Cloud solutions are fantastic for law firms because they improve efficiency and reduce errors, maximizing billable hours and chances for favorable case outcomes. But that doesn’t mean you should just grab whatever cloud products are cheapest and most readily available. With so many products on offer, it can be easy to purchase and pay for something that doesn’t help or actively hinders your operations.
Let’s review five of the top cloud solutions for law firms so you can focus on the tried-and-true products that will benefit your practice the most.
Cloud productivity: Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 is a cloud platform that’s best suited for the legal sector because of feature-rich productivity tools such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more. Microsoft products are also well known for being the most secure on the market, with many and varied cybersecurity tools integrated into their vast cloud ecosystem.
What’s more, Microsoft 365 is filled to the gills with out-of-the-box compatibilities, so whatever other cloud tools you are using, odds are they integrate seamlessly with the world’s leading cloud productivity suite.
Cloud storage and collaboration: Microsoft OneDrive
As far as cloud storage solutions go, there are many on the market that offer similar features and pricing, but for the needs of legal firms, Microsoft OneDrive stands out. This is because more than any other storage solution (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.), OneDrive is focused on data security with well-developed tools. And if you are already utilizing Microsoft 365 and Azure, integration is a snap.
Privacy and security are top priorities for law firms, not only to protect their clients but also to preserve their reputation. You can get great collaborative features, easy-to-use interfaces, and high availability from other cloud storage solutions, but OneDrive gives you all that and better peace of mind.
Firm, document, and case management: MyCase
MyCase is a cloud-based firm management and client communication platform. This versatile software enables your practice to easily manage cases and documents, track time and billable hours, and securely communicate with clients all from one app. It also features out-of-the-box integrations with other vital tools for law firms, including Outlook, Gmail, Google Calendars, Quickbooks, and more.
Clio is also a good option for these features, but MyCase is not only easier to use and more versatile, but also cheaper. This makes it ideal for small and medium-sized firms, as it enables them to maximize efficiency while reducing expenditures on additional tools and subscription-locked features that come standard with MyCase.
eDiscovery: Logikcull
eDiscovery is a process that helps your firm maximize efficiency, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its problems. Logikcull addresses many of the difficulties of eDiscovery by securely streamlining the data import and collection processes. This tool also supports end-to-end discovery, automatically categorizes data into predefined search filters, and comes with a wealth of collaboration and data management features. Logikcull even comes with drag and drop integrations with all of the other software tools you are probably already using, so you don’t need to radically alter your processes to implement it.
Governance: Microsoft Entra ID
As your IT environment grows and you add new software and other tools to your workforce’s arsenal, it becomes more important to have protections in place that govern who has access to certain apps, data, or even hardware. Microsoft’s Entra ID enables secure adaptive access to your resources without compromising speed or usability. You can easily control which employees, clients, and partners have access to different components of your IT infrastructure from a user-friendly dashboard. It is fully integrated into the Azure cloud ecosystem and comes with Microsoft’s world-renowned cybersecurity features.
If your New England law firm is looking to migrate to the cloud or optimize its existing infrastructure, talk to the experts at Founders Technology Group. Our experienced IT consultants will help you determine the ideal cloud solutions for your practice.