Legal Firms

IT as a Service for Legal Firms

The legal industry is now focusing more on changes in Information Technology.  IT changes, or not keeping up with IT changes, can create risks for their clients and their practice.  Case Management Software, document management, email encryption, time tracking, billing contacts, case calendars and more have created an even greater reliance on IT infrastructure security, performance, and reliability.

Document collaboration, video conferencing and mobile devices are making IT security surface as a critical business problem.  However, with all of these demands on IT,  fewer than 60% of legal firms have a “formal” IT budget and 25% of legal firms still have no IT security policies.

Technology Trends in the Legal Industry

Posted on the Lexus/Nexus Business of Law Blog, the Top Technology Trends in the Legal Industry are described.  Based on our knowledge of providing IT infrastructure, hosting, management and support services to our legal clients, here are some of those trends which we feel have come to fruition and will continue to mature.

• With the focus on data/information security on the rise and driving needed attention on law firm environments, we expect more firms outsourcing.  They’re asking themselves, “Why should I host and manage all of these applications and data when I can get an expert to do it and satisfy my clients need for an ultra-secure legal data environment?” More firms will move to an outsourced model.
• An acceleration of legal departments getting comfortable with alternative models by “unbundling”, re-aggregating previously unbundled tasks and using managed service providers to get work done.
• An acceleration of small to medium law firms “outsourcing” their core operating platforms to the cloud to begin to level the playing field with larger law firms allowing more work to seamlessly flow to smaller law firms.
• Attorneys and law firms continue to adopt and utilize web-based software and services at an ever-increasing rate.  While the legal industry has historically been slow to adopt new technology, firms that conduct the cost-benefit analysis of these services conclude that it’s almost a “no brainer
• BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Starts Spreading to Laptops and Tablets, especially in smaller firms and will continue to grow.
• Firms will spend most of their extra money on Document Management Software rather than Practice Management Software.
• A law firm website is now the essential element of its marketing. Hinge research showed that 77% of professional firms generate new business leads online. 70% of law firms in another survey said their website generated new matters.
• The firms that have focused on improved business processes and supported them with smart technology will have many more opportunities than the firms that are simply trying to make the standard technology tools work well together. It’s another case of the haves and have-nots.

Why IT as a Service addresses all of these matters for Legal Services Firms

IT as a Service (ITaaS) is the new direction that is transforming how legal firms view their IT infrastructure, IT operations, and IT staff.  ITaaS represents a holistic approach to the acquisition, deployment, and operation of IT environments.  It is a better way to meet business and customer demands:

IT as a Service offers:

• A flat-fee structure so you are no longer concerned about billable hours because we are motivated to make your environment as stable as possible as quickly as possible
• A very predictable cost structure without large capital expenses
• A better ROI on your IT expenses as you order just what you need
• The benefits from having 24×7 support, monitoring and management of your IT infrastructure and end-user devices
• Privacy, security, and compliance (all distinct issues) management
• An IT infrastructure is scaleable, if you need more of anything, you just order it
• IT system performance levels are guaranteed in writing

Information based on blog post: http://businessoflawblog.com/2014/12/predictions-legal-2015/

So what does your Legal Firm need?

Synoptek provides “full-lifecycle” IT support for legal practices.  By selecting only the components and support, you need your law firm can realize significant cost savings compared to in-house alternatives. Delivering secure enterprise-wide computing and IT management support in a “private cloud,” Synoptek offers best-in-class functionality and performance in our Tier 4 datacenters while relieving your organization from supporting underlying hardware/software and technology replacements.

By obtaining IT infrastructure support for your law firm you can guarantee both security and performance levels (through a Service Level Agreement).  Subscribe for a monthly fee rather than purchasing thousands of dollars (a capital expense) in hardware and software that has to be continually upgraded and patched, then replaced every four years.

Is IT as a Service (ITaaS) a good fit for your Legal Firm?

Synoptek blends speed, agility, and simplicity to minimize organizational challenges in scaling and managing information technology infrastructure in your legal firm. With access to best-in-class technology experts, toolsets, hardware, and software.

Ask yourself:

• Is the growth of your data increasing, and your IT infrastructure cannot keep up?
• Are legacy systems becoming obsolete and harder to support?
• Are the number of sites, devices, systems and users increasing?
• Do clients need secure communications over mobile devices and tablets? (we provide full Apple support)
• As everything is expanding, is your ability to manage risk, security, and compliance also growing?
• Does finance want to move from a capital to an operating expense model?
• Is your existing IT infrastructure fragmented and becoming more complex to manage and monitor?
• Is maintenance more burdensome and licensing, and support contracts becoming problems?

If you accept that data is critical to your legal firm and that the management of that data is equally important, then you want to establish a relationship with a provider like Synoptek that will be a partner with you and not a faceless vendor who just sells commodity solutions.

Synoptek can provide your Firm:

• Support for your entire IT infrastructure and all of your end-user devices
• Application hosting (including all types of Case Management Systems)
• Secure support for multiple users, multiple locations, and multiple device management
• Secure network connectivity, VPN’s
• Nightly and off-site backups
• Diverse carrier access
• Disaster recovery services
• Guaranteed performance and availability

Leave your current IT “break-fix” environment where vendor objectives are to increase billable hours.  Let Synoptek Managed Services provide your Legal Practice a complete IT solution with the latest in advanced security technology and performance guarantees.

Compare IT Services:

IT Advice and Consulting:  Our skilled IT Solution Architects advise companies in a highly complex information technology environment where legal firms are challenged to continue to manage ever-changing technology. Learn more…

Project and Program Management:  Synoptek professionals can implement programs and project management to organize resources and drive activities to improve business results. Learn more…

IT Management and Support:  Our responsive IT management and support services are based on a substantial investment in advanced IT toolsets, advanced IT service management platforms and IT professionals skilled at problem-solving.  Keep your lawyers productive.  Learn more…

Cloud Services: Secure, scalable, reliable, virtual, private, hybrid or public, the Synoptek cloud services package is designed for uptime, optimization, and mobility. Learn more…

Application Services:  Synoptek ensures optimal performance for SaaS companies serving legal firms, application tiers: web, middleware, and databases. Learn more…

Comprehensive IT Outsourcing:  With the Synoptek IT outsourcing model, companies experience cost savings, standardized operations and efficiencies, and simplified IT management and support using our ITIL-based approach. Learn more…

Contact Us now to start the conversation.