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Case Study – Why A Law Firm Moved to the Cloud from On-premises Servers

Movin’ on up with the Cloud: A Law Firm’s Success Story

  As a law firm dealing with patent applications for prominent Silicon Valley clientele, a Palo Alto-based “Firm” maintained a high class image and reputation for delivering the best service for their clients.
As their business grew, however, delivering the quality of service they desired became harder and harder. The Firm called eSudo for help. In the initial meeting, the company owner and senior attorney discussed several problems. First, the attorneys’ efficiency was compromised because they had difficulty finding the necessary files they needed, particularly when an attorney on the team was not available. Sometimes the required file would be on the public drive on the company server, sometimes it would reside on an attorney’s desktop computer – often attorneys would spend half an hour or more hunting down the file, going desktop to desktop. Another issue – especially with their more prestigious clients, for discussions over intellectual property, it was better to have meetings at the client location. The Firm had no provision for remote access to files and this not only would cause delays in service but would also make the firm look behind the times to the high clients. Recently, one client left the Firm after years of service for an upstart firm. Often the network ran slow and attorneys had to wait for actions to complete. In a joking manner, but all too true, attorneys would joke to each other at the coffee pot that they were on break waiting for the hourglass on their monitor to go away. Equipment repair issues further exacerbated the situation. Network downtime happened monthly and it always seemed to come at the most inopportune times. When this happened, tensions would run high, making the working environment all the more stressful. The owner was concerned about attorney dissatisfaction, burnout, and attrition because of the workplace pressure. He was concerned about Cloud technology because of data security and reliability.

Tackling the Problem, the eSudo Way

With these issues in mind, eSudo started to tackle the issues and initially conducted a technology assessment — talking with the management team about the business operations and workflow.

Understanding the business processes and flow was an important first step because the ultimate Information Technology solution had to fit the Firm’s business operations – there is no one-size-fits-all way to make the necessary changes.

eSudo then took stock of the present situation and reviewed the network setup, security and applications.  The discovery from the assessment revealed that the existing infrastructure did not have capability to support the Firm’s need for mobile work.

Lastly, the assessment uncovered that most of the Firm’s hardware and software were out of warranty and servers were running operating systems that the manufacturer no longer supported, contributing to the network downtime. Further, the network had insufficient bandwidth and storage capacity, causing slow response time. eSudo advised the Firm to renovate their network infrastructure to protect sensitive data, provide a solid foundation for a new IT infrastructure, and move them to a Cloud solution built for today’s mobile workforce.

eSudo worked with the Firm’s IT Manager to design a network upgrade plan based on the Firm’s primary objectives. Using a combination of cloud services technology and eSudo expertise in the industry, we provided a comprehensive and customized solution that would support the Firm’s growing IT needs –not just for the short term, but for many years to come.

Some of the biggest changes for the Law Firm’s management:
1. Eliminate Cost and Complexity – one of the biggest challenges for the Firm was to tackle on-going cost for the upkeep of new servers, software licensing, maintenance, and upgrades. The Law Firm is in the business of providing legal services to their customers and want to get out of the business of IT infrastructure such as purchasing, hardware depreciation, and the cycle of retiring physical IT infrastructure as it becomes outdated.
2. File Sharing and Storage Challenges – like most law firms, they have many documents and files that need to be stored, filed, and securely shared with their customers, staff, and outside consultants. With the current environment, files were saved, sometimes locally on desktops or sometimes on the office server. Next, the files would be emailed to the customer or consultants, who might be helping a particular case. This creates issues with security, backup for the files, and the ability to track where documents are going.
3. Business Email – the customer was using an in-house Exchange mail server and some of the challenges were keeping the server/client software always updated and current. Managing backup and disaster recovery against fire, theft, or hardware failure. Constantly updating software protection against spam and viruses. Mitigating the risk against Internet failure and power outages.
4. Non-Standardized Workstation Platform – the Law Firm was running different operating systems ( Windows 7 and Windows 8) including mix-matched application software versions. The operating system type and application software depended on when the computer was purchased and what pre-loaded software was included. For example, some computers had Office 2007 with Acrobat 7; while others had Office 2010 or Office 2013 with Acrobat 8. With the current non-standard setup, compatibility issues ensued when trying to share files, creating additional challenges for the support staff. Also, employee new hires took longer to on-board because all the workstations all had different setups.
5. Voice and Video Calling – the Law Firm had a traditional in-house PBX system. The challenges with the current PBX are expensive to support, cannot receive and make audio calls remotely when outside the office. Phone and video conferencing were cumbersome and not easy to setup or use.

6. Remote Access – when an employee, consultant or a Law Firm partner wanted to work from home or a remote location, they had to use a VPN (virtual private network). This required them to use a home PC or company-provided PC to login, connect to the server, access the file, and then save the file back to the server. This was a lot of network traffic over multiple devices that would lead to increased connection issues and software maintenance.

Traditional VPN technology works but not well or fast, because it requires the VPN software to be installed and updated on a regular basis to stay current and secure. Files transferred to an employee’s computer may not be secure and backed up. If the employee’s computer is not company-provided, there is a security risks because the PC may not be protected by antivirus software. The PC operating system and application software may not be updated or patched. Some Internet providers or hotels also block VPN access, thus causing more challenges to employee productivity.

7. Cloud Security and Data Protection – like many businesses, the law firm had many concerns if the cloud was safe, reliable, and secure.  The security of their client information and data files is important and critical to their operations and reputation.

When we moved them to the Cloud, the Law Firm had the following concerns: are my data files safe, how can we securely access files over Internet and what happens if we have Internet outage.

Upgrade: 100% Complete? 100% Upgraded?

The project was a success! The new network design and subsequent overhaul enhanced the Firm’s operational productivity by creating a highly adaptable (and now reliable) foundation to work on.

Choosing eSudo and moving to Hybrid Cloud Solutions allowed the Firm to have easier remote access, lower overall technology costs, better response time, and more productive employees.
eSudo’s work was met with rave reviews from many, especially the Firm’s partners;

The migration to the Cloud has paid off in other ways. To me, the real value is the flexibility, scalability, and peace of mind. We don’t have to constantly worry about the server failing or whether backup of our files are done on a regular basis. We selected eSudo not only as our implementation partner, but also as our managed services provider because we view eSudo as a long- term partner. Any relationship begins and ends with trust, and eSudo has proven themselves time and again.

eSudo Can Help You Too

If your firm or business is considering an upgrade, please contact us for a complimentary assessment and boost productivity and security with eSudo’s modern technology solutions, wherever you work from – whether you need local San Jose IT services, or comprehensive managed IT services.

Related Post: Is your law firm’s technology holding you back? – eSudo.com

Frequently Asked Questions

At eSudo, we help your law firm, accounting practices and small business feel like a big business when it comes to technology. For over 23+ years, we give you all the tools and support you need without the cost of hiring extra staff. That means if things go wrong, you don’t have to worry about layoffs or added expenses.

Our IT services give you the power of a large business at a fraction of the cost, helping you stay competitive in today’s digital world. With us, your business can compete with the big players and make more money while staying secure and efficient.

We specialize in working with professional service organizations like law firms, accounting firms (CPAs), and wealth management. However, eSudo have helped other business such as non-profit organizations, manufacturing and other small businesses after we have reviewed their needs and determined if they are good fit for our services.

eSudo is not a traditional computer support company; we focus on security first, and computer support happens to be part of the security services.  In the dynamic landscape of network security, a proactive approach is key to safeguarding your business. It’s not a one-time event but an ongoing commitment to keep your systems resilient against evolving threats. With the rise of a mobile workforce and the omnipresence of phishing attempts or social engineering or AI, educating your employees, continuous monitoring and proactive support are vital to prevent data breaches.

If your business is looking for break-fix support or hourly IT services, we may not be for you because we cannot fully manage your risks and more importantly, it creates a trust issue in our relationship. Under a “break-fix” model, there is a fundamental conflict of interest between your business and eSudo.

“Over 97% of American businesses in 2023, operating in a digitally-driven landscape, heavily rely on the Internet for essential functions such as productivity, performance optimization, streamlined communication, bolstered sales, and various other facets of their daily operations. This heightened dependence on digital infrastructure, however, comes with a notable caveat: more than 87% of small businesses are entrusted with customer data that could be potentially compromised in the event of a cyberattack.”

We keep your IT Systems running and data secure with our proven IT Strategy, Managed Security, and Proactive Support & End User Management. Our Strategy focuses on identifying, prioritizing, and recommending the right technology for your organization.  Our Managed Security includes data backup, device encryption, zero-trust access management, and policies & procedures. Our Support includes a live phone help desk, 24/7 monitoring, on-site support as needed, employee onboarding, and asset procurement.

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  • Proven track record: We have been building our loyal customer base since 2001 in an industry where IT consulting firms come and go. Our customers, vendors, and employees stay with us because we build and value long term relationships with them. With operations all over the San Francisco Bay Area, eSudo provides reliable IT support to Northern CA-based businesses and beyond. We’re big enough to offer the facilities, services, and expertise you expect and small enough to provide the support and attention you deserve.

  • People & Process:  Over the last 22+ years, we have created and adopted a proven process to ensure success in our operations and have trained our people to follow our proven process to provide consistent results for our customers.

  • Quality: We do not sell what we have not used or have tested. We recommend industrial and commercial-grade products for small businesses to provide uptime and reliability for our customers.

  • Responsiveness: A live person will answer your call, and emergency response time is one hour or less guaranteed. We use the most current remote support technology which lets us log in to your computers remotely to address many issues without the need to wait for a technician to come on-site.

This is a very difficult question to answer because not all environments are the same, we will do our best to explain some general pricing guidelines.

For a business with 10 to 50 employees, IT support is a crucial investment to ensure smooth operations and data security. This support includes system maintenance, cybersecurity measures, help desk services, data backup, and software updates. As an IT manager and business owner, allocating a reasonable budget for IT support is essential to prevent downtime, protect against cyber threats, and ensure the firm’s efficiency and success in the digital era. Neglecting IT support can lead to potential vulnerabilities and higher costs in the long run. Thus, viewing IT support as a necessary investment is vital for sustaining your  firm’s operations effectively and securely.

A typical price for IT Support and Cybersecurity ranges from $185 to $300 per user per month. Actual cost will be determined after we meet and perform an assessment of your environment.

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