Growing practice needs efficient remote access to data and communications

Challenge

Growing Law Firm expanding outside of original building which housed servers and other infrastructure. They need to seamlessly work out of the office and rely on mobile technology as they become more mobile. All data needs to be moved to secure cloud storage and workflows updated to accommodate changes. They are in the middle of several cases and therefore must make changes with minimal operational impact.

Solution

Initial reviews and interviews were used to provide the migrations scope which also lead to the scheduling of various steps to minimize operational impact. We started with setup and customization of the Office 365 and SharePoint sites. After validation of configuration and training on new operation the after-hours data migration began. A multi-stage transfer was necessary due to the amount of data. Upon completion of transfer and verification all users were able to successfully access hosted data, devices were updated with security settings and controls alleviating dependency on local server policy. Printing and scanning required alternative configurations so they connect directly to devices and SharePoint document center. Finally, a managed firewall will be used at second location.

Result

The interviews, reviews and training engaged the firm in such a way they had a clear understanding of the process and outcome of the migration. As engaged participants, they were able to assist steering the project and were able to use the new systems immediately after the changes were made. Additionally, everyone in the firm received the most current versions of the Microsoft Office suite helping standardize the office. The firm opened the second office and now all devices are secured and updated using our centralized services tools. Subsequently, they have been able to eliminate the practice management software. The firm has experienced many of the benefits of Office 365 and cloud productivity tools. Regular alignment meetings are used to provide ongoing changes which help adapt the environment to meet the dynamic demands of the firm.