Staying competitive as a law firm in the current industry climate is challenging. It takes every small advantage that you can get in order to stay on top as a law firm, and technology has become one of the defining factors that separate a small unknown law firm from one that is locally or even nationally recognized. It goes without saying that taking advantage of modern technology is essential for any type of business, but how exactly does it help your law firm?
Which IT Solutions Are Beneficial to Law Firms?
From remote management systems to practice-specific software tools, law firms can take advantage of a large number of different software and hardware tools to run their practice more efficiently. Included in these solutions is cybersecurity protection, an aspect of IT management that is an absolute must for every law firm. Cyberattacks have become increasingly more intelligent and thus more worrying for law firms, especially given the hefty fines handed out to companies that fail to protect their client data.
Here are some of the many IT services for law firms, most if not all of which are offered by managed service providers:
- Law-specific software such as practice and case management software
- Detailed cybersecurity plans
- Billing and accounting solutions
- Support-related services to offer a better customer experience
- Email archiving solutions
- Data management and backup services
- Remote work solutions that allow for case management anywhere
- Cloud-based applications
If your firm isn’t already taking advantage of law-tailored software or billing support, you will likely find that upgrading your IT to include these features helps streamline processes and increase overall efficiency. Support-related services can also have an impact on how you interact with your audience, and remote working solutions will allow you to run your practice no matter where you are.
What Managed IT Services Do
Law-related technologies are relatively unknown, even to many lawyers. This is mainly because a lot of software and hardware that law firms typically use aren’t actually exclusive to lawyers. Things such as cloud storage or server hosting can be used across several industries, but understanding the specific solutions within those practices that are beneficial to law firms can be key in improving workflow, communication, and output.
That said, attempting to learn about these different technological solutions while managing a law firm is a tall order. That’s why specialized managed IT services are a common resource for law firms. In order to take advantage of the latest law firm technologies while practicing law, it’s important to hire a managed IT services (MSP) company to help you handle tech solutions, updates, and maintenance while you focus on running your practice. It’s all about enabling you to do your job with more efficiency and effectiveness.
IT support companies can help you integrate unique solutions and software into your IT infrastructure without inhibiting end-user productivity or output. Law-specialized MSPs create both short-term and long-term plans for cybersecurity, software upgrades, and maintenance to help maximize efficiency and security within your practice. They also continually research the latest upgrades in law-related technology and can help adapt your IT accordingly. Perhaps the greatest benefit of outsourcing your IT to a law-focused MSP is that they are dedicated to learning about the unique processes and procedures of your specific firm to ensure your practice gets the best solutions.
What Does a Law-Focused Managed Services Provider Offer?
Providers of IT services for law firms can offer a wide range of benefits, but they generally focus on the following:
- Implementing, utilizing and optimizing law-focused software to manage your practice
- Minimizing downtime that slows your legal practice
- Protecting your law firm from cybersecurity threats to keep your client data safe
- Offering data management solutions such as backups
- Establishing remote working technologies and opportunities
- Offering simple law-focused billing and accounting solutions
- Utilizing cloud-based software and services to optimize business practices
This is just a brief list of the services that a law-focused managed services provider could offer. At the end of the day, the services offered are entirely unique to you and your law firm.
While it can be argued that many of these managed IT services can be offered and used by almost every business, understanding how they are used in the context of a law firm is incredibly important and one of the reasons why industry-specific managed IT services exist. For instance, the way a law firm bills its clients and manages its books is entirely different from how a construction company does. Every business is different, and MSPs help tailor IT solutions to your firm’s specific needs.
How ReachOut IT Can Help
ReachOut IT in Chicago is a unique IT services company who prides itself on understanding the ins and outs of law-related technology and IT solutions. This is different from most IT service providers that excel at managing IT systems, but fail to understand how those solutions can be integrated into a law firm specifically.
If you’d like to learn more about the comprehensive list of services that ReachOut offers, don’t hesitate to contact us today.
