Activating Innovation with the Power of the Cloud

Elisabet Hardy
Chief Product Officer, Elite

Philip Kelvin
VP of Product Strategy, Elite

Cloud transformation remains a hot topic of discussion for law firms of all sizes. The higher difficulty of maintaining resource-intensive on-premises systems and the heightened security of the cloud are nudging many towards making the move if they haven’t already done so. However, there’s another critical factor for firms to consider—how the cloud acts as a launchpad to enable firms to access and activate innovation.

Being in the cloud empowers firms to scale, as it offers the flexibility to increase user numbers as you grow, but also—and more importantly—that the capabilities you have at your fingertips can advance and expand as your business requirements evolve. On an open software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, you’re up to date with the latest software developments, and you can connect with leading legal tech applications across your entire technology stack. This lifts the lid on an expansive toolkit that will allow you to leverage automation and harness artificial intelligence (AI)—something cost prohibitive or extremely difficult with an on-premises system.

For many firms today, the move to the cloud is a matter of when and how fast, not if. The fact that many firms have completed this journey is reassuring, as it means cloud transition is no longer a case of navigating unchartered waters. Others are encouraged by seeing the first movers in the legal space making great leaps forward when they get there, with plenty of valuable use cases that have now been developed with cloud technology.

With innovation advancing so rapidly, the longer firms wait to migrate to the cloud, the further they could fall behind their peers. Those that are already operating in the cloud are moving forward fast, because they have access to a wealth of technology innovation. As they do so, their return on investment—both in terms of how they deliver services to clients and run their business more effectively and efficiently—accelerates.

These firms are adapting to a new lifestyle, where keeping up with the pace of change is no longer difficult and daunting, but simply a natural progression—as software updates happen seamlessly and automation and AI become embedded into work processes. When technology is used to solve specific problems, and everything works fast and well together, you can meet increasing client expectations and focus more attention on important matters such as driving profitability.

The conversation around cloud transformation is ongoing—but now is the time to turn words into action, in order to activate the innovation it has to offer.

Originally published in Briefing May 2025.