Many legal software providers claim to offer a Software as a Service (SaaS) product, but how do you know if that’s truly the case?  Perhaps more importantly, why does that even matter?

In this article, we explore why lawyers should proceed with caution when evaluating SaaS legal software options, and outline some of the many benefits these platforms provide to small firms.

What is SaaS Software and What Are Its Benefits? 

The days of bulky and costly on-premise server rooms are coming to an end. SaaS providers host their products, often through a third party on the cloud. This also allows access to the platform from any device that’s connected to the internet. 

The lack of on-site hosting means that SaaS software delivers many benefits, including:

• Allowing users to be a lot more flexible and scalable than they would be if they were hosting on their own premises.
• Allows you to only pay for the software while you need it. 
• Provides a flexible subscription-based pricing model that will often offer a free trial of the product (generally up to 30 days). 
• Provides transparent pricing that won’t lock you into contracts and long-term, perpetual licensing fees. This causes them to be cheaper, allowing you to better plan and distribute your funds.
• Removes the need to hire internal IT staff or external IT Consulting companies, ultimately reducing costs. IT Maintenance and software upgrades are managed by the SAAS company and are completed seamlessly behind the scenes without affecting your uptime.
• Cloud and Database Security is maintained by the SAAS company reducing the risk of Cyber-attacks and minimising the stress associated with managing cyber security protocols.

It’s clear that SaaS platforms deliver many benefits for small firms, but not all software is created equal. Why do you need to be careful to what you apply the term ‘SaaS’? There are true SaaS products and fake SaaS products. Many vendors use the term SaaS as a marketing catchphrase to boost the appeal of their application. 

Before you commit to new legal software, here are three essential questions to ask yourself when evaluating a SaaS platform.

1.What Kind of Footprint Does “True” SaaS Have? Do I Have to Have My Own Servers? 

A true SaaS product will have no footprint on your time or the physical space of your office. If the answer to any of the following questions is “yes”, then it’s not a true SaaS product:

1. Have you got servers? 
2. Are you hosting? 
3. Are you installing your own updates? 

A lack of servers means your business can’t be affected by hardware issues. If your laptop dies you won’t lose any work, just log back in on another device and pick up from where you were last working.

The lack of servers also means there are no installation discs or downloaded files you need to keep track of. This is all managed by your provider so that you can sign up in the morning and be working by the afternoon. 

The lack of footprint also extends to the time required for upkeep and updates. SaaS products are updated and patched regularly in the background by the provider, meaning there’s next to no downtime for users. 

2. What Are the Cyber Security Capabilities of SaaS Legal Platforms?

You may (or may not) be shocked to know that lawyers are some of the most frequently targeted professionals by cyber-security attacks. Why you may ask? Because they hold large amounts of sensitive data, and in comparison, to other professions, they’ve been slow to implement proper cyber security measures. 

According to the Law Council of Australia, some banks have even been warned that law firms are a cyber security risk. In Australia, the average cost of a cybercrime incident is $276,323 and the average time to resolve an attack is 25 days. Can your firm afford that cost? 

As a lawyer who stores client information in a proprietary database, it’s vital that you pay attention to new ways your security can be improved—and make sure you choose a provider that specialises in legal protections. 

Storing data off-premises on external servers, such as those hosted on Microsoft Azure leaves individual legal teams less vulnerable to cyber-attacks and hacks. 

3. What is the Performance of the SaaS Product and is it Scalable? 

Products that are hosted by the user tend to be on the slower side, which shouldn’t be confused with issues caused by slow internet speed. It’s caused when the infrastructure it uses can’t respond as fast, slowing down the user’s ability to get tasks finished. A true SaaS product will use microprocessors to complete tasks, such as bundling large numbers of documents together in the background so that you can work on other matters without worrying about your entire system slowing down. 

The elastic nature of legal SaaS products also allows for you to scale up with ease. Need more features? Just move to the next tier. Need more users? Add them to your user count and let the software do the rest. The multi-tenancy of the software means that you can easily scale up with little to no impact on the infrastructure. 

How mattero Delivers True SaaS Efficiency to Small Firms

With mattero, your firm can work anywhere, on any device at any time. It provides you with a transparent pricing model with no lock in contracts that will free up funds for your firm. And offers the flexibility to scale up or down based on your needs. Ultimately, true SaaS legal software is the most adaptable solution for lawyers today.

To experience a true SAAS legal software, try mattero for free today.