OTLA Presents Webinar “The Advantages of Cloud IT”

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Cloud IT is an increasingly-popular alternative to an on-site computer network. To speak to why law firms are switching to the cloud, on September 19th we participated in OTLA’s CPD-accredited webinar “The Advantages of Cloud IT”. The 75-minute informational webinar featured Duncan Macgillivray of White Macgillivray Lester LLP and our very own LexCloud.ca CEO, Mike Dewdney. The purpose of the presentation was to provide the attending OTLA members with a primer on the benefits of Cloud IT in an educational setting.

Topics covered included:

  • What Cloud IT is & how it works
  • Requirements to implement
  • Traditional vs. Cloud-based approaches
  • Practical example of implementation, from start to finish
  • Frequently asked questions

Mike focused on the basics of what the cloud is and some of its advantages such as improved reliability, and the flexibility to scale up or down easily. Mike also discussed the cost benefits of switching to a simple monthly fee, the biggest being the elimination of capital expenditures on IT. Mike’s considerable years of experience in legal IT, much of it working with OTLA members, made him the ideal person to cover some of the most important questions to ask when buying a cloud service:

  • Where is my data stored?
  • How is my data protected?
  • How can I get my data back if I need to?
  • Who supports my applications?
  • What physical security and business continuity measures are in place?

As Managing Partner of a PI firm, Duncan spoke about his firm’s experience with implementing a cloud-based system. He described how the set up was by and large a painless process that effectively solved his firm’s core IT issues: unreliable systems, poor remote access, and expensive servers and consultants. With Cloud IT, his firm experiences problem-free log-ins and powerful remote access from anywhere. Also, Duncan finds that the lack of a server room and lower on-site IT requirements means that costs are lower too.

At the end of the presentations, the floor was then opened to participants to ask questions.

Keep watch on the OTLA website for the webinar recording which will be available for purchase, and count toward the Law Society of Upper Canada’s Continuing Professional Development requirement.


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