Your firm needs reliable IT that enhances remote productivity and is managed by a professional team to reduce the technology distractions that take you away from practice. This is Private Cloud.
How it Works
With a Private Cloud, all your firm’s IT is moved into a professional data centre, where it’s hosted on enterprise-class equipment and managed by a professional IT services group.
All of the computing takes place here, with no software or files stored on devices. Firm members connect to their files, email and software via a secure virtual desktop, accessible in any location, on any device.
Your firm is no longer responsible for owning, managing or upgrading back-office IT; for a set monthly fee, IT hassles are completely offset. In addition to this, a Private Cloud brings many significant benefits to the business:
Superior Reliability
IT is the backbone of your practice, and getting it right is essential for supporting operations and client service.
Private Cloud’s enterprise-level technology delivers large-firm capabilities at scale, with minimal downtimes and reliable system performance.
State-of-the-art systems in the data centre are proactively monitored and managed to prevent disruptions before they occur. If something were to happen, virtualization allows servers to pick up the load and continue operating, with little to no disruption to operations.
Software Compatibility
If your firm relies on trusted desktop software like PCLaw, Time Matters, or Ghost Practice, you may find it difficult to attain reliable remote access.
These software were designed to work on a Windows operating system inside an office with high network speeds: if you’re trying to remotely connect using a VPN or remote software, performance will be less than optimal, sometimes even unusable.
With Private Cloud, your software is hosted on servers in the data centre rather than on a computer or server in your office. Firm members connect to it via a secure virtual desktop, displayed the same way in or out of the office. Run on enterprise-class equipment at very high speeds, software performs smoothly, delivering a seamless and productive remote work experience.
Professional IT Management
Moving to a Private Cloud will enable your firm to offload the responsibility of owning and operating IT. Everything is professionally managed by the provider offsite, and capital expenditures are traded for a fixed monthly subscription fee.
Installations, updates and security patches can be remotely deployed to all user profiles on virtual servers inside the data centre within a matter of hours, making IT management much more efficient and less disruptive to your practice.
With a Private Cloud, IT works better and firms can focus on their core business without the headaches of technology-related interruptions.
 5 Technology Essentials for the Distributed Firm  |
Advanced Security
Managing law firm security is always challenging, and distributed work increases the risks, introducing additional vulnerabilities for your firm and your clients. As firm members regularly access systems and information from external computers, the likelihood of virus and malware infection increases significantly.
Management tools and best practices, if rigorously implemented, will reduce this risk however the virtual desktop is a firm’s greatest security asset, almost completely eliminating risk of exposure.
With a virtual desktop, no files are kept on the remote user’s device – everything remains secure in the data centre, with only key strokes and mouse movements transmitted across the secure connection to the Private Cloud. Should the device become infected with malware or fall into the wrong hands, no sensitive data is exposed.
Strong Business Continuity
Your firm relies on technology to maintain remote productivity and client service; improving your virtual capabilities will better prepare you for unexpected disruptions.
Downtime caused by system failures, cyber threats and physical damage to equipment are common threats to a law firm’s business continuity. A Private Cloud’s high availability, advanced security and state-of-the-art data centre significantly reduce these risks
With a more distributed workforce, remote access is now a necessity, which is why a Private Cloud with virtual desktop is an ideal solution. In just about any scenario, you can rest assured that all members of your firm will be able to access their files and software, keeping your firm running and your clients happy.
Private Cloud has multiple built-in, automated backup features that ensure your firm and client data remains intact and can be quickly recovered after almost any disaster scenario.
The Better Way to do IT
Private Cloud with an experienced provider is the best solution for small to medium sized firms, especially those with distributed members. Recognized by Canadian law societies for its many benefits to legal service, you can feel confident that Private Cloud is the right solution for your firm.
