In almost every industry, the move towards cloud-based software is rapidly increasing. As you can imagine, then, the popularity of cloud-based legal software is also rising.
There has always been a debate around cloud-based and on-premise software. Some stand steady in their argument that on-premise remains on top. Others believe that cloud-based software is the future that we must embrace.
In this article, we will discuss both types of software, and tell you why you should make the move to cloud-based. As you will see, there are many benefits that your legal practice can leverage from cloud-based software.
Defining On-premise and Cloud-based Legal Software
Using on-premise software means that you host all your applications and technology in-house. In other words, you have servers at your headquarters, which hold all the software that you use.
In contrast, using cloud-based software means that a vendor hosts your applications off-site. Here, a business uses virtual technology to connect to a third-party server. This server holds all the company software, applications, and information.
4 Reasons To Choose Cloud-based Legal Software
It can be difficult to decide which type of software might work best for you and your firm. But, we hope to make the choice a bit easier for you. Below, we will run through four essential features of the software, and show you, in each case, why cloud-based is superior.
1. Security
In 2019, ABA’s Legal Technology survey found that security is major concern lawyers have about cloud-based software. Many believe that hosting on-premise is more secure. This is because everything is held within the safety of your organization’s walls.
But, cloud-based security is actually stronger. Using cloud-based software, from a vendor, means that you get top-class security infrastructure. Vendors like Amberlo work tirelessly to ensure that their security is unbreakable. For example, with Amberlo, your data gets backed up hourly and is encrypted.
If you host on-premise, you may not have the expertise in-house to ensure this level of security.
2. Flexibility
As a growing legal firm, you’re always taking on new clients. We imagine that you’d like your practice to continue to grow and change. As such, you need your software to be flexible. With cloud-based legal software, you get that flexibility.
For example, moving to cloud-based means you can easily scale up your software. This means that your software can grow with your business. With on-premise, it’s not that easy to scale.
Furthermore, cloud-based software allows you to work on the move. You can access information remotely, which means you can go anywhere to meet new clients. If you’re using on-premise, you can only access documents on-site. This is quite limiting.
3. Efficiency
Software should increase efficiency within your practice. With on-premise software, efficiency can be tough. You likely have various applications for different aspects of the business. This makes it difficult to stay on top of everything.
With cloud-based legal software, you can manage all operations from one software suite. For instance, Amberlo’s software allows you to do many tasks. You can manage your emails, time and expenses, billing, documents, calendar, agreements, and cases all in one place! The software even allows you to track your performance with analytics. As such, you can use data to find out how to be even more efficient.
4. Cost-effective
The last thing you want is to spend large sums of money on software. But, if you’re using on-premise solutions, you may have to. There are many factors that come into play here because you’re not only paying for the software. You’re also spending money on the electricity needed to keep your servers running and on the maintenance of the servers.
Conversely, with cloud-based legal software, you only pay for the software. You don’t have to fork out extra cash for servers, or even increase office space to make room for the technology. In the long run, this is a much more cost-effective solution.
Final Thoughts
Switching to cloud-based legal software shouldn’t be such a tough decision. In fact, the decision should be clear. With cloud-based software, you get increased efficiency and better security and flexibility. What makes this even better is that your legal practice can save money too!
If this sounds enticing to you, then you should contact Amberlo today! We assist firms in transforming into high-performance digital organizations. And, we provide a solution that gives you control, security, and advanced features that will meet all your needs.
