Why Law Firms Need to Have a Managed Service Provider?
The success of a business today is largely dependent on its technology, and law firms are no exception. As technology continues to advance, law firms are finding it increasingly necessary to hire a managed service provider (MSP) instead of attempting to manage their IT services in-house. By outsourcing their technological needs to a team of experts, law firms can focus their efforts on their legal work while leaving the constantly evolving technological side to the MSP.
Cost-Efficiency
One of the biggest reasons a law firm should hire an MSP is because it is more cost-effective than hiring an in-house IT team and managing all the different requirements. By subscribing to an MSP, your firm gains access to a fully-staffed team and all the necessary software, CRMs, and clouds required to manage your IT at a single cost. For less than the cost of a single employee, you get a team of experts in fields such as cybersecurity, compliance, planning, and project management.
Without an MSP, you are forced to pay for these different services and salaries individually and then you still have to license all of the IT management tools to enable them. From a risk perspective, you would almost always need to hire more than one person to diversify the knowledge of and management of your systems.
Enhanced Cybersecurity
Maintaining cybersecurity for client data and practice information is a critical and continuous task. Cybercriminals pose a severe threat to your firm, however, an MSP can help ensure that your data is always secure against hackers. MSPs can provide the following services:
- Alignment of your environment with cybersecurity best practices
- Monitor and manage network security
- Improve password and email protection
- Add extra security layers to keep hackers out of the system
- Access to cybersecurity specialists
Since the MSP team works around the clock, you don't have to worry about an in-house team clocking out and being unavailable in case of an attack. With MSPs, you can rest assured that your data is in good hands.
Compliance Management
Law firms face an unprecedented landscape concerning data privacy and security compliance requirements. Government regulators, clients, and insurance providers all place demands on how you manage your IT environment. A Managed Service Provider (MSP) is an invaluable partner to track these requirements and document your ongoing alignment with them.
Compliance requires eternal vigilance. Systems tend to fall out of compliance over time as the IT environment evolves. Failure to manage your compliance can result in fines, lawsuits, lost clients, lost coverage, and denied claims. An MSP manages this process for you through a continuous alignment to best practices and an ongoing compliance assessment process.
By partnering with an MSP, a law firm can focus on its core legal activities without worrying about technology and compliance. This allows the firm to operate more efficiently and effectively.
A law firm should be able to do what they are best at, which is to focus on core legal activities instead of worrying about technology and maintaining its compliance and security. This is why a law firm needs a MSP on their side. If you’re interested in hiring an MSP for your law firm then you should consider EpiOn. Our proprietary MBIT Framework focuses on seven core business outcomes that lower risks and improve your team's productivity. To learn more about the MBIT Framework and the related metrics in the MBIT Scorecard, contact us today!