The internet has been changing the way companies do business for 20 years now, and it looks like this trend is set to continue for many years to come. Law firms have been able to completely transform the way they manage intellectual property, by taking advantage of the very latest developments – one of which is cloud computing.
Cloud computing has been around for several years now, but only recently has it been utilised to help businesses achieve efficiency and flexible working practices. Indeed, the latest cloud computing software packages have revolutionised the legal industry. And with new developments in the area being brought to the market on a regular basis, the industry is likely to continue changing over the course of the next two decades.
Law firms worldwide have been able to dramatically improve their practices, procedures and operating methods by utilising IP portfolio management tools such as IPzen – and they’ve done it in several different ways.
Law firms can maximise round-the-clock security with ease
Security is always a primary concern amongst IP lawyers and the legal industry in general. Adopting a cloud computing solution such as IPzen ensures law firms can protect their data with minimal day-to-day involvement.
To achieve this level of security within a small and medium-sized law firm would be both costly and complex. In the past, many law firms have been forced to rely on consumer-grade protection. But thanks to the flexibility and affordability of an IP management system such as IPzen, corporate-grade data security has never been so accessible.
Disaster recovery in seconds
Disaster recovery is actually an ongoing process that never stops. Before the advent of cloud computing, law firms were responsible for their own disaster recovery systems. There would need to be regular, scheduled maintenance carried out using onsite hardware. This manual process was time-consuming and complex, and often beyond the budget of very small firms.
But disaster recovery with IP protection systems such as IPzen is an automated process that stores data on remote servers. This means that should a fire or natural disaster destroy physical equipment in the office, the firm’s data is safe and secure on more than one server elsewhere.
When data recovery is required, the cloud makes the process fast and seamless – with minimal disruption to both lawyers and their clients. Before cloud computing, the process of data recovery could sometimes take several weeks.
Accurate IT budgeting
In most cases, expensive IT equipment is depreciated over five years for accounting purposes. However, the latest software packages and computer hardware tend to be released every two to three years. Keeping up with the latest innovations is therefore a very costly endeavour. Moreover, small businesses often don’t have the resources to upgrade their IT systems every few years. But with cloud computing systems such as IPzen, the upgrades are automatic – and they are usually included in the price of subscription.
There is also the issue of breakdowns to consider. No one can predict when something will go wrong with IT equipment, which makes accurate budgeting almost impossible. Small and medium-sized law firms in particular have been able to take control of IT budgets by implementing cloud solutions such as IPzen.
Flexible working
We live and work in an increasingly globalised, mobile world, so it’s important for IP lawyers and law firms in general to retain the ability to work remotely. Moreover, it is important that collaboration, communication and the sharing of documents occurs seamlessly when people are accessing the same system from different locations.
Before the cloud, small firms would use standard remote access services that allowed them to access their office computer from anywhere in the world. But this didn’t address the issue of effective collaboration and communication with clients and colleagues. Intellectual property management systems such as IPzen offer remote access in real time. This means that records are updated immediately, giving everyone involved in case files contemporaneous data for more effective case management.
One software system, instead of several
The advent of cloud computing has revolutionised the way law firms manage their software requirements. Before the cloud, firms would be forced to rely on several different software packages simply to execute their everyday responsibilities. But an IP protection system such as IPzen is an integrated platform that gives law firms everything they need in one place, including domain name monitoring, case file management and invoicing. Having everything accessible in one place like this means lawyers spend less time on administration and more time with their clients. There are also significant cost savings associated with integrated software packages.
Improved control of documents
Accurate, reliable and efficient document management is important for any business, but it is absolutely vital for law firms. Documents need to be accessed at short notice, and they often require editing and filing several times during the course of a case. Before law firms could rely on access to the cloud, they were forced to rely on a complex combination of email attachments, physical filing systems and several different file formats. Now however, documents are managed in one place, in real time and in a way that makes finding them exceptionally easy.
IPzen is an advanced, cloud-based case management platform that helps law firms to standardise, streamline and organise their operations. IPzen has been designed to take the place of onsite IT systems and the numerous software packages they require, as it is an integrated system that exists only in the cloud. This means anyone with sufficient clearance can access their files from anywhere in the world – all they need is an internet connection.
See IPzen in action for yourself. Contact IPzen today to arrange your free, no-obligation demo.
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