From on-premises to cloud: Strategies for a smooth migration

If you’re at a midsize law firm, you’ve likely heard the buzz about cloud migration, but you may also have concerns. Will moving to the cloud disrupt your operations? Is the process complex? What about downtime and the impact on your legal professionals’ productivity? These are valid questions, and you’re not alone in asking them. The reality is, thousands of firms have already made the leap, and their experiences can help guide yours.

Making the move to the cloud can be equal parts exciting and stressful. As we previously covered, while the path to the cloud may ultimately lead to a destination that an overwhelming number of law firms find rewarding, it would be a disservice to ignore the valid concerns that some firms may have, which may dampen their enthusiasm for cloud-based solutions.

Our experience working with certified iManage partners and the firms they have helped transition to the cloud—more than 1,900 of them, in fact—has given us unique insight into not only the concerns some firms have, but also the facts of the process. What follows is just a few of the ways we make the transition efficient and pain-free.

Minimizing risk and disruption

Understandably, one of the biggest fears we hear from our partners about cloud migration is the risk of disruption.

For them, we have good news: The migration process is engineered to keep firms running smoothly. After cutover, legal professionals can return to work immediately, supported by familiar interfaces and enhanced features. In turn, IT staff are freed from the burdens of server maintenance, patch management, and emergency firefighting. Instead of scrambling to fix outages or patch vulnerabilities, teams can focus on higher-value projects that drive growth.

True cloud simplicity means no more Managed Service Provider (MSP) complexity or parallel systems. Automatic quarterly updates deliver new features with zero downtime, and elastic scalability meets demand without extra hardware. Built-in enterprise certifications and zero-trust security far surpass MSP and on-premises solutions.

Understanding the migration process

Let’s break down what the migration experience typically involves:

• Tested methodology: Certified partners use repeatable, proven migration playbooks that minimize downtime and risk. Most firms migrate in a matter of weeks, with legal professionals returning to work the next morning.
• Operational continuity: After cutover, legal professionals work normally while IT staff are freed from server maintenance, patch management, and emergency firefighting.
• True SaaS simplicity: The entire firm benefits from a clean transition to a cloud-native platform like that offered by iManage, capitalizing on proven uptime and certifications.

Firms that have completed their migrations with iManage often tell us that the transition was more streamlined than anticipated. Many also highlight their relief from infrastructure emergencies and after-hours issues. For many firms, migration represents more than just technology—it’s about freeing teams to focus on innovation and client-facing value.

Mitigating the costs

Additional costs associated with making the move to the cloud are also frequently cited as significant barriers preventing migration.

The reality is that while there are undoubtedly new costs that come with the move, cloud migration also offers benefits that offset them, including predictable subscription pricing, bundled governance, compliance, and security features that eliminate the need for costly add-ons. IT resources are freed up to focus on higher-value projects, rather than maintenance. The move to the cloud also supports firms’ AI initiatives, positioning them to best capitalize on AI and other promising new technologies.

Ask yourself: How much IT time is your firm losing to patching and upgrades that could be invested in client-facing innovation? Are you struggling to keep pace with client security demands? Cloud migration isn’t just a technical upgrade—it’s a strategic move that future-proofs your firm and reassures clients and insurers.

Continuing the conversation

Ready to learn more about how your firm can make a smooth, low-risk transition to the cloud? Reach out to our team or explore peer success stories to see how other firms have benefited from the move.