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The main thing to understand about a
hosted technology solution is that
it is a service you subscribe to
rather than system that you
purchase, Vendors offering
hosted solutions will purchase,
configure and maintain the necessary
hardware (servers), network
operating systems, applications and
other dependant components.
Rather than buying the solution from
the vendor, law firms simply pay a
monthly subscription fee to access
and use these systems.
Hosted systems are usually located at
the vendor's facility, and access is
provided to the law firm via the
Internet. End users simply
need their own desktop computer,
printer and Internet connection.
The rest is handled by the hosting
vendor.
Even though access is provided via
the Internet, hosted solutions
should not be confused with
web-based applications. The
concepts are similar, but the
solutions are not. As an
example, compare the user-interface
of Outlook to the interface of a
web-based email solution. The
two applications
are very different. A hosted
solution is just like a standard
solution that you would find
installed on a regular network in
any law firm. The only real
difference is that you access
everything via the Internet.
Law firms can use standard versions
of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook
and PowerPoint as well as any number
of other applications. Time
and Billing, Case Management and
Document Management systems are
also being offered by vendors on a
subscription basis. The options
available depend on the hosting
vendor you work with.
In addition to accessing real
applications, hosted solutions
provide data storage for documents,
files, billing, bookkeeping and case
management data. Network
folders allow users within your firm
to share information and documents -
just like an in-house network, but
without the need for your own
servers. Since hosted
solutions are accessed via the
Internet, users also have the
freedom of connecting from any
location with an Internet
connection.
Because the infrastructure,
applications and processes
implemented by the hosting vendor
have been used successfully by many
clients over time, hosted solutions
tend to be extremely reliable.
Often times more reliable than
traditional in-house solutions.
When a new client subscribes to the
service, the vendor is not starting
from scratch every time. They are
simply expanding their already
established service to additional firms
and users.
The infrastructure behind hosted
solutions also tend to be more
powerful and robust than the
in-house solutions of the customers
they serve. For the
hosting service to be valuable, vendors need to
ensure that everything is always
running its best. Otherwise,
customers would cancel their
subscription and find another
solution. Servers, backup
devices and peripherals are
typically built and maintained to
specifications that far exceed
current demands.
If your firm just invested a ton of
money into new servers and
applications, now is probably not a
good time to consider a hosted
solution. But there are
several situations where a hosted
solution may be of great value.
Any new start-up firm is a good
candidate. Rather than
purchasing servers and applications,
and paying someone to make sure
everything works together properly,
a new law firm could simply
subscribe to a hosted solution.
They could be on-line and working
productively the very next day.
All with little or no up-front
capital investment.
An existing firm needing to upgrade
their practice management software
is another good candidate.
Often times, newer software requires
a new server, updated operating
system, SQL, etc. A hosting
vendor may already have the
necessary software and
infrastructure in place.
Everything would already be
configured, tested and available for
use.
By utilizing well established
systems and processes, that are
already in place and being used
successfully by other firms, a
hosted solution can provide great
value to any law firm looking for a
simpler way to stay current with
their technology needs. |
