Cloud Computing for Law Firms: AWS vs. Microsoft Azure — What Law Firms Should Know
AWS and Microsoft Azure can provide the infrastructure behind modern law-firm technology. But choosing a cloud platform is only part of the decision.
Law firms increasingly depend on technology for nearly every part of their operations — from email and document management to case management, billing, research, collaboration, and remote work.
As firms move away from relying entirely on servers and computers located inside a physical office, cloud computing has become an important part of the legal technology conversation.
Two of the largest cloud platforms are Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.
The right technology depends on the firm's applications, users, security requirements, existing technology, and how attorneys and staff need to work.
What Does "Moving a Law Firm to the Cloud" Actually Mean?
Moving to the cloud doesn't necessarily mean replacing every application a law firm currently uses.
Cloud computing can involve moving different parts of a firm's technology environment away from physical infrastructure located in the office and running those workloads through cloud infrastructure instead.
Servers
Run business workloads on cloud infrastructure instead of relying entirely on physical servers.
Applications
Host or deliver business and legal applications remotely.
File Storage
Store information using cloud-based storage services.
Backups
Build cloud-based backup and recovery environments.
Virtual Desktops
Provide attorneys and staff with centrally managed desktop environments.
Disaster Recovery
Use cloud infrastructure as part of business continuity planning.
A law firm might move a large portion of its infrastructure to the cloud, or it might use cloud infrastructure for only certain applications and workloads.
What Is Amazon Web Services?
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is Amazon's cloud-computing platform.
AWS provides computing, storage, networking, database, identity, security, backup, and many other infrastructure services that organizations can use without maintaining all of the underlying physical hardware themselves.
AWS provides the infrastructure — not the legal practice-management application itself.
A law firm or technology provider can use AWS to operate servers, applications, storage, databases, backups, virtual desktops, and other technology environments.
Compute
Cloud-based computing resources for applications and workloads.
Storage
Cloud storage for files, applications, backups, and other information.
Networking
Infrastructure for connecting cloud resources and users.
Virtual Desktops
Amazon WorkSpaces can provide cloud-based desktops to users.
What Is Microsoft Azure?
Microsoft Azure is Microsoft's cloud-computing platform.
Like AWS, Azure provides infrastructure and services for computing, storage, networking, databases, identity, security, virtual machines, application hosting, and many other technology workloads.
Azure can be particularly familiar to organizations already using Microsoft technologies.
Azure can deliver complete desktops or individual applications remotely.
Azure Virtual Desktop supports Windows desktops as well as individual applications through RemoteApp.
AWS vs. Azure for Law Firms
There isn't a universal winner between AWS and Azure.
Both are major cloud platforms that can support sophisticated business environments.
Existing Technology
Consider the firm's current infrastructure, applications, and technology providers.
Legal Applications
Verify operating systems, databases, licensing, integrations, and vendor requirements.
Remote Work
Determine how attorneys and staff need to access applications and information.
Scalability
Consider hiring, additional offices, acquisitions, and changing computing requirements.
Microsoft 365 Is Not the Same as Microsoft Azure
A law firm using Microsoft 365 is already using cloud-based Microsoft services, but that does not necessarily mean the firm's entire technology environment is running in Azure.
A firm might use Microsoft 365 for email, collaboration, and documents while using Azure for virtual machines, virtual desktops, application delivery, storage, networking, or other infrastructure.
Virtual Desktops in AWS and Azure
Both AWS and Azure provide options for delivering desktops remotely.
AWS offers Amazon WorkSpaces, which allows organizations to provision cloud-based desktops that users can access remotely.
Microsoft offers Azure Virtual Desktop, which supports both complete Windows desktops and individual remote applications.
For law firms, virtual desktops can be useful when attorneys and staff need a consistent work environment regardless of where they are physically located.
What About Application Delivery?
Sometimes the problem isn't the user's entire computer.
It's one application.
Determine which legal or business application attorneys actually need.
Provide remote access to the required application without necessarily delivering an entire desktop.
Keep application configuration and access centrally managed.
Choose application delivery or a full virtual desktop based on the firm's actual needs.
If users only need secure remote access to a particular application, a complete virtual desktop may introduce unnecessary complexity.
Is the Cloud Automatically Secure?
No.
Moving infrastructure to AWS or Azure does not automatically make a law firm's technology secure.
Cloud providers protect significant portions of the underlying infrastructure, but customers retain responsibilities that depend on the services being used.
Questions Law Firms Should Ask Before Moving to AWS or Azure
Before choosing a cloud platform or migrating an application, a firm should understand what business problem it is trying to solve.
AWS, Azure, Virtual Desktop, or Application Delivery?
These technologies shouldn't be treated as interchangeable products.
Think of them as different layers.
Cloud Platform
AWS and Azure provide the infrastructure and services underneath the environment.
Virtual Desktop
Provides users with a complete remotely accessible desktop environment.
Application Delivery
Provides access to specific applications without necessarily providing a complete desktop.
How NovaCore Systems Helps Law Firms
NovaCore Systems helps law firms evaluate and implement technology based on the firm's actual requirements rather than forcing every firm into the same solution.
Depending on the environment, that may include cloud infrastructure, secure virtual desktops, application delivery, Microsoft technologies, and broader technology services.
Evaluate
Understand the firm's applications, users, and technology requirements.
Design
Determine which architecture best fits the firm's actual needs.
Modernize
Help move appropriate workloads toward modern technology environments.
Support
Help firms manage technology as their requirements change.
Is Your Firm Ready for the Cloud?
Considering AWS, Azure, Virtual Desktop, or Application Delivery? Let's take a closer look at your firm's technology environment.
- Review your current technology environment
- Identify applications that may benefit from cloud delivery
- Evaluate Virtual Desktop vs. Application Delivery
- Discuss your firm's remote-work requirements
Let's Talk About Your Firm
Tell us a little about your firm's technology.
The Bottom Line
The most important cloud decision for a law firm isn't simply choosing between AWS and Azure.
It is determining what the firm actually needs its technology to accomplish.
A five-person firm with mostly browser-based applications may require a very different environment from a 75-person firm operating several Windows-based legal applications across multiple locations.
The question isn't simply: "Should our firm use AWS or Azure?"
The better question is: "What technology environment will allow our firm to work securely, efficiently, and reliably?"