31% of lawyers have used cloud computing options, and of those attorneys who regularly use cloud computing features services, nearly 80% said that they would continue to do so. These are just some of the conclusions to come out of The American Bar Association’s Legal Technology Survey Report, which determined that more attorneys—particularly at the partner level—are becoming more comfortable and confident with implementing cloud computing within their law firms.

Still not sure whether it’s right for your legal practice? Check out the 7 greatest benefits of cloud computing for lawyers, below.

1. Easy access to documents from anywhere, anytime

Imagine being able to easily access necessary documents anytime, from your home or while traveling—no more being chained to the antiquated server in the office closet. Cloud computing turns that dream into a reality. With Google’s Suite of Apps, for instance, Optimized Attorney’s clients have access to their materials and data wherever there is an internet connection, giving them the freedom to work productively on the go.

Tip: We offer a free move to G-Suite included in all cloud migration services or marketing automation software (the James Legal CRM). Click here to learn more and schedule a free marketing audit.

2. Affordability

Are you cutting a significant check to your network maintenance vendor every month? Have you spent hundreds of dollars on updating your hardware recently? Stop wasting your hard-earned money. The cloud is a much more affordable option for law firms of all sizes due to:

• Low entry costs
• No need to purchase servers
• No obligation to sign any expensive maintenance contracts
• The ability to increase or decrease storage space as needed (pay for what you use)

Many law firms—particularly solo or small practices—can end up saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year through options like James Workspaces, rather than utilizing servers and network maintenance vendors.

Tip: Receive a free technology audit to determine how much your law firm can save, and where you can improve.

3. No more worrying about network crashes or viruses

Every second that your law firm’s network or website is down damages productivity. With the James Workspaces team handling your cloud computing needs, you don’t need to worry about maintaining technology or tackling issues yourself.

In the unlikely event that you do encounter problems with your technology, simply call our 800 number, send us an email, or submit a ticket. Our law firm tech specialists are ready and waiting 24/7, and respond to 90% of requests within 1 hour.

4. Real-time data storage to prevent lost documents

Never lose another file again. One of the greatest perks of working on the cloud through a system like G-Suite is that your data is saved in real time on their servers, so nothing ever disappears without a trace. Computer crash? Power outage? Not a problem.

5. Effective team collaboration, even with remote team members

Whether associates sit under one roof or are spread across the country, your team can easily collaborate on any and all projects using cloud computing. With G-Suite (which includes Google Docs, Google Sheets, and more), you are able to:

• Enable multiple contributors on a single document
• Easily differentiate between contributions from multiple people
• Limit permissions, such as view and edit or view only
• Collaborate in real time—documents will reflect all changes as soon as they’re made

This cuts down on time wasted emailing back and forth and ensures that everyone always has the most up-to-date copies of essential documents.

6. Smart calendaring with other coworkers and CRMs

In addition to facilitating team collaboration, the cloud enables team members to easily check coworkers’ calendars as needed, making scheduling fast and easy. Attorneys and support staff can also benefit from syncing online calendars with other services and platforms, such as the James legal content CRM, in order to have a snapshot view of all appointments, reminders, and marketing content on the schedule at any given time.

7. Simple setup, easy changes

To say that attorneys are busy would be an understatement. They don’t have time to spend on implementing new technologies or learning how to navigate new interfaces.

Luckily, switching to the cloud is fast and easy. Migrating to James Workspaces, for instance, typically takes just one evening and then your desktop looks and works exactly as before. After the migration, law firms can add new workstations in minutes or quickly block ex-employees from accessing the system.

The benefits of cloud computing for lawyers are undeniable.

And as technology continues to improve, cloud options such as James Workspaces and G-Suite for lawyers only become better, faster, and more secure. Best of all, they can save your legal practice a significant amount of money and help your team become more productive at the same time.