In the course of our delegated management of IT stocks, we have become increasingly aware of the growing mental burden on lawyers as they manage their firm. IT management can indeed be a complex task for legal professionals, who often have significant professional responsibilities, particularly in France and more generally in Europe (GDPR, AML-CFT, RIN...). This management also intertwines with the handling of paper documents, which have not completely disappeared from law firms (processing originals, signing private deeds, manual handover, etc.).

When it comes to their IT services, Azure and Microsoft Office are two of the most popular solutions for firms looking to streamline their IT while offering advanced features for their staff. However, the increasing complexity of these tools often necessitates a delegated management offering, allowing lawyers to finally focus on their work, while leaving the management of their IT systems to qualified professionals.

 

What is Microsoft’s Azure Suite and How Does it Integrate with Microsoft Office?

Azure is Microsoft’s cloud platform, similar to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or Amazon Web Services (AWS). Azure offers a wide range of services including computing, storage, networking, and data analysis. It is designed to help businesses create, deploy, and manage large-scale applications with great flexibility and security.

For a law firm, the key advantage of Azure is its tight integration with other Microsoft products, such as Microsoft Office and Dynamics 365. While the Azure solution may not always be essential for a solo practitioner, it can become crucial when integrating new collaborators and relying on a centralized IT ecosystem.

In this way, the experience with other Microsoft software or services is managed through Azure: Group strategy, configuration of authentication methods, domain joining, visual identity, device management, access rights and group privileges, password resets... These are all services that will most often be handled through the Azure suite rather than the administrator interface of your Office suite.

 

What is Delegated Management for Azure and Microsoft Office?

Delegated management for Azure and Microsoft Office is an IT service that allows lawyers to delegate the management of their IT infrastructure to a team of experts. This service includes managing the Microsoft Azure platform for hosting and data management, as well as managing the Microsoft Office suite for office tools.

At IdéoLégis, this type of offering is most often part of a broader strategy of fully outsourcing the IT fleet (hardware + software). However, delegated management can also be applied ad hoc to an existing, unstructured IT setup (accumulation of licenses per workstation and subscription, devices registered under multiple accounts, etc.). This approach is typically aimed at streamlining the IT infrastructure of a law firm undergoing change (such as team expansion or mergers between firms). It can also be an opportunity to centralize IT following the adoption of another Microsoft solution (OneDrive, SharePoint, etc.).

 

The Benefits of Delegated Azure and Microsoft Office Management for Lawyers

Delegated management for Azure and Microsoft Office offers several benefits for lawyers who are looking to simplify and/or modernize their IT systems. Here are some key advantages of this solution:

• Cost Reduction: Delegated management allows lawyers to reduce IT maintenance costs by avoiding the need to hire an internal IT team or by redirecting existing teams to more critical tasks (such as web or application development).

• Secure Data Management: The outsourced manager can configure a maximum level of security for the firm’s data, while still allowing the firm to retain control over the data, which is particularly important for lawyers handling confidential information.

• Flexibility: Azure is a highly flexible cloud computing solution that can be tailored to the needs of each firm. However, mastering it requires a certain level of experience with Azure solutions.

• Automatic Updates: Delegated management ensures that updates to the Azure platform and the Microsoft Office suite are performed automatically and regularly, ensuring optimal security.

• Professional Technical Support: Lawyers who choose delegated management benefit from professional technical support in the event of IT issues, allowing them to focus on their work rather than on resolving IT problems.

In conclusion, delegated management of Azure and Microsoft Office is an ideal solution for lawyers seeking to simplify their IT while benefiting from the advanced features of Microsoft Office and Azure. This approach offers undeniable advantages in reducing the mental burden on lawyers, enabling them to focus on their core activities: advising and representing clients.