The right IT can propel a law firm forward and help them reach further than just the city or town they operate in, so having outdated equipment could leave a massive impact on a firm and if they can’t work at a good standard because of this it will also have a negative effect on that firms reputation. The legal industry is one of the biggest sectors that rely on the use of technology because they deal with so many clients and their data every day.
It’s recommended to upgrade software every 4-5 years. This is because older technology won’t have the same updated, secure systems like new technology has and could mean even the smallest of jobs will take longer to do, leaving colleagues to focus on small issues rather than more important main tasks.
Security is everything
The issue with old tech that anyone will immediately think of is security. Old hardware won’t be able to access new security features leaving colleagues open to more targeted security attacks and cybercriminals know that smaller law firms like to have advanced cyber security solutions but because of this they are more likely to have gaps in their cyber security strategies.
If a system is out-of-date it’s likely that it won’t receive any new updates meaning new security issues won’t be detected and by the time it is, it will be too late. When handling customer data law firms have a huge responsibility to keep that data safe, so if it was lost due to a cyber attack it could mean receiving loss of customers and legal action from them and damage to company reputation.
Old tech is expensive tech
Dated technology makes law firms spend more money than save because it is more prone to failure, costs more in power and there are less and less experts that know how to fix older technology in today’s day and age.
Older technology won’t have the same security systems as new technology has and that will leave a law firm open to more attacks from cyber criminals which will cost them a lot of money in the long run as they’ll have pay for someone to come out and make their IT systems secure again. This attracts fewer potential employees because people who work in fully enabled digital workplaces are more motivated and have higher job satisfaction.
Less compatibility, the less work gets done
New and old technology/software don’t work well together and that limits the benefits law firms can get from upgraded technology, whether that be for their competitive stance against other businesses or just their customer service sector, it doesn’t matter because old tech can make a firm look outdated and unprofessional and that will deter pre-existing or potential clients from choose their services.
Law firms want to stay at the top of their game at all times to beat their competitors, so having old technology that refuses to run alongside the new won’t help them reach that goal; colleagues will be so focused on trying the get them to work that they will lose sight of the actual task at hand.
Protect the environment
Mobile phones, tablets, and laptops have revolutionized the way we conduct business and lots of people will state that it has changed industries everywhere for the better, however, dated technology consumes more non-renewable resources and is less energy efficient and results in a larger carbon footprint and higher energy bills.
With the ever growing climate crisis, people are starting to turn to greener solutions so they can help the environment. If a law firm was truly sustainable it would reduce energy consumption with insulation, design and removing unnecessary usage. Law firms should maximise their renewable energy generation and should also ensure that their energy demands were obtained from renewable sources.
How can bad tech can affect colleagues?
The massive reality of technology’s role in day to day work was quickly recognised by business leaders after the pandemic and it’s been shown that who colleagues work for businesses that don’t use fast and efficient tech are more likely to consider quitting their job.
Whether you’re a partner or an assistant in a law firm there’s still a job to do and with bad technology plaguing the office that job isn’t going to get done anytime soon. Colleagues want to work for firms that are the best at what they do and will provide them with the technology they need to make their job easier. If a colleague is under pressure due to bad technology it will take a toll on their mental health; they may become unmotivated to complete even small tasks and then this puts the firm behind also.
What we can do for you!
If your still dubious about new technology in your law firm and that’s the reason you haven’t adapted as quickly as others, then getting advice from an IT expert is your top priority.
Matrix has the technical expertise to deliver a vast range of IT projects. Over the last 20 year’s we have carried out thousands of IT projects, whether it be office cloud migrations, server deployment and configuration or office moves, the list is endless. Our highly qualified and ITIL certified Project Management team ensures that all projects are delivered on time, with minimum disruption and on budget.
Our Project Delivery team can carry out the following list of projects, often out-of-hours, to mitigate disrupting your employees. The list below is not the complete list of jobs our teams are able to complete but merely a small indication of what our experts can do.
- Microsoft Office 365 installation, configuration, and migrations.
- Virtualised Infrastructure server upgrades and migrations.
- Microsoft Azure Virtual desktops deployments and migrations.
- Wireless upgrades and installations.
- On-premises infrastructure upgrades.
- Backup deployment and configuration.
- PC/Laptop upgrades and user profile migrations.
- On-premises to cloud Infrastructure migrations.
- Switching and networking upgrades and installs.
- Next generation firewall deployments and replacements.
If you think outdated technology is holding your law firm back and costing you extra money, Matrix IT offers the best Managed IT, Cyber Security, Projects & Strategy and Cloud services in the South Coast, contact us via email or call us on 01329 888444 today.
