When looking for the right legal tech tool for your law firm, you will soon come across a simple but very important question: Are solutions in the cloud better or should everything run on-premise? We will help you with your decision.
The question of whether a legal tech solution is better off in the cloud or whether on-premise provides more security cannot be answered so quickly. For that, you first have to take a closer look at the two principles. Neither one nor the other is better or worse per se. Many of the criteria for your decision depend on your requirements for the tool, what the workflow in your law firm looks like and how much money you want to spend.
What is On-Premise?
On-premise literally means nothing other than "on site" or, more precisely, "on the business premises". This means that these solutions are installed on the computers in your office and are therefore also available offline. This sounds like a very solid and secure solution - if there weren't a few disadvantages that you should be aware of.
What are the disadvantages of on-premise?
There are a few points that, when examined more closely, make it quite clear where on-premise offerings reach their limits:
Security
Even if on-premise seems safer in theory, there is also the possibility of glaring security gaps. Besides attacks by hackers, environmental influences can also paralyse or destroy your system. In the worst case, fires, power outages or water damage can lead to a complete loss of data.
Even if on-premise seems theoretically more secure, there is also the possibility of glaring security gaps.
Perfect security in the form of a strong firewall and access control must be taken care of by yourself or with the help of an IT specialist. With cloud solutions, this is the provider's job and the costs for this are already included in the respective prices.
Accessibility
In order for on-premise solutions to also work in the home office, you often need a VPN connection. Depending on the solution used, the setup costs can be quite high.
Maintenance
On-premise solutions need to be regularly maintained and updated. You cannot always do this yourself and therefore need external service providers, which in turn requires money and time as well as organisational resources. In the cloud, the provider takes care of all this.
Costs
Last but not least, we come to the costs and these are of course many times higher with on-premise solutions than with cloud software. The purchase of suitable servers and a secure backup system are expensive and require advice and installation by a professional. Cloud solutions manage with a fraction of this effort and do not require additional hardware. Due to the scalability of the applications, you only pay for the services you really need.
Cloud solutions: reliable, mobile and easy to use
The functionality of cloud-based software has really caught up in recent years, because developers now focus on ease of use, intuitive design and a clear structure. Cloud solutions have thus developed into absolute must-haves that leave a particularly positive impression on clients.
Cloud solutions have become absolute must-haves that leave a particularly positive impression on clients.
No wonder, after all, they are the obvious proof that a law firm is moving with the times. If the tool also has the option of mobile use on a smartphone, the high-end digital set-up of your law firm is perfect. There are also some convincing arguments in favour of using cloud-based software such as IURIO:
Perfect for the home office and on the road
Access to the programme and all data is usually significantly easier to enable than with on-premise solutions.
Scalability
The application can grow with your law firm. At the same time, you don't have to pay for functions that you don't actually need.
Reliability
The constant monitoring of the system by the provider makes cloud services particularly reliable.
Costs of cloud solutions
Cloud-based solutions are in most cases cheaper. Here, the costs for servers, firewalls, backup systems, updates and the regular purchase of new systems are eliminated. Unfortunately, servers have a limited lifespan and therefore need to be replaced regularly. In addition, a second server should be stored at another location so that in the event of fire or water damage, not all data is lost in one fell swoop.
Cloud-based solutions are cheaper in the vast majority of cases
This also costs money and must be both safe and regularly maintained. Costs of several thousand euros quickly arise here, which are due at regular intervals. With cloud solutions, all these points are omitted, because the provider takes care of the servers. The monthly fees for the cloud software also cover all hardware costs.
You can try out cloud solutions quickly and easily. For example, IURIO offers you a trial version that you can test on your laptop and smartphone with just a few clicks and after a short introduction via video call. This allows you to quickly and easily decide whether IURIO offers you exactly the applications you need to digitise your workflow.
Are cloud-based legal tech tools secure?
Security is one of the big concerns when it comes to cloud solutions. Yet they are monitored around the clock by the provider, any errors are immediately corrected and regular updates and maintenance are carried out. Legal tech tools that are in the cloud are therefore not automatically insecure and do not necessarily violate professional law. Here, it all depends on the implementation of the individual tools. IURIO meets the requirements of the DSGVO as well as those of professional law and is therefore suitable for lawyers, tax advisors and public authorities. Clients also appreciate the simple and mobile application, which makes creating and editing documents as well as communication easy and practical.
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