Karon Bales
Partner
Bales Beall LLP
Wills & estates, family law, litigation, employment law
9 lawyers, 9 staff
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto firm Bales Beall LLP had a professional IT setup: a server room filled with a solid network of servers, providing a LAN that worked well for the firm - most of the time. As all in-house systems do, it was nearing the end of its life: remote access was becoming onerous, software was crashing and the network was slowing down. One option was to simply buy new servers to replace the old. But Partner Karon Bales had heard of Private Cloud and wondered: would moving to the Cloud be a safer, more reliable solution?
The challenge
When Karon and her team approached us, Private Cloud was a fairly new concept in the legal industry. Security was a top priority for the firm - they wanted to know where their clients' data would be hosted. They knew that hosting data in a foreign jurisdiction can be risky, as it requires careful navigation of international privacy and security laws.
Karon also worried about business continuity. The firm would be handing their virtual operations over to another company; if disaster struck, would Bales Beall be able to maintain critical operations and continue to serve its clients?
"Our firm needed all of the benefits of Cloud technology, but we had to be sure it was secure."
Security of data and mind
Unlike most Private Cloud providers, at LexCloud.ca we use our own system, called Cloud Desktop™. Because we own our equipment, we have control over our clients' security and system performance, and we know our servers are 100% housed on Canadian soil. We built the system from the ground up - you won't find a more knowledgeable Private Cloud team, or a team who better understands the technology needs of lawyers.
LexCloud hardware is hosted in a state-of-the-art data centre that has better building and data security than is possible with an in-office system, and our team regularly deploys up-to-date security patches to ensure threats are minimized.
Our clients can rest assured their data is securely housed, and business can continue in almost any event.
"The Cloud feels like a big upgrade. Knowing that everything is up-to-date and taken care of gives us peace of mind."
Better business continuity
In-house servers require a lot of maintenance. For one, they need to be housed in a secure room in a firm's office space. The servers generate heat, necessitating a cooling system be installed and maintained. Ensuring Bales Beall's data was backed up every day and the backup tapes sent home with a reliable person became another chore that required thought and coordination - a chore that just isn't necessary with a Cloud system, because all backups are regular and automatic.
"LexCloud's approach to technology management is very progressive...they are constantly evolving in order to ensure their systems are top-notch, which better serves their clients. We're happy to work with them - we've never looked back."
The result
Although she says they didn't switch for cost reasons, Karon reports that moving the firm to the Cloud brought budget savings on hardware.
The firm would never consider buying an in-house system again. With its hassle-free security and enhanced business continuity, being in the Cloud has brought Bales Beall LLP the most valuable benefit of all - peace of mind.
To learn how Private Cloud could work for your law firm, download our Executive Summary for Firm Partners or contact us for a free consultation.
