eDiscovery On-The-Go: The Exciting New Normal for Small Law Firms

12 July 2018 by Anith Mathai eDiscovery small-law-firm
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Attorneys today need to be able to access their data from anywhere. And with the latest Cloud eDiscovery software, this is both possible and affordable.

As an attorney in a small law firm, you know what it’s like to have clients breathing down your neck.

Recent research shows that clients expect email responses in six hours or less. And you can’t afford to say ‘no’ to them. Not when you’re constantly trying to drum up new business. So, one solution is to optimize how you use your time.

Law ‘on-the-go’ is a necessity for the modern law firm.

If you can work from anywhere, you can turn dead-time into billable hours. For example, when you’re snowed-in at home, or stuck at the airport.

It follows that eDiscovery on-the-go is equally essential.

Businesses today primarily deal with electronic data like emails, Word documents, PDFs, etc. Which makes eDiscovery an increasingly important part of trial law. So, is it possible to get eDiscovery on-the-go? Absolutely. Let’s see how.

In the early days of eDiscovery, you’d store eDiscovery data on your own servers.

In the 2000s, eDiscovery wasn’t readily available. In fact, only larger firms could afford it. They’d buy custom-made software and stored their data on their own private servers. This is called on-premises hosting. The problem is it’s expensive and needs a lot of technical know-how. You have to install specialized hardware and software – which can be a long and complicated process. And you have to maintain them yourself. You also need to use advanced digital security to protect your data from viruses, malware, and theft.

Soon, eDiscovery vendors started offering to store data on their servers, for a small cost.

The data would be backed up on multiple servers – called a server farm. And the vendors would handle all the technical issues. But this still cost a lot. Private servers eat a lot of electricity, are routinely hacked, and need infrastructure that can withstand natural disasters like fires and floods. Also, you’ll need a trained IT team to manage them 24/7 and troubleshoot problems.

The real breakthrough came with Cloud-hosting.

Software giants like Amazon and Google started to lease storage and computing power to businesses all over the world. And their thousands of interconnected servers formed a ‘Cloud.’ The Cloud has been around for a while, now. In fact, if you use Dropbox, Google Drive, or any Apple product, then you’re already in the Cloud. And Cloud computing lead to SaaS (Software as a Service). Here, instead of downloading and installing eDiscovery software, you simply access it over the internet. The software runs in the Cloud and is looked after by your eDiscovery provider.

Cloud eDiscovery has many advantages.

  • It cuts costs: The more people there are in the Cloud, the less the costs for each. That’s the beauty of Cloud economics. And since the Cloud-providers host millions of people, you pay much less than if you store data on private servers.
  • It’s secure: The **high-performance cloud servers come with bank-grade security. ** Which means your data is as secure with them as your online banking information is with your bank. The data is encrypted both when it’s being transmitted and when it’s stored on their servers. Plus, since the data is on multiple servers in different locations, no one event can destroy it.
  • You get great technical support: Cloud-servers are looked after by skilled engineers. So, you don’t have to worry about hiring an IT team to handle technical issues. And you’re guaranteed great service because the best minds don’t go to small companies offering you private servers – they go to Cloud-giants like Amazon and Google.

But most importantly, Cloud eDiscovery gets you mobile.

Since the software runs in the Cloud, you can access it from anywhere. You just need to open your regular internet browser, go the eDiscovery website, and sign in. It’s the same as checking email. And you can do it from the closest PC, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone. You’ll only need an internet connection!

Looking for affordable Cloud eDiscovery software? Try GoldFynch.

It’s a next-generation eDiscovery application that prioritizes things that matter to small law firms.

  • It takes just minutes to get going. It runs in the Cloud, so you use it through your web browser (Google Chrome recommended). No installation. No sales calls or emails. Plus, you get a free, fully-functional trial case (0.5 GB of data and processing cap of 1 GB), without adding a credit card.
  • Pay just $27 per month for a basic 3 GB case. That’s far less–every month–than the nearest comparable software. And hundreds of dollars cheaper than many others. GoldFynch’s pricing is transparent and readily available on the website.
  • Pricing is prorated and up-front. So it’s simple to budget for it. With legacy software, the billing is complicated and opaque, and your bill changes depending on how much data you use.
  • Got a small case that might become a large one later? GoldFynch scales from small to large. So, choose from a range of case sizes (3 GB to 150 GB, and more) and don’t waste money on space you don’t need – you can upgrade/downgrade your case in seconds. Plus, you don’t need to pay to ‘unlock’ premium features. You’ll have the full power of GoldFynch even with a starter case.
  • You get the best technical support: It’s designed, developed and run by the same team. So, the technical support isn’t outsourced. Which means prompt and reliable service.

Want to find out more?

For more about eDiscovery for small law firms, check out these articles.

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