“CIF Code of Practice lets us know we are on the right track”, says LawWare

LawWare, a provider of cloud-based software solutions for law firms, has successfully re-certified against the Cloud Industry Forum’s (CIF) Code of Practice, managed by APM Group, reaffirming its commitment to transparency, accountability and capability in the delivery of cloud services.

Founded in 1995 and incorporated in England in 1998, LawWare produces innovative software specifically for UK solicitors and offers a first class range of support services to assist law firms to successfully implement the software and keep it operating smoothly thereafter. The company now provides practice-management software for more than 230 law firms and is growing rapidly, representing almost 25 per cent of law firms in Scotland.

Speaking about their drive to renew the certification, Warren Wander, LawWare’s Managing Director, said: “CIF certification, and the process of actually certifying, offered our business a significant boost, so we had no reservations about recertifying when our initial certification expired. We are a reasonably small, specialist provider, but the Code of Practice has made us ‘think big’ and take a critical look at our organisational practices and structure. Certifying allowed us to see which areas of the business were up to scratch, and which areas required some additional attention. Essentially, it helps us know that we are on the right track when it comes to delivering cloud services, and that, from the point of view of our customers, everything is as clear as it should be.

“The legal sector is becoming more attuned to the benefits of the cloud, but law firms still hold often-legitimate concerns about the security and reliability of the services they are using, and actively look for reassurance from CSPs that their data will be protected. Being a CIF certified provider allows our customers to have complete confidence in the solutions we offer, safe in the knowledge that we adhere to cloud industry best practice. We’ve also witnessed a morale boost internally, as staff are reassured that the services we provide are best-in-class. We are proud to continue our relationship with CIF and expect it to continue for the foreseeable future,” he continued.

The Code of Practice is a credible, certifiable tool that allows Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) to demonstrate that they meet specified requirements of transparency, accountability and capability, as prescribed by CIF. It aims to standardise enterprises offering cloud services to provide clarity, transparency and assurance to end users seeking to migrate to the cloud.

Richard Pharro, CEO of APM Group, concluded: “The CIF Code of Practice enables professional CSPs, such as LawWare, to demonstrate, with clarity, their ethics, practices and processes. As in any market sector, independent validations that allow customers to make more educated buying decisions have to be of value. This holds especially true in the heavily-regulated legal sector in which LawWare operates. The Cloud Industry Forum has taken important steps in providing this foundation in what is a fast changing and, to many, a new technology sector.”