Manage Your Law Firm "In the Cloud"

In his latest tech column in the ABA Journal, Dennis Kennedy lists some of the benefits of cloud computing:

• Lower cost;
• "Levels of security, backup, redundancy and performance" beyond "the typical law firm";
• Updates and patches from the provider;
• Available from anywhere with web access;
• "A monthly service fee that you can budget for."

Cloud computing, which overlaps with software as a service (or SaaS) and hosted software services, is a hot topic of late. If you want to get quickly up to speed, here's a reading list, including Kennedy's, article quoted above:

• "Working in the Cloud: Tips on success with online software services," by Dennis Kennedy;
• "How Well Does Software Work as a Service?" by Brett Burney
• "Litigation and 'Software as a Service' (SaaS): The Perfect Marriage?"
• "Law Practice Management in the Cloud"
• "Practicing Law with SaaS," by Luigi Benetton

And finally, a related post from this weblog: "Tech Tips for Taking Your Law Firm on the Road."

Comments

[Tighe Estes]

Are you aware of any ethical challenges to using cloud computing for legal practice? I would think that some issues would be created by hosting confidential work product or client communications in an area outside of the attorney's control.