What Is Cloud Computing, and Why Is It Important for Lawyers?
In today’s digital era, implementing cloud computing is no longer optional. It is essential to simplifying your law practice and legal case management.
The latest trends show an increase in business and consumer use of the cloud for their daily activities, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers turned to online platforms to access goods and services without exposing themselves to the virus.
Businesses, including law firms, adopted the home-based/hybrid setup and took advantage of cloud tools to keep servicing their clients during the crisis. One firm said in an interview that cloud computing has helped them “keep their operations seamless despite having a remote setup.” They were able to build an entirely digital law firm by taking advantage of the cloud.
Using Cloud Computing Is Not Rocket Science.
If you use digital apps and tools such as Dropbox, Gmail, Basecamp, Zoom, iCloud, and Office 365, then you are already taking advantage of cloud computing.
Cloud computing enables you to enjoy the benefits of software tools without having to install them on your premises or pay upfront for expensive licenses.
According to the 2021 ABA Legal Technology Survey Report, “lawyers and law firms see the cloud as a fast and scalable way to use advanced legal technology tools without the need for a substantial upfront capital investment in hardware, software, and support services.” Tools that are in the cloud offer a lower cost of entry in the form of a subscription that you can pay monthly or annually for services based on usage.
What About Client Confidentiality and Data Security?
Many law professionals still use paper-based processes due to confidentiality and security concerns. In fact, during the pandemic, “cloud usage [in the legal sector] increased only by 1% (up to 60% from 59% in 2020).”
Cloud computing is not perfect and can have various security vulnerabilities. This is why law firms should be very critical of the cloud infrastructure, platform, and software they plan to implement or are already using. This is one of the reasons why when looking for a cloud-based practice and case management solution tailored for legal professionals, it is important to verify that the tool has been developed using the security-by-design approach that ensures confidentiality and security of the digital assets it handles. One should also look for multi-factor authentication, Microsoft and Google login options, roles-based access controls, and encryption to ensure end-to-end cybersecurity.
And this is also the reason why Clarra — a cloud platform uniquely tailored for legal professionals — is developed using the security-by-design approach to ensure the confidentiality and security of the digital assets it handles. It offers multi-factor authentication, Microsoft and Google login options, roles-based access controls, and encryption to ensure end-to-end cybersecurity.
Making the Most Of Cloud Computing
Without getting too technical, the three main types of Cloud Computing are Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). They work harmoniously to allow you to use software technologies more flexibly and cost-effectively by accessing them via Cloud.
You can make the most of cloud technologies by bringing them together into a single cloud services platform. By doing so, you can access all your cloud assets using a single hub for a more seamless experience. For the legal industry, an example of this would be Clarra.
Find a Cloud Platform Uniquely Designed For Legal Professionals
Clarra amalgamates and incorporates the capabilities of various apps including those for messaging, legal document management, timekeeping, and scheduling to help you simplify law practice and legal case management. Clarra allows you to easily track final documents, avoid missing deadlines, and keep track of contacts.
Clarra gives you a single source of truth for everything associated with your matters — thus simplifying management of complex matters while ensuring the security of all your legal documents.
If you want a free demo, feel free to contact one of our Cloud experts for legal. Shoot us an email here.
