The "cloud." It’s a term all of us have become familiar with, but also one that many of us give little thought to within the context of our law practices. That, however, is likely to change, as an increasing number of firms are going to be faced with the choice of keeping their data and/or applications local, moving them offsite, moving them to a true data cloud, or employing a combination of on and offsite strategies. What are the cost benefits associated with these choices? What are the security issues that must be addressed? These are questions that IT managers are facing on an ever increasing basis.
The American Bar Association recently addressed this issue in the ABA Journal. The Journal referred to a survey of 438 lawyers, paralegals and technology staffers, who noted that the bar currently seems to be split down the middle, with 46% of respondents opposing a move to the cloud, 45% favoring such a move and 9% providing no opinion. Moreover, the study suggests that small and mid-size firms appear far more willing to make the move than large firms, perhaps due to the investment in locally-based IT and equipment large firms are presumed to be invested in. Somewhat surprisingly, 47% of lawyers favored the move, while only 40% opposed it. This suggests that one of the primary hurdles associated with such a move, data security, is being adequately addressed. Finally, the study noted that 81% of respondents expect the cloud overtake on-site computing within the next 10 years.
The fact that so many respondents view the move as imminent suggests that the legal industry’s primary concerns are being addressed, and that costs associated with moving to the cloud are likely to continue decreasing while security becomes less of a concern. If there’s one constant with technology, it is that it grows cheaper and more accessible with time. As cloud access continues down that path, one has to believe that it will become an increasingly attractive alternative to on-site data and program management.
If you find this content interesting, or are involved in the technological aspects of practicing law, the DRI Technology Committee would like to urge you to join. There are currently leadership positions available within the committee, along with plenty of opportunities to obtain exposure for your practice. If you are interested in joining the committee and getting involved, please contact the me at cgodwin@carrallison.com or our Vice Chair, Joe Cohen at JCohen@porterhedges.com for more information on these opportunities.
