Why are more legal practices moving to the cloud?

What is ‘the cloud’?

Are you still unsure what it means to be in ‘the cloud’? In simple terms, it involves having your data stored externally and accessing it over the internet rather than having it stored on your hard drive or on-site servers.

Why run your practice management and accounting solution in the cloud?

By running your practice’s systems in a online or cloud environment, you can increase efficiency and streamline the operation of your practice. A cloud-based platform allows you to work flexibly from any computer or mobile device with an internet connection. If for example, your practice operates from various locations, you have remote staff or if you work during your commute or at the cafe, a cloud-based platform can be easily accessed at any time. This has become even more relevant as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many to work from home.

Moving to the cloud can also reduce the IT related costs associated with storing data at your premises that may require you to upgrade hardware or servers. It also decreases the chance of losing data if something were to happen to the device it was stored on.

Using ATOM, you get the convenience of accessing your legal accounting and practice management solution instantly from your computer, laptop or mobile device. ATOM’s instant and ongoing updates mean your service improves instantly and you don’t need to worry about anything additional being downloaded or installed onto your computer. ATOM has developed it’s own and integrates with additional features, tools and web based services. It contains all you need, all in one place.

Is data security an issue when working in the cloud?

When using a cloud-based or online platform, all data is hosted or stored on third-party servers. It is imperative as legal professionals working with sensitive information, to understand how and where potentially sensitive data is stored. Be sure to enquire with your service provider about who will have access to stored data, how robust their servers are as well as backup and security procedures.

When using ATOM, your data is securely and safely stored. The data is encrypted and a full backup of your data is created every 2 hours each day and stored at a secured location offsite. Each backup is stored for 30 days on a rotational basis. You also don’t need to worry about your staff accessing potentially confidential information such as your practices financial data from their personal devices as you can set up permissions lists to restrict what can be seen.

Want to know more?

If you want more information or would like to know how ATOM can help you transition to a cloud environment, visit our contact page.