There’s a pretty good chance your organization is considering moving to the cloud, as the state of cloud adoption is accelerating (“The Global Cloud Computing Market size is expected to reach $1143.2 Billion by 2028.”)
In 2020 and 2021, cloud computing exploded as remote work became a household term—organizations in almost every industry went virtual as they adapted to the global pandemic. Now more than ever, the cloud is poised to create a sizeable shift in thinking and is poised to make an enormous impact on how businesses function.
The cloud is, to some degree, already used in your organization and your employees are very well accustomed to the cloud’s benefits. An increasing number of personal and professional transactions are happening in the digital format every second of every day. Streaming video, sending email, banking, playing online games, and so many other aspects of everyday life are now in the cloud.
If your organization is considering a move to the cloud, welcome to the race—you’re headed in the right direction. In today’s increasingly, digitally connected world, the way your business approaches its cloud computing strategy will be paramount.
Following is a small selection of reasons why an organization should make strategic decisions about moving to the cloud today—you’ll be better able to convince the C-suite that your organization can remain competitive and maximize the available advantages of the cloud.
Automate cost governance, operations, security, and compliance.
When engaging in conversations around the cloud, data security is arguably the most popular conversation starter. It makes sense. But more organizations are less worried and more trusting of the cloud now that a great deal of education around the topic has happened over the past few years.
Data stored on the cloud is encrypted, making it safer than other hosting solutions. Since cloud technology is updated frequently, cloud hosting companies can keep up with the latest cybersecurity threats, so your organization doesn’t need to focus as much on in-house security since cloud hosting companies offer a variety of options to choose from (firewalls, tokenization, and virtual private networks.
Must read: The Cloud: Where Legal Professionals Need to Be.
While security will almost certainly be the topmost concern for any client, overstated fears about cloud computing can result in lost opportunities and erroneous spending. Acceptance of the cloud and its standard of security will keep your law firm on the leading edge of technology. It will also help lighten the law-firm-data-security load (especially in light of changing regulations such as the UK’s General Data Protection Regulation). By working closely with a cloud provider, an organization can customize its security to meet its requirements.
Better understand how the relative security of an on-premise system stacks up against the cloud. Read “Why On-Premises IT is Riskier than the Cloud”
The cloud allows your valuable data to exist and remain preserved in multiple external places, and security patches and critical updates are repeatedly performed to deliver up-to-the-minute security updates.
In 2014, JP Morgan Chase experienced a data catastrophe when the data of 76 million Americans was compromised. Even with an investment of $250 million a year on security, data was still vulnerable as JP Morgan’s own servers were the source of the unauthorized access.
Better disaster recovery.
Imagine a widespread power outage affecting tens of millions of people and businesses in North America. Actually, there’s no need to imagine as this is an actual disaster that occurred not too long ago. Organizations can be crippled by a disaster. Without the cloud, backing up data and getting back up and running within minutes or with minimal interruption was impossible.
You want to worry less about losing data and focus more on business continuity even when an emergency happens.
Whether it’s a blackout, a natural disaster, or the threat of malware, by making cloud adoption an integral part of your disaster plan, your organization can continue to function uninterrupted and access company data from anywhere.
Making a case for cost savings.
There’s no need to pay for on-site servers and hardware. Your IT team can focus more on business-critical issues and less time on demanding labor and maintenance. Cloud software deployments can happen within hours, so less time is lost waiting and productivity is higher.
With the advantages noted above, how could your financial leader not be excited about the cost savings for your organization?
Additionally, the upfront cost of the cloud is lower than in-house solutions. For organizations that require top-tier products but lack the funds immediately available, cloud solutions provide remarkable flexibility. And unlike an upfront license, incorporating cloud software typically only costs per user and is available with a pay-as-you-go pricing model.
According to a recent Accenture global survey, “of about 4,000 global business and IT leaders found nearly 65% of respondents saw up to 10% in cost savings, on average, from moving to the cloud… They’re benefitting even amidst global disruptions because they recognize the cloud as a launch pad for innovating and new ways of operating.”
Scale, collaborate, and save time.
As mentioned above, a pay-as-you-go pricing model for cloud services allows an organization to adjust as it grows. It can scale up quickly when needed or reduce its cloud services as its business model adapts to change.
Cloud technology also brings teams together to create a more collaborative, centralized working environment. Users can work simultaneously in documents and various file types and automatically sync and store updates as they happen. Cloud technology is exceptional for sharing, version control, and making documents easily accessible. This ultimately leads to improved employee engagement since all team members have an equal opportunity to offer their input.
When it comes to saving time, the cloud provides numerous benefits:
- System management is the responsibility of your vendor, so they dedicate the time needed to ensure a positive, reliable experience—your time is spent on the business where it should.
- Software and hardware maintenance as above is the responsibility of your vendor—a dedicated resource.
- Vendors provide top-tier security reducing the hours your organization needs to devote.
- The cloud provides automatic updates to complex systems, so this time-consuming process again falls on your vendor and not your IT team.
With incredible benefits and vast potential, cloud computing is a phenomenal investment that is only just beginning. Looking for an experienced vendor to assist your organization with a move to the iManage cloud? Let’s chat.