The Benefits of Cloud-Based Software for IP Management

While both on-premises and cloud-based systems have advantages, cloud-based options are considered the future of software—and IP management software is no different. Here are some of the key reasons why: 

• Improved connectivity and accessibility 

You can sign in to a cloud-based system from anywhere easily with an internet connection. So, whether you’re hard at work in the office, working remotely, or logging on from a client’s office, you can access the information, tasks, and functionality you need to keep your processes moving. 

Secure and straightforward access is invaluable if you travel for work or need to respond to an urgent work inquiry, as you don’t need to worry about returning to your office to log in to your system. You can deal with any issue as soon as you are alerted to it, without causing delays. 

• Cost and ease of use 

For smaller organizations, especially, on-premises systems are cost prohibitive. Not only does it require a significant financial investment to establish an on-site solution, but the long implementation time means you don’t see the benefits of this investment for a long period.  

In comparison, users of our Equinox IP management software can quickly configure their chosen system to meet their unique needs and get their team trained in a much faster time frame than an on-premises system. This makes the latest generation of IP management systems much more accessible for smaller organizations and enables them to hit the ground running. 

However, it's not only smaller organizations that can benefit from our cloud-based solutions. Hundreds of law firms and businesses worldwide, from start-ups to large corporations, use their chosen Equinox IP management system (IPMS) to manage IP portfolios. The technology provides the freedom and security their teams need to attend global conferences and visit clients and colleagues, while always staying on top of their portfolio.  

• Dependable uptime 

Regardless of how good your chosen IPMS is, sooner or later you’ll encounter some technical problems. When that happens, you want them solved quickly to minimize disruption.  

With an on-premises system, you'll be responsible for maintaining, upgrading, and repairing the infrastructure. This costs money, time, and energy: all resources that could be better spent on value-adding tasks. 

In contrast, the provider of your cloud-based system will be responsible for keeping it running smoothly. We use fully secure cloud-based platforms to host our Equinox IP management software for our clients, including Microsoft Azure and Salesforce, to ensure we can avoid disruption from power outages, network outages, or weather conditions. With servers hosted from data centers worldwide, we can rapidly switch between servers if required, keeping our clients working with minimal interruption.  

• Rapid access to IT support 

While the IT support team maintaining your on-premises system may be highly skilled, any solutions will be delayed because your provider may have to come to your office physically. In contrast, our highly experienced team can leap into action and find solutions quickly. Our team can fix most problems online and have clients back to normal in no time. 

By handing responsibility for the technical side of your IP system over to a team of experts, your organization can focus on providing excellent services rather than worrying about IT support.  

• Advanced security layering  

While an on-premises system gives you more control over the physical infrastructure supporting your IPMS, they are costly to maintain. In comparison, the large cloud providers that form the backbone of cloud-based IP management systems integrate multi-layered security offerings that are out of reach for most organizations running on-premises systems.  

By adopting one of our Equinox cloud-based IP management systems, you can enjoy the security benefits of working with large providers, such as Microsoft and Salesforce, through the more accessible and tailorable experience of working with a specialist IP company—the best of both worlds! 

• Scalable as your business grows 

On-premises solutions could be a limiting factor when your organization grows. If you need to expand your system to account for new employees, clients, or a larger portfolio, a cloud-based system will grow with you. 

Our Equinox IP management software is built with security and growth in mind, and a large part of our success depends on our cloud-based setup, as it enables us to offer a more adaptable system that works around your organization, rather than forcing it to work within the boundaries of the system. 

• Speedy development 

Adopting a web-accessible, cloud-based system is the best way to future-proof your operations. 

Providers of these systems can develop, test, and implement handy new features and integrations with minimal disruption to your services. While hosting a proprietary system on your premises gives you unlimited control over even the most granular details of your IP management system, keeping them up to date with the latest technology and trends requires considerable time and expense. 

It can be much slower to implement an on-premises system and roll out updates when needed. In contrast, most cloud-based systems are—or should be—updated frequently and offer extensive customizability. 

Our Equinox IP management software, for example, is built to be highly customizable. With specialist systems for IP professionals in law firms and corporate settings, our clients can configure their systems to enhance the processes they’ve spent their careers perfecting. It’s quicker and easier than many expect to get started with an Equinox IPMS too, and those who adopt our system frequently report a boost in efficiency. 

• Long-term development roadmaps 

On-premises systems often have slow development roadmaps compared to cloud-based, web-accessible systems. The latter have dedicated budgets for research and development to launch improvements and develop new features more quickly. 

Our development team releases an update around every two weeks, for example. These cover everything from minor bug fixes to security updates and often include new features or integrations with related business tools and specialist IP management services and platforms, such as IP renewals, billing, and official office data sharing, among others. In contrast, a smaller organization using an on-premises system is unlikely to have the resources to coordinate and build such integrations.    

Your IPMS underpins all your team’s processes, so operating a less desirable system will ultimately be reflected in its performance.  

A cloud-based, web-accessible IP management system is the most accessible, cost-effective, and dependable option: 

• You can access your system securely from anywhere with an internet connection so you can respond to urgent tasks as quickly as possible.  
• The management, development, and hosting of your IPMS will be handled by your provider so you can focus your resources on the value-adding activities that matter most to your organization. 
• Not only will you have access to all the latest features and tools, but they will be developed, tested, implemented, and maintained by your provider.  
   

When senior leadership or your clients assess the quality of your IP portfolio management practices, you want to be sure you can achieve and exceed your targets. There’s a good reason why most software across every industry relies on cloud-based, web-accessible systems. It’s time for your IP team to embrace the benefits too!