Strategic IT Planning: Guiding Your Law Firm’s Technology

Information technology is becoming a more significant part of the legal industry by the day. Law firms know this all too well as downtime and underperforming systems result in headaches for lawyers and their teams. In an industry where time is money, experiencing IT issues is like watching dollar bills go right down the drain. So, how do you prevent technology issues from occurring in the first place?

Strategic IT Planning: Guiding Your Law Firm’s Technology

Building an IT plan for your law firm is the roadmap to pain-free, predictable information technology. It helps bring lawyers, paralegals, and other employees what they want – IT that just works. However, most law firms don’t have the internal IT talent or time to create a robust IT plan, and many simply deal with the day-to-day struggles associated with their technology. But with a managed service provider as your technology partner, we take on the role of a Chief Information Officer and leverage strategic IT planning to the tune of your specific needs.

While we customize the individual IT plans we carry out for the 30+ law firms we service, there are a few key areas that need to be addressed in order to develop and execute a successful technology plan.

SECURITY POSTURE

A law firm’s IT security posture is an integral part of their overall technology plan. With the need to protect clients and the critical data tied to each case, a multi-layer IT security profile needs to be put in place. This profile should also include a remote access strategy to account for users accessing critical data from mobile devices and email outside of the office network. At Apogee, we stay ahead of the security curve by anticipating the worst and aiming to prevent it.

TECHNOLOGY BUDGETING & IT OBSOLESCENCE

The last thing any client wants to see are unforeseen costs tied to their information technology. Predictability is key, and there shouldn’t be any surprises. At Apogee, we work with your law firm to structure an appropriate IT budget, so you know exactly what you’ll be paying from month to month. We understand that law firms don’t need to be on the cutting edge of technology, so we focus on getting the most from your existing investment and implementing new technology when most appropriate. We let you know what to expect far in advance as your technology ages, so you have plenty of time to budget for the upgrades necessary to maintain the stability of your environment.

LOB APPLICATION CHALLENGES

IT plans also need to account for the evolution of line of business applications and the integration challenges tied to upgrades and shifts in your current infrastructure. Billing management, case management, and other programs that your firm relies upon can quickly become bogged down if your IT environment doesn’t account for the increased requirements that often come with these upgrades.

DISASTER RECOVERY STRATEGY

Hopefully, your disaster recovery strategy never has to be put into use, but it’s critical to your long-term IT plan. A security breach, user error, or another disastrous event could render systems useless and put critical data at risk. Apogee works with you to develop a data backup and disaster recovery strategy to bring continuity to business operations in the wake of a catastrophic event.

Apogee IT Services Serving 30+ Law Firms

The key areas above are critical components to building a foundation of stability and growth over the long-term, but each law firm has its own unique set of needs that have to be accounted for. It’s no easy task, and the managed service provider in charge of strategic IT planning for your law firm needs to be well-versed in the unique challenges of supporting legal clients.

Over 25 years ago, Apogee IT Services started serving law firms in the Pittsburgh region, and now, we serve over 30 law firms across the United States. If you’re ready to hear how we can help your law firm develop a technology plan for the long-term, contact us today!