the cloud: background & best practices for small law firms

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Worry Free IT The Cloud Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms March 29, 2014

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Cloud computing for small law firms: background information, what is "Cloud", the benefits of Cloud computing and the risks of Cloud computing. Also includes 14 Best Practices to help small law firms find, vet, choose and implement Cloud solutions for their firm.

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Page 1: The Cloud: Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms

Worry Free IT

The Cloud

Background & Best Practices

for

Small Law Firms

March 29, 2014

Page 2: The Cloud: Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms

3 Points:

1. Small means 5 to 55 attorneys

2. Network 1 has been providing IT support to small law firms since 1998

3. Presentation adapted from a session Network 1 delivered to the Atlanta ALA chapter’s Small Firm Section in 2013 entitled “The Cloud: Enjoy the Cool Breeze and Avoid the Storms”.

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Page 3: The Cloud: Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms

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The Cloud: What is it?

What is “The Cloud”? Here’s a good, working description:

• “Cloud Computing” is a server(s) on

the Internet that provides

infrastructure or applications.

• The equipment is owned by the

Service Provider.

• Generally a “pay-as-you-go” model is

used based on the number of users.

• Can access the Cloud from

anywhere: office, home, remote.

Infrastructure

Applications

Page 4: The Cloud: Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms

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Cloud Infrastructure

Infrastructure is the IT equipment you used to need / have on-site at the firm. Here is a list of examples followed by some Cloud providers:

Infrastructure

• Servers (Rackspace, Amazon Web

Services, Peak 10, Network 1)

• Phones (RingCentral, Vocalocity,

Windstream, Earthlink)

• Storage (Dropbox, iCloud, SkyDrive,

Barracuda, eFolders, Peak 10)

• Virtual Desktops (Citrix, VMware

HorizonView, Hyper-V). These solutions

are cloud-based when they run on a

Server service provider’s infrastructure.

Internet

Client

Service Provider

Data Center

Page 5: The Cloud: Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms

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What Are They Called?

Solutions are generally referred to in one of three ways:

Infrastructure

• Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)

• Cloud-based (fill in the blank)

• Cloud-(fill in the blank)

Internet

Client

Service Provider

Data Center

Page 6: The Cloud: Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms

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Cloud Applications

• Hosted Email (AppRiver, Intermedia, Microsoft 365, Google mail)

• Spam Filtering (AppRiver, Postini, GFI)

• Legal Research (LexisNexis, Westlaw)

• File Sharing (ShareFile, Accellion, YouSendIt)

• Fax Services (eFax, RingCentral, GFI, Biscom)

• CRM (Salesforce.com, SugarCRM, SalesLogix)

• Desktop Apps (Office 365, Google Apps)

• Small Law Firm Apps: See next page

Applications

Client

Software Vendor

Data Center

There are a wider variety of Cloud-based applications compared to infrastructure. Here is a list of examples followed by some Cloud providers:

Page 7: The Cloud: Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms

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Small Firm Applications

• Orion (Orion Law Cloud Services)

• Rippe & Kingston (LMS Cloud)

• Amicus Attorney (Cloud Edition)

• Worldox (GX3 Cloud)

• NetDocuments

• QuickBooks (QuickBooks Online)

Applications

Client

Software Vendor

Data Center

Most small law firm applications have a Cloud strategy, if not a Cloud offering, at this point in time. Below is a list of small law firm applications that have Cloud options (these are sometimes called Software-as-a-Service or SaaS). This is an area of active development so contact the software vendor directly for an up-to-date status.

Page 8: The Cloud: Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms

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Cloud Infrastructure + Applications

Applications

Client

Hosting Vendor

Data Center

With virtualization, the cost of infrastructure has decreased. This has enabled companies like Network 1 to offer solutions. Want to get into the Cloud and keep your non-cloud applications? No problem: consider a company that has invested in the infrastructure and also understands law firm applications like Tabs, PracticeMaster, Timeslips, Time Matters, ProLaw, Concordance, Landtech, etc.

Cloud Infrastructure, combined with the applications and IT support you want, may provide a total Cloud solution that works for your firm.

Infrastructure

Page 9: The Cloud: Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms

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Cautionary Tales

• Amazon Web Services: has had several

widely-publicized outages.

• Google (lack of) privacy: Google’s

privacy agreement gives it the right to

look at your email… and it does.

• Dropbox security breaches: service

started with a clear focus on the

consumer market and has tried to evolve

into a business-class service. Has been

hacked on several occasions.

• Megaupload raid/shut down: service

was raided and shutdown, immediately,

by the FBI.

Here are some better-known cautionary tales from the Cloud:

Page 10: The Cloud: Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms

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The Wild West

Cloud computing reminds us of the Wild West: great opportunities salted with bad guys and danger lurking at every turn.

There are strong benefits – if you make the right choices – and big risks – if you make the wrong choices.

Page 11: The Cloud: Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms

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Cloud Benefits

• Latest software version.

• Better security for IT infrastructure.

• Environment hardened to resist disasters.

• As competition grows, prices will drop.

• Numerous choices.

• Same user experience, no matter where

the Cloud is accessed: office, home,

remote.

• Flexibility to add / subtract quickly &

easily.

• Subscription model means no upfront

capital outlays.

The benefits your firm gains from the Cloud depend on your specific situation. However, here are some common benefits: ☺

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Cloud Risks

• Security (this was also on the “Benefits”

list; highly dependent on the service

provider).

• Fewer application features (can be a

“gotcha” for some software; QuickBooks

Online is a good example of this).

• Viability of Service Provider.

• Possible high transition costs.

• Uneven performance .

• Uneven support.

• Bad guys abound in the Wild West: some

are malicious while others are inept.

Here are some things to look out for when you’re doing your due diligence: �

Page 13: The Cloud: Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms

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Cloud Best Practices

• Who are their competitors?

• What are their stated service levels? Do they

consistently meet or exceed them?.

• How do they back up your data? What’s the

frequency and location(s), media used and length of

retention? Are test restores done on a regular basis?

• How do you get your data if you fire them? How

much will it cost?

• How will you get your data if they go out of business?

• How good is their support when you need help?

• Who are their clients? Call several of them (at least

three) and ask tough questions (like the ones above).

Best

Practices

Check out the Cloud Company / Offering

Page 14: The Cloud: Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms

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Cloud Best Practices - continued

• Separate Internet & telephone circuits.

• For hosted phone, buy bandwidth and

hosted phone from same provider.

• Get a high-speed connection to the

Internet; fail-over to slower circuit if it

goes down. Fail-over is especially

important if you have a cable

connection (i.e., Cox, Charter, Comcast,

Time Warner).

• If you use Infrastructure-as-a-Service, do

not use a high-speed cable connection.

Get a high-speed connection from a

traditional telecom provider (i.e.,

Windstream, Earthlink, Cbeyond, AT&T)

that provides a Service Level Agreement

(SLA).

Best

PracticesConnectivity / Bandwidth

Page 15: The Cloud: Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms

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Cloud Best Practices - continued

• Make sure your office environment is

secure with a business-class physical

firewall.

• Have complex passwords set and a

policy to change passwords.

• If you have a wireless network, make sure

it’s business-class, secure with WPA2

protocol, and set up properly – with

internal network separate from guest

internet access.

Best

PracticesOffice Infrastructure & Policies

Page 16: The Cloud: Background & Best Practices for Small Law Firms

Worry Free IT

Tony Rushin

[email protected]

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