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As of March 2024 we have renamed Apexchat to Blazeo. We are excited to share the next part of our journey with our customers and partners.
The name ApexChat implies that we are primarily a chat company, which is no longer true. Now we have many offerings, such as call center services, AI, Appointment setting, SMS Enablement, Market Automation, and Sales acceleration (Q2 2024), that go beyond chat. The new name will not only allow us to convey the breadth of our offering but will also better convey our company’s mission and values.
Blazeo, which is derived from the word Blaze, evokes a sense of passion, speed, and energy. A “Blaze” is captivating, illuminates, and represents explosive growth. Blazeo encapsulates our mission to ignite such growth for our customers and partners by delivering innovation with passion, speed, and energy.
7 min read
Cloud storage platforms for law firms are becoming more popular now than ever before.
Many attorneys are making the jump from on-site file servers to cloud-based law firm software. It makes sense for a lot of reasons: Wouldn’t it be easier to be able to access documents and other files anytime and anywhere on any device?
This guide will cover the best cloud storage solutions for attorneys and law firms, while also covering restrictions, tips, and procedures you can implement to make your operations as paperless as possible.
Cloud storage involves stashing data on hardware in a remote physical location that’s accessible from any device via the internet. Clients send files to a data server maintained by a cloud provider instead of (or as well as) storing it on their own hard drives.
Law firm cloud storage has been a hot topic of debate amongst the legal community ever since computers were introduced to firms in the early 1970s.
If clients are allowed to send files to data servers, does that mean attorneys can store and transmit client information in the cloud?
The answer is yes. While it may not be immediately recognizable, the data you are using and communicating with your clients are already being managed and stored in cloud-based technology.
Services like Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Box, and Google Drive are all cloud-based and are an integral part of both law firm and businesses’ lives.
The Rules of Professional Conduct apply when deciding which service is best suited for transferring, storing and collaborating on documents with clients matters and personal information.
Always do your due diligence with issues of attorney-client privilege, database security, malpractice violations, and records retention. Ideally, your law firm’s document retention policy should outline which services you expect your employees to use for collaborating inside and outside your practice.
We’ll discuss which services are recommended for you to use later in this article.
Legal cloud technology allows attorneys to convert to a virtual “paperless office” setup that can make document retrieval more efficient than traditional filing methods.
It should be mentioned that going entirely paperless is a goal, not a requirement. Some attorneys prefer paper documents while others prefer paperless. It all depends on your personal preferences.
That being said, there are some significant advantages that cloud storage offers that can save your practice time and resources.
Did you know that the average office worker used over 10,000 pieces of paper in 2014?
Paperless document storage significantly decreases the overhead costs associated with paper handling and storage. Storage cost requirements of paper get transferred to digital storage, which is relatively inexpensive and has positive environmental implications as well.
File storage for law firms in the cloud is preferable from a collaborative standpoint as well.
When documents are kept digitally in the cloud, law firms can build a more productive and collaborative atmosphere. Everyone has immediate access to files no matter where they are.
Another example would be if a firm has multiple offices or is coordinating with teams in different locations. You’ll have access to documents instantly, letting you make edits and see details in real-time.
You can also upload various versions of the document you are working on for your records—you’ll just have to name it properly for storage purposes. That way if a client asks for a version of a document from a few weeks ago, you’ll have a copy ready to reference.
Storing physical documents in your law firm can be both expensive and prone to security breaches.
As of this article’s publishing, many attorneys are physically unable to access files that are stored at their law firms due to the coronavirus. This makes physical file retrieval nearly impossible, but for attorneys who’ve uploaded their files to the cloud, it’s less of an issue.
Storing temporary physical backup files does have value, but law firms should consider the long-term security of files that are kept on-premise.
The short answer is any important files you know you can’t lose.
Think of it this way: if all your paper records disappeared, got damaged, or were stolen from your firm what would you do?
Documents you should consider uploading to the cloud for storage purposes include:
You’ll need to do your due diligence when selecting which platform you use to store your valuable information. Which leads us to our next topic.
It’s no surprise that a lot of firms are switching to cloud storage systems. They offer some of the best security features available for attorneys.
We’ve sourced three cloud storage options based on a few factors such as ease of use, security features, storage space, price, etc. While there are more platforms out there, these are regularly mentioned as some of the best in the business.
pCloud is a Switzerland based company known for its accessible features and secure cloud storage options.
They take pride in their security features, as they offer some of the best cloud encryption protection on the market.
pCloud applies AES 256-bit encryption to safeguard your files at rest while also offering TLS/SSL safety protocols for files during transfer.
In addition, when your files reach one of the pCloud data centers, they will create five different versions and distribute them to at least three different servers of theirs for backup.
Sync is one of the leading cloud storage platforms for privacy and security measures.
The features they offer include:
In addition, Sync.com applies RAID architecture to its SOC 1 – certified data center servers to prevent hardware failure and data loss.
Tresorit is known for its strong security features and high price tag. But with such a high price, the security you get is top-notch.
The features they offer include:
In addition, Tresorit duplicates your files on various servers in a data center to reduce the risk of data loss and expand your files’ availability.
Most top storage options include security features that add extra layers of protection to your storage process.
You should look for platforms with SSL/TLS protocol, rest encryption, two-factor authentication, and ransomware protection to protect your files and account during transit and delivery.
In addition, cloud storage options need to have private, end-to-end encryption, which ensures nobody but you can read your data.
Using cloud-based storage options allows you to continue operating your legal practice in a cost-efficient and productive manner.
Going paperless is a daunting task for many, but starting now will help you better serve your clients and partners in the future.
For more useful legal tips and strategies, check out our recent blogs here.
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