Backup Protection and Continuity Keep Firms Running

While sometimes downplayed, it's hard to ignore the importance of e-mail backup to businesses large and small. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Gulf Coast law firms that had e-mail backup systems in place prior to the storm were back in business in a matter of hours, while those that did not waited weeks and sometimes months to get their firms up and running. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of billable hours were lost due to the time spent waiting to retrieve e-mail archives and documents.

Firms of every size and in every geographic area must protect their electronic data and be prepared for potential IT disasters. The possibility of disruptions through SPAM and e-mail outages is surprisingly high:

• e-Mail SPAM accounts for more than 85% of all e-mail traffic (MX Logic).
• Fifty-five percent of all companies will experience an e-mail outage greater than four times annually (Industry Reports).

To Outsource or Not to Outsource

An e-mail backup system must be in place to immediately restore functionality and allow firms to continue operations. Attorneys often work odd hours around the clock to meet court deadlines and work with clients, constantly relying on e-mail usage and accessibility. Though large law firms have IT budgets to solve e-mail issues quickly and internally, small and mid-sized firms must safeguard their systems more cost-effectively.

To decide whether your firm should handle IT in-house or through a third-party service provider, some questions to think about include:

• Do you have spare parts and servers on hand for quick replacement in the event of a hardware failure?
• Do you have redundant Internet connectivity for your inbound and outbound e-mail in case your T1 or DSL fails?
• Do you have high physical security for your servers?
• Do you backup your critical data and make sure that all patches and updates are installed so hackers don't get in?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, your firm should consider outsourcing your IT solutions. A growing trend with small businesses is to rent storage space using a SaaS (Software as a Service) model. This “cloud computing” method allows users to rent the use of software from a provider that can build a more robust infrastructure than the small business may be able to do internally. Hosted Microsoft Exchange services have become very common ' and very affordable considering the value that this particular application can provide. Businesses use more applications and share more information electronically than they did five years ago, and they need updated technology to support their activities. With cloud computing, small businesses can manage large volumes of electronic data and software applications in a user-friendly manner.

SaaS Checklist

When considering a SaaS option, it is important to investigate the providers and their terms and not just buy on price.

Given the critical nature of e-mail to a law firm, make sure you are dealing with a quality organization that has redundant systems. Some of the things to look for when deciding on a provider include:

• Infrastructure. The infrastructure should include a quality data center facility in a geographic area that is not prone to regular natural disasters. It would be ideal if the provider has multiple data centers that are geographically dispersed, with data synchronization between the two. Additionally, the facility should have fire suppression, backup power systems, rigid security access policies and multiple Internet backbone connections via different carriers. This provides the most robust environment and can minimize service interruptions. It is very difficult for small to medium-sized companies to develop and maintain this type of infrastructure.
• Operations. You will want to get information about how the vendor will be hosting your application. You want to understand how the systems are designed for reliability via redundancy, data synchronization, clustering, etc. If this discussion gets too detailed, then you may want to have your IT adviser join in to make sure you are comfortable with the quality of the hosted solution.
• Policies. Ask for a documented service agreement with SLAs (service level agreements) and service guarantees. This should also include the delineation of any rebates or refunds you would be owed if the SLAs are not met. A review of its security access policies can give you an idea of how tightly access is controlled.
• Quality of Staff. Whether you are hosting a common product such as Microsoft Exchange or an industry-specific software application, it is important to have multiple staff members certified on the implementation and support of your hosted solution. Additionally, they should have the certified staff maintain the core networking and power systems needed to sustain data center operations.
• Visibility and Reporting. Ask if the provider can provide monthly reporting on the availability and performance of your hosted solution. These reports can confirm your usage experience. If there are discrepancies in your users experience and availability of the hosted solution, then you have the information necessary to discuss it with the provider. Additionally, a documented list of routine problems can allow you to address the service guarantees in your agreement.

Some of the better-known SaaS providers to mention include Lexis Nexis, Rackspace, GroupSpark, Appriver, Google and Amazon, which offer options and information archiving that are convenient for small firms. You should ensure that the provider you choose will protect your documents from the public and only allow authorized access, especially with the privacy sensitivity surrounding legal cases.

Archiving

Other solutions to consider are SPAM and virus protection and e-mail archiving. These items are very important to protect your data and keep the firm operating efficiently. Any delays or downtime can cost a law firm money ' each hour down is an hour not billed. Additionally, many law firms are now setting up standards for compliance that require them to maintain client communications for three to five years or longer. Sufficient e-mail archiving solutions can be expensive to implement and maintain with an internal IT department. Some providers, such as MX Logic and Google's Postini, offer e-mail SPAM and virus services in addition to e-mail archiving as a service. This SaaS offering can be economically advantageous to small firms.

Finally, given the significance of e-mail availability and the desire for “Anywhere/Anytime” productivity for law firms, e-mail continuity is becoming a valuable service that is putting highly reliable, always available, e-mail in the hands of small to medium-sized firms at very affordable costs. Providers such as MX Logic and Message Labs provide a cloud-based e-mail continuity service that works in conjunction with their anti-spam and anti-virus services. If, for any reason, your normal e-mail server becomes unavailable, they will hold your e-mails and continue to receive them on your behalf. Additionally, they provide a Web interface to all the e-mail that is being held. This allows you to send, receive and reply to your e-mail while you wait for your main server to come back online. When your e-mail server is back online, all your held mail is then delivered to your main server and you are back to working as normal.

Conclusion

Small to medium-sized firms can turn to these IT solutions for cost-effective and reliable e-mail that will keep their businesses operating under all conditions. Effectively managing IT can reduce business risks and streamline your electronic operations.

While sometimes downplayed, it's hard to ignore the importance of e-mail backup to businesses large and small. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Gulf Coast law firms that had e-mail backup systems in place prior to the storm were back in business in a matter of hours, while those that did not waited weeks and sometimes months to get their firms up and running. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of billable hours were lost due to the time spent waiting to retrieve e-mail archives and documents.

Firms of every size and in every geographic area must protect their electronic data and be prepared for potential IT disasters. The possibility of disruptions through SPAM and e-mail outages is surprisingly high:

• e-Mail SPAM accounts for more than 85% of all e-mail traffic (MX Logic).
• Fifty-five percent of all companies will experience an e-mail outage greater than four times annually (Industry Reports).

To Outsource or Not to Outsource

An e-mail backup system must be in place to immediately restore functionality and allow firms to continue operations. Attorneys often work odd hours around the clock to meet court deadlines and work with clients, constantly relying on e-mail usage and accessibility. Though large law firms have IT budgets to solve e-mail issues quickly and internally, small and mid-sized firms must safeguard their systems more cost-effectively.

To decide whether your firm should handle IT in-house or through a third-party service provider, some questions to think about include:

• Do you have spare parts and servers on hand for quick replacement in the event of a hardware failure?
• Do you have redundant Internet connectivity for your inbound and outbound e-mail in case your T1 or DSL fails?
• Do you have high physical security for your servers?
• Do you backup your critical data and make sure that all patches and updates are installed so hackers don't get in?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, your firm should consider outsourcing your IT solutions. A growing trend with small businesses is to rent storage space using a SaaS (Software as a Service) model. This “cloud computing” method allows users to rent the use of software from a provider that can build a more robust infrastructure than the small business may be able to do internally. Hosted Microsoft Exchange services have become very common ' and very affordable considering the value that this particular application can provide. Businesses use more applications and share more information electronically than they did five years ago, and they need updated technology to support their activities. With cloud computing, small businesses can manage large volumes of electronic data and software applications in a user-friendly manner.

SaaS Checklist

When considering a SaaS option, it is important to investigate the providers and their terms and not just buy on price.

Given the critical nature of e-mail to a law firm, make sure you are dealing with a quality organization that has redundant systems. Some of the things to look for when deciding on a provider include:

• Infrastructure. The infrastructure should include a quality data center facility in a geographic area that is not prone to regular natural disasters. It would be ideal if the provider has multiple data centers that are geographically dispersed, with data synchronization between the two. Additionally, the facility should have fire suppression, backup power systems, rigid security access policies and multiple Internet backbone connections via different carriers. This provides the most robust environment and can minimize service interruptions. It is very difficult for small to medium-sized companies to develop and maintain this type of infrastructure.
• Operations. You will want to get information about how the vendor will be hosting your application. You want to understand how the systems are designed for reliability via redundancy, data synchronization, clustering, etc. If this discussion gets too detailed, then you may want to have your IT adviser join in to make sure you are comfortable with the quality of the hosted solution.
• Policies. Ask for a documented service agreement with SLAs (service level agreements) and service guarantees. This should also include the delineation of any rebates or refunds you would be owed if the SLAs are not met. A review of its security access policies can give you an idea of how tightly access is controlled.
• Quality of Staff. Whether you are hosting a common product such as Microsoft Exchange or an industry-specific software application, it is important to have multiple staff members certified on the implementation and support of your hosted solution. Additionally, they should have the certified staff maintain the core networking and power systems needed to sustain data center operations.
• Visibility and Reporting. Ask if the provider can provide monthly reporting on the availability and performance of your hosted solution. These reports can confirm your usage experience. If there are discrepancies in your users experience and availability of the hosted solution, then you have the information necessary to discuss it with the provider. Additionally, a documented list of routine problems can allow you to address the service guarantees in your agreement.

Some of the better-known SaaS providers to mention include Lexis Nexis, Rackspace, GroupSpark, Appriver, Google and Amazon, which offer options and information archiving that are convenient for small firms. You should ensure that the provider you choose will protect your documents from the public and only allow authorized access, especially with the privacy sensitivity surrounding legal cases.

Archiving

Other solutions to consider are SPAM and virus protection and e-mail archiving. These items are very important to protect your data and keep the firm operating efficiently. Any delays or downtime can cost a law firm money ' each hour down is an hour not billed. Additionally, many law firms are now setting up standards for compliance that require them to maintain client communications for three to five years or longer. Sufficient e-mail archiving solutions can be expensive to implement and maintain with an internal IT department. Some providers, such as MX Logic and Google's Postini, offer e-mail SPAM and virus services in addition to e-mail archiving as a service. This SaaS offering can be economically advantageous to small firms.

Finally, given the significance of e-mail availability and the desire for “Anywhere/Anytime” productivity for law firms, e-mail continuity is becoming a valuable service that is putting highly reliable, always available, e-mail in the hands of small to medium-sized firms at very affordable costs. Providers such as MX Logic and Message Labs provide a cloud-based e-mail continuity service that works in conjunction with their anti-spam and anti-virus services. If, for any reason, your normal e-mail server becomes unavailable, they will hold your e-mails and continue to receive them on your behalf. Additionally, they provide a Web interface to all the e-mail that is being held. This allows you to send, receive and reply to your e-mail while you wait for your main server to come back online. When your e-mail server is back online, all your held mail is then delivered to your main server and you are back to working as normal.

Conclusion

Small to medium-sized firms can turn to these IT solutions for cost-effective and reliable e-mail that will keep their businesses operating under all conditions. Effectively managing IT can reduce business risks and streamline your electronic operations.