cloud computing, providers tend to harp on the idea of mind-blowing cost savings in their promotional material. In fact, this notion has saturated the IT landscape to the point where many firms will reflexively equate “cloud” with “cheap,” even if they’ve never actively explored a cloud solution. We hear it…
As originally published in the American City Business Journals. Feeling the pressure to move your company to the cloud? While most companies have at least part of their operations in the cloud — email, backup, applications, or files — many have yet to transition into a full virtual desktop environment, one where…