You’ve still got a server in the closet. I know you do. I can hear the humming from out here in the hall.
Your server works beautifully. It does what it’s supposed to do until . . .
It stops doing it. It crashes. Something breaks.
Then . . . chaos.
When the server goes down, someone has to call “the guy.” He can’t come for a bit, and when he does come, he tells you it’s time to replace the server.
He reminds you that he told you that a year ago and you didn’t do it. Now it’s way beyond time.
He will have to “order” the new server. It won’t be here until the day after tomorrow (which we used to think of as amazing, and now it feels slow).
Then he’ll have to set it up, and that’ll take most of the morning.
If all goes well, the new server will be up and running by the end of the day—two days from now.
In the meantime, you’ll be without e-mail, your calendar won’t work (except for what’s on your phone), and your draft documents will be inaccessible. What a nightmare.
Oh, I didn’t mention the best part. When this is all said and done, you’ll have spent, between the hardware, the software, and “the guy,” a total of about $5,000. Wow.
How to Avoid the Predictable Server Disaster
What’s the alternative?
Move to the cloud. Join me up here. It’s nice.
Yes, you’ll be the last person to the party, but there’s no time like the present to catch up.
- E-mail: Switch from whatever e-mail thing you’re running on that server over to Google Apps for Business. It’ll handle your e-mail, calendar, plus some other stuff (like video messaging). It’s cheap, and it’ll keep you up and running.
- Documents: Move your documents from the server over to Google Drive (part of Google Apps), Dropbox, or one of the dozens of other competitors in the space.
- Phone: Move your phone system too. That’s just another server that dies periodically. We use Vonage for Business. We don’t use handsets anymore. We just use headsets on our laptops or apps on our mobile phones.
If you’re ready to take your game to the next level, then look at practice management systems like Clio, RocketMatter, or MyCase. These systems help you bring everything under control.
You’re coming to the cloud eventually; it’s just a matter of time. You might as well make the leap now before that $5,000 hunk of metal in the closet stops working.
Yes, things will break down in the cloud. Things won’t always work perfectly. But when they break, you won’t have to call “the guy.” There will be someone from Google or Dropbox or Clio assigned immediately to fix your problem. It’s not heaven up here, but it’s pretty close.
Making the move is tricky. “The guy” will tell you not to do it. He sees the writing on the wall. You’ll find yourself resisting (you’d have already done it if this were comfortable for you). You’ll worry about “security” and other issues. Your internal alarms will fire off, and you’ll be tempted to leave things as they have been.
But replacing servers and managing your network is a big hassle. It’s one more thing that distracts you from doing the important stuff. It slows you down when you’re trying to move forward. Let it go. Change is the only constant.
Four Steps to Freedom From Servers
Step by step, make the move. Here’s what you do:
- Move the files to Google Drive or Dropbox. That’s an easy place to start.
- Go ahead and sign up for Google Apps for Business. Migrate your mail. I’ve heard good things about YippieMove for the migration. Don’t worry, you can still use Outlook if you’re addicted.
- Move the phones over to a hosted VoIP provider like Vonage. That’s a bigger move, but once it’s done, you’re set for a long time. We haven’t had to do much of anything to our system for years, and it gets better every month with new features added constantly.
- Take a look at practice management systems and see whether you can justify the switch for your business. It makes sense for most practices, but many lawyers hesitate to make the move for a variety of reasons. Just taking the first three steps will free up some time for you.
Follow these steps, and you’ll be in the cloud in just a few weeks. That server will become a faint and distant memory. Soon you’ll be floating carefree in the new world of hosted services with professionals caring for your computer needs.
The humming you hear won’t be from a server. It’ll be you with a happy tune singing in your head.
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