Lawyers’ concerns with the cloud justified but not barriers – LawTechNZ, a different perspective.
Our team regularly engages with New Zealand’s legal technology community, where we meet lawyers who are eager to embrace innovative technology solutions for their firms. These interactions provide valuable insights into the current questions and concerns law firms face when considering cloud IT solutions.
Key concerns are security…
According to recent industry research, data privacy and security remain the primary reasons law firms express resistance to cloud adoption. We continue to see this theme reflected in our conversations with legal professionals.
Entrusting client data to external providers remains a significant consideration for many firms. Questions like “how will I know my data will be safe with you?” and “Is my data safer in the cloud than being in my office?” are common concerns we address.
The answer lies in choosing the right provider – not all cloud-centric IT service providers are created equal, and when it comes to security, you need to trust who you’re working with.
With Resolve, your data is demonstrably safer in our cloud environment than in a typical office setup. Our enterprise-grade security systems, multi-layered access protocols, and comprehensive backup strategies couldn’t be easily replicated by individual small to medium law firms. More importantly, cybersecurity and data protection is our core expertise – it’s what we do every day.
…and transparency around costs
Cost transparency continues to be a significant factor in cloud adoption decisions among law firms. While cloud services are often promoted as being more cost-effective than in-house IT, many firms remain sceptical – and rightly so in some cases.
Services can appear cheaper when providers store data offshore in low-cost data centres. Major international providers like Microsoft 365, Amazon, and Google can offer competitive rates due to their scale and global infrastructure. However, these services often require additional in-house IT support or outsourced assistance, which can offset the initial savings.
From our perspective, the real value isn’t just in the price – it’s in the predictable cost model. Moving from cyclical capital expenditure to consistent operational expenditure provides numerous benefits, particularly in freeing up resources typically tied up in hardware replacement cycles and unexpected IT emergencies.
Data sovereignty remains crucial
While cost and security dominate initial discussions, data sovereignty should be a fundamental consideration for all law firms – especially given New Zealand’s evolving privacy legislation and professional obligations.
When data is stored offshore, firms must monitor legal changes in those jurisdictions that could affect privacy rights or data access. Different countries have varying rules about government access to data, which means your information could potentially be accessed without your knowledge or consent.
Even data stored in New Zealand isn’t automatically protected by New Zealand law if the data centre is owned by an overseas corporation. Subsidiaries of foreign-owned companies may be subject to their parent company’s jurisdiction, meaning data in a New Zealand facility owned by a US corporation could be treated as if it were stored in the United States.
Resolve addresses these concerns comprehensively. We utilise multiple New Zealand-owned data centres, ensuring true data sovereignty. We own and manage all the hardware our customers use daily, meaning our cloud infrastructure is isolated and secure. As a New Zealand-owned and operated company, only New Zealand laws and regulations apply to all customer data.
While the concerns expressed by forward-thinking legal professionals are absolutely justified, they shouldn’t become barriers to accessing technology that improves efficiency and reduces risk. The key is finding a trusted partner who can address these concerns with transparency and expertise.
If you’d like to discuss how Resolve can help your law firm embrace secure, compliant cloud technology, we’d be happy to have a conversation about your specific requirements and concerns.
