Legal firms find themselves at a critical juncture in today's digital age, where overall digital transformation has become a top priority.

To succeed in the legal sector, the decision to embrace cloud technology and choose the right IT service provider in the is crucial. It's no longer just about securing data centre space or outsourcing routine IT tasks but creating a partnership with a managed service provider with the expertise to help you stand out whilst retaining clients and talent.

The modern approach to IT managed services deals with various facets of technology, including managing applications, databases, servers, cybersecurity, and complex networks providing essential end user support for the firm's workforce.

Legal firms staying ahead of technological curve use technology to redefine legal services and client interactions. This firm can allocate resources for innovative trends and optimise day-to-day operations by incorporating a managed IT service model.

One initiative would be developing a sophisticated client portal that gives clients real-time access to communication channels, legal documents, and case updates with their legal representatives. A portal created on secure cloud infrastructure managed by their IT service provider not only streamlines internal processes by reducing administrative costs but also enhances client satisfaction. As a result, legal professionals can now focus on providing strategic counsel and personalised legal advice, knowing well that routine document retrieval tasks and client inquiries are handled efficiently through the portal.

10 Questions Legal Firms Should Ask a Potential IT-Managed Service Provider

 

Beyond the everyday cliché considerations such as data-centre certifications and stringent information security protocols, the IT Managed Service provider's expertise and your firm's vision must align.

Here are 10 questions to help you decipher both the technical expertise and the values of a potential IT Managed service provider for your legal firm.

1.    How scalable is your solution for a growing legal firm?

Today's business environment is dynamic and unpredictable –especially if you are a small or midsize enterprise. To effectively meet the growing demands in legal practice, your potential service provider should be able to facilitate and support expansion. The expansion covers sudden growth and ensures that the built IT infrastructure can evolve with the firm's growing IT needs.

When asking about scalability, you want to ensure the provider can keep pace. It involves the ability to answer yes to the following questions:

-        Will the provider seamlessly add networking services, storage, and servers to meet the growing needs with zero disruption?

-        Will the provider's solutions accommodate increased workloads to ensure responsiveness, efficiency, and performance as more cases and clients come in?

-        Will the provider offer a suitable framework that allows the integration of new technologies relevant to law, like the emergence of AI?

-        Will your provider be willing to adjust the scope of pricing and services that align with your firm's growth?

-        With the expansion, your provider should be able to ensure critical systems and data are always available, reducing any downtime risks.

2.    How do you ensure business continuity and data protection during IT disasters?

Ensuring business continuity and safe data is a genuine concern for legal firms. Here are the points you should clarify when assessing your potential IT-managed service provider:

-        Ask about their backup strategy. Does it involve backing up critical data and preserving the integrity of sensitive information?

-        What's their disaster recovery plan? Make sure also to ask about their Recovery Point Objective (RPO) and Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and ensure it align with what your firm can tolerate regarding data loss and downtime.

-        Inquire about their infrastructure for failover and redundancy mechanisms, which reduces any disruptions in case of any unforeseen incidents.

-        Understand their response to IT attacks like cyber-attacks. Is it well-defined? Know more about the provider's testing and stimulation process and if they have a post-incident analysis.

3.    Is your IT service package transparent enough, and do you prioritise proactive IT management?

When settling on the right IT service provider, you must understand their package and ensure it aligns with your firm's operational needs and budget.

What should you look out for?

-        Discuss the pricing structure and all costs to understand any additional fees or hidden costs.

-        Will the provider include 24*7 remote monitoring of your firm's IT infrastructure?

-        The question is whether the provider monitors your systems and promptly applies patches and updates to anticipate potential issues.

-        How quickly does the provider respond to any problems and employ necessary resolutions?

4.    How can you assist us in procuring cost-efficiency in our IT operations?

Bringing in a managed service provider is often considered a cost-effective step to establishing in-house IT operations. Considering cost reduction and achieving long-term ROI and broader business goals is essential.

Here are the questions to consider;

-        Can the provider stipulate a cost-benefit analysis?

-        Can you expect any efficiency improvements?

-        What are the ways the provider will optimise your IT Infrastructure?

-        Can the provider share success stories from clients in the legal industry?

-        Can the provider offer employee skill development and training for your in-house staff?

-        Discuss which metrics and KPIs will be tracked and monitored to show the return on your IT investment.

5.    What services are included in your IT management package and managed cloud infrastructure?

Understanding the scope of what the provider offers assures you that the services align with your firm's goals and even long-term needs.

What are the relevant questions to ask to ensure you choose the right provider?

-        Ask about the range of cloud services provided, such as public cloud management, private cloud options, server solutions, and other relevant requirements for your firm.

-        Request a detailed explanation of what's included in their managed services package, whether it covers regular compliance measures, security management, help desk support, network monitoring, software updates, and server updates.

-        Are there some responsibilities that will be left to your firm? Make sure to understand any gaps or limitations in the provider's offerings, which helps avoid any surprises in the future.

-        To ensure the reliability of their services, discuss the provider's service-level agreements (SLAs) that cover their commitment to issue resolution, response time, and uptime.

-        How does the provider inform you about security updates, system performance, and emerging issues? You need to maintain a seamless reporting and communication system.

6.    What sets you apart from other IT Managed service providers in the UK?

As a firm, you want to be the best in the industry. Therefore, you are always looking for best practices to achieve success. Consequently, it's essential to identify what sets the provider apart from the rest to ensure you remain on top of the curve.

Assessing a cloud service provider's competitiveness and unique value propositions directly reflects your firm's results.

-        Ask the specific services, technologies, and features providers offer to have that competitive edge.

-        What are the provider's strategies to ensure that their cloud solutions optimise resource utilisation, reduce manual tasks, and streamline workflows to ensure the efficiency of your firm's operations

-        Can they leverage the latest tools and technologies to keep your firm on par with the industry?

-        Question their understanding of the legal industry and how their services can address specific needs.

-        Is the provider customer-centric by tailoring their services to align with your goals, which in return breeds a collaborative and productive partnership?

7.    How does your helpdesk support work, including calls and response times?

You know how disturbing it can get when you need to get back to work, but something is not working, and even worse when the IT support is not there to respond. To avoid these issues, partner with the right provider who is easily accessible.

It would help if you considered an IT service provider who understands their helpdesk response times and support process for a smooth partnership.

-        Ask about specific logging support processes and how staff can initiate a support request with a dedicated phone, email address, or portal purposely to ensure efficient communication.

-        When contacting the help desk, you want to be sure that you will be connected with a seasoned expert to solve all your needs, so ensure they have the necessary qualifications and experience to support staff members to handle all requests.

-        Additionally, ask if they offer personalised support personnel who understand your firm's potential challenges, workflows, and IT infrastructure.

-        Request information about their response time for high-priority and low-priority issues to ensure problems are promptly managed.

-        Additionally, ask about the availability of the helpdesk on both weekdays and weekends. When staff know support services are accessible, ensure assistance is given at any time.

-        What are their feedback mechanisms, and how can they improve their support based on the client's feedback

8.    How will our firm's data be secured?

Cyber-security and compliance are crucial considerations for any business or organisation. When assessing your providers, you should inquire about cyber-security measures and GDPR compliance. Legal firms should seek clarity on how the provider ensures GDPR and other regulations adherence, like access and encryption controls for safeguarding personal data.

Understanding cyber-security covering aspects like proactive monitoring, intrusion detection, and firewalls to curb threats is crucial. Additionally, questions regarding patch management, phishing protection, and endpoint security to address any vulnerability and malware risks.

It would be best if you also inquired about the presence of a Security Operations Center (SOC) and a 24/7 incident response, as mentioned earlier, from threat monitoring, detection, and rapid response.

-        Inquire about encryption methods the provider uses

-        What cyber security measures does the provider have in place to prevent cyber-attacks and data breaches

-        How often do they conduct regular security assessments and audits of your firm's IT infrastructure

-        Are the providers transparent on their reporting practices, and are they able to give regular updates on your data security status

-        Inquire about security technologies and components like antivirus solutions, intrusion detection systems, and firewalls

9.    Are you in partnerships with additional IT companies? What does it mean for us?

Having an IT service provider collaborating in the UK and beyond is crucial since it shows they can create relations that could benefit you in extension. Building trustworthy and professional ties with other companies ensures that when you need a third-party hand, they can recommend a service provider that will deliver quality.

Here, you insist on these questions:

-        If comfortable, ask the IT service provider the nature and scope of the partnerships, like asking if they have partnerships with leading cloud service providers, technology vendors, or security firms.

-        Confirm whether these collaborations grant your IT provider access to specialised resources and expertise. For example, a cyber-security partnership can mean enhancing response capabilities and threat detection.

-        Would any cost optimisation measures come with the partnerships? Remember, the main goal of bringing in a cloud service provider, for example, is to maximise ROI while maximising cost.

-        How have similar clients in the legal industry benefitted from the partnerships?

10.                   Assuming we agree on a contract, what is your onboarding process?

Onboarding is an important step that sets the pace for how you start the collaboration. You get introduced to the provider's systems, services, and support mechanisms. You want to have an idea of what to expect when you begin establishing a successful and mutually beneficial association.

-        How long does the process typically take, and do they have the flexibility to accommodate your firm's needs?

-        Are there any costs incurred during the process? If yes, provide a few

-        Ask the provider if their approach can adapt to your firm's growth and requirements of the evolving IT over time

Conclusion

IT-managed service providers are a non-negotiable requirement in today's fast-growing digital space for legal firms and other industries - to elevate operations and crack technology.

As a legal firm seeking the right partner, asking the right questions is key to success.

While this guide outlines the essential questions legal firms should pose to potential MSPs, knowing that one size doesn't fit all is important.

These questions are not a rigid framework, but you can customise and tailor them to fit your firm's unique specifications and needs. Asking these questions can help you clarify how an MSP aligns with your objectives.

MSPs bring a strategic partnership, support, and expertise to drive growth and efficiency.

 When you ask the right questions, there's no doubt that you'll make an informed decision on the technology solutions that seamlessly align with your firm's goals, which, in return, breeds a successful partnership.

Cloud Geeni managed services provide your business with a ready-made and highly skilled IT resources that become the invisible hand that unburdens your law firm’s internal IT team or provides capabilities for those without inhouse resources.

Speak with Cloud Geeni today for a seamless customer support with our IT Managed Services.