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Uptime puts your entire law practice on the cloud
RICHARD WEINER
Technology for Lawyers
Published: May 8, 2015
Throughout the last few years, it has been possible to use cloud computing for various parts of a law practice. At the same time, that often required either using a cloud software package that did not completely meet expectations, running the firm’s oqn servers, or piecemealing several packages together, with the attendant confusion and need to track multiple platforms.
Why doesn’t someone come up with a cloud solution that just uses the ground-based software I already have, you ask?
Well, someone has. Uptime Legal Systems, one of the companies that provides a full cloud-based law office suite, has a new product that hosts desktop the law office that the firm has already developed.
Uptime Practice (http://www.uptimesystems.net/cloud/practice) hosts all of your law office software, including email, document production, billing, and legal applications, with no compatibility problems, nothing extra or missing, and no need for extra administration. The service provides 24-hour IT support.
The company’s website describes this new product as “Law Practice as a Service (LPaa) is a private cloud solution that virtualizes the IT of your entire practice. Your legal applications, your documents and email, available anytime, anywhere on any device without the need for in-house IT infrastructure or outside IT support.”
Uptime does cost, though, which you need to know before we go on—a little less than $200 per month per attorney, or less, depending on the plan.
Uptime is a private cloud service designed specifically for attorneys, which can run on any platform—windows, Mac, Android, whatever. Once a user signs in, the device shows a desktop that is identical to the user’s home desktop, on any device.
The program also accesses any of the firm’s printers and other peripherals
It uses multiple servers, all of which are located in the United States.
Uptime’s system administrators can handle any legal programming, but say that they have particular expertise in the more popular legal programs, like Amicus Attorney, Needles, PCLaw, PracticeMaster, ProLaw, Tabs3, Time Matters, and WorldDox.
The service also includes the newest versions of Microsoft Word and Exchange, so new licenses for Word aren’t necessary.
Uptime Practice also includes Uptime Lync, a secure instant messaging system based on Skype for Business (also owned by Microsoft).
Looks like something worth checking out.