Mr. McKenna sent around an email a few weeks ago announcing the firm's decision to move all files from local server to Box.com, an online file storage system.
Our Business Intelligence Officer, Cain Elliot is working with the IT Department to get the data moved to Box over the next few weeks. Then the transition is complete, there will no longer be an M: drive, or H: drive, or any other network drives. You will access and save all of your files through Box.com.
As part of this move, we are taking the opportunity to reorganize and bring some order to the way we store matter files. We want to have all files stored in a unified way. Part of this is to make the files easier to access with some of the other systems we are preparing to implement. Part of it is also to make it easier for attorneys in all offices to find files no matter which office is storing them.
For some offices, the unified system will be more of a change than for others. Each office will still have its own matter directory, though it will now be much easier to share those with attorneys in other offices. Within the matter directory, each case will be saved under a folder using the client number. Inside that folder will be a folder with each matter number. Inside there, will be a specific set of subfolders in which you can store any matter related documents.
We also plan to create a set of personal folders, based on your current Personal folder (H: drive in some offices, I: drive in others). These are your personal files not shared with others.
Because client and matter folders will be limited to those specific numbered folders for active files, we will also create a shared area where you can set up folders you want to share with others. There, you will be able to create work groups or other shared space for collaboration.
The switch to Box should bring many benefits. As a cloud storage point, you will have easy access to your documents outside the office. It will also make collaboration between attorneys in different offices much easier. Searching for documents will also become much faster and easier. We will even be able to set up shared work spaces for people outside the office, making collaboration with co-counsel or clients easier as well. Box also allows you to add notes to documents. You can also save versions of documents, allowing you to go back to an earlier version if needed.
One of the biggest selling points of Box though, is its ability to integrate with a wide range of other systems. As we get ready to deploy a new email systems, time and billing system, and a case management system, we wanted a service that would integrate with everything. Box seems to fit that bill very well. It also integrates very well with Microsoft office, making it very easy to open and save your documents without jumping through hoops. There is a Box App to give you easy access to your files from your iPad or phone.
As we attempt to migrate file data from nine separate servers into Box, we are moving a massive amount of data. If you still have files stored on the servers that you no longer need, either in your personal drive or on a shared drive, now would be an ideal time to delete them. We are also going to attempt to move the contents of your Google Drive to Box Trashing any unneeded files in Google Drive will also make our migration a little less burdensome.
We plan to go live with Box some time around Labor Day, though we will likely spread out the go-live so that we can get one office at a time up and running. Stay tuned for specific dates for your office.
Margolis Edelstein Tech Blog
Monday, July 31, 2017
Monday, July 24, 2017
Security Updates
Security updates can be annoying and frustrating. We often get update requests at inconvenient times and don't want to take the time to install them. That said, more and more, having the most recent security update installed is becoming more and more critical, to the point that it is part of our ethical obligation to protect client data.
Years ago, many updates were less important, making minor bug fixes or adding things that did not affect most of us. Today, hackers are looking to exploit recently discovered security bugs so that they can attack the computers of people who are too slow to install security patches. As a result, a device that is not completely up to date becomes a prime target for hackers in a way that was not true even a few years ago.
iPad / iPhone Updates
Last week, Apple release iOS 10.3.3 which patches a security hole that could allow a hacker access to your iPad or iPhone via a bug in the WiFi feature. To make sure your iPad or iPhone is up to date, just go into settings, then General, then Software Update. There, you should see that you are either up to date, or have an update pending.
Android Updates
If you have an Android device, you can go to Settings then System Updates. Our firm phones, using Samsung Galaxy, should be up to date automatically. If you have been ignoring pop-ups telling you to update, you should go ahead and update.
Because Android is on a wide variety of hardware, you may have a personal device that forces you to update manually, or may not even make available the most recent security updates at all. This is one reason the firm has decided to standardize on iOS devices, despite many other advantages that Android has over iOS.
As we tighten our security requirements, you may want to consider checking with the IT department before buying a new device, especially some of the cheaper Android devices out there. The firm may soon cut off access to some older or cheaper devices that do not meet security standards for protecting client data confidentiality.
Windows
The firm has standardized on Windows 7 and Windows 10. We have retired all of the Windows XP and earlier computers that had been in use. As we make the move to the cloud, some of our vendors require us to have all computers at Windows 7 or higher. All new computers will come with Windows 10, since Windows 7 is reaching end of life in a few more years.
Whichever version you have, you should get pop-ups from time to time asking you to install updates. Windows 10 is a little more persistent and annoying about such requests. But in either case, you should install any critical or important updates which Microsoft has released. Some of these happen automatically. Some simply remind you to update yourself. Many years ago, we did not always recommend installing the latest updates out of a fear that Microsoft sometimes introduced bugs with its updates. Today that is not the case. The risk of security holes far outweighs any risk of a buggy update.
On the right hand side of the toolbar, you should seen an icon for security updates. If you hover your cursor over it, you can see if you have anything pending. Clicking on it will allow you to update. Critical updates are usually pushed out and installed without asking. If you have ever gone to shut down your computer and Windows says it is installing updates, you know what I mean.
MacOS
A few of our users have begun trying MacOS devices within the firm. Like anything else, these also need regular updates.
To make sure your Mac is up to date, open the App Store and click on “Updates” (at the top right of the menu icons). You should see a list of any available updates not yet installed. You can click on the option to update any one of them, or simply "update all" to install everything.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Leaving Gmail for Exchange Online
The firm has decided to move the margolisedelstein.com mail domain from G Suite (Google) to Microsoft Office 365 Exchange Online. We will make this move quickly and expect the change to happen in the next few months.
Why this is happening
As the firm replaces a wide range of systems, several of our vendors say that their systems integrate better with Microsoft's solution rather than Google's. It will also mean users will have a single account for both email and MS Office rather than the separate accounts that exist now.
The Process
We plan to use a migration specialist called Skykick. The migration company will access your email and migrate all of your mail contacts, and calendar information into Exchange Online. This process will take several weeks. At some point around Labor Day, we plan to shut down Google, do a final sync, and begin using Office 365. We will provide more detailed information on the cut-over as we get closer to the end of the process.
How to prepare
Google throttles the amount of data we can download from each mailbox every day. Therefore, moving the data will take several weeks. If you have a large amount of data in your mailbox, now would be an ideal time to begin deleting items you no longer need and which will only extend our migration process.
The new system has an email storage limit of 50 Gb, unlike Gmail's unlimited storage. At present, just about everyone is well below that limit, which is just for email. It does not count document storage you may be using in Google Drive. But if you are getting close to that limit, you may want to be diligent about deleting messages that unnecessarily fill your account.
Beyond mail, you may be using your Google Account for other purposes. You may have documents saved in Google Drive. We expect to be able to migrate everything in your Google Drive to Box. This is a good time for house cleaning though. If you have files you no longer need in Google Drive, please delete them now.
If you have created documents or spreadsheets in Google Drive that are in Google format, we will convert them to Microsoft format. In other words, a Google Doc will convert to a MS Word Doc, and a Google Sheet will convert to MS Excel.
If you have been using Google Hangouts for instant messaging and chat, those logs will not come over. If you need to save any of that for some reason, you may want to cut and paste the information into a document. Going forward, we recommend using Microsoft Teams for chat and IM.
If you have pictures saved in Google Photos in a work account, these also will be left behind. If you have photos needed for work, please save copies into the appropriate matter directory. If you have personal photos, you may want to download them to a personal computer before they disappear forever.
If you are using any other Google applications and are worried about losing information, please contact me to discuss further. We will do everything in our power to protect whatever data you deem important.
We will also need to find new homes for the Research Home Page, and (hopefully) this blog. We are working on alternative solutions and will announce them as soon as they are ready.
Change Now
Of course, switching to a new mail system means that the familiar Gmail web page will be going away, as will the Gmail app that you use on phones or tablets. We will replace these with Microsoft Outlook. If you have already installed Office 365 on your computer, you already have Outlook installed. To become more familiar with it, we would like you to begin using it now. You can connect Outlook to your existing Gmail account using the G Suite Sync tool. If you click on the link, you can download and run the tool on your computer. This will configure Outlook to access your Google account.
If you begin using Outlook now, you have time to familiarize yourself with the Interface, but can still also use a browser to access the old familiar way while you are learning Outlook. Once we make the move to Exchange, the Gmail interface will go away and we will point your Outlook software to the new Exchange back end. If you are familiar with Outlook by then, you will be ahead of the game and not really see any changes in the way you work with your mail. You will also have the option to access your mail online through outlook.com.
Why this is happening
As the firm replaces a wide range of systems, several of our vendors say that their systems integrate better with Microsoft's solution rather than Google's. It will also mean users will have a single account for both email and MS Office rather than the separate accounts that exist now.
The Process
We plan to use a migration specialist called Skykick. The migration company will access your email and migrate all of your mail contacts, and calendar information into Exchange Online. This process will take several weeks. At some point around Labor Day, we plan to shut down Google, do a final sync, and begin using Office 365. We will provide more detailed information on the cut-over as we get closer to the end of the process.
How to prepare
The new system has an email storage limit of 50 Gb, unlike Gmail's unlimited storage. At present, just about everyone is well below that limit, which is just for email. It does not count document storage you may be using in Google Drive. But if you are getting close to that limit, you may want to be diligent about deleting messages that unnecessarily fill your account.
Beyond mail, you may be using your Google Account for other purposes. You may have documents saved in Google Drive. We expect to be able to migrate everything in your Google Drive to Box. This is a good time for house cleaning though. If you have files you no longer need in Google Drive, please delete them now.
If you have created documents or spreadsheets in Google Drive that are in Google format, we will convert them to Microsoft format. In other words, a Google Doc will convert to a MS Word Doc, and a Google Sheet will convert to MS Excel.
If you have been using Google Hangouts for instant messaging and chat, those logs will not come over. If you need to save any of that for some reason, you may want to cut and paste the information into a document. Going forward, we recommend using Microsoft Teams for chat and IM.
If you have pictures saved in Google Photos in a work account, these also will be left behind. If you have photos needed for work, please save copies into the appropriate matter directory. If you have personal photos, you may want to download them to a personal computer before they disappear forever.
If you are using any other Google applications and are worried about losing information, please contact me to discuss further. We will do everything in our power to protect whatever data you deem important.
We will also need to find new homes for the Research Home Page, and (hopefully) this blog. We are working on alternative solutions and will announce them as soon as they are ready.
Change Now
Of course, switching to a new mail system means that the familiar Gmail web page will be going away, as will the Gmail app that you use on phones or tablets. We will replace these with Microsoft Outlook. If you have already installed Office 365 on your computer, you already have Outlook installed. To become more familiar with it, we would like you to begin using it now. You can connect Outlook to your existing Gmail account using the G Suite Sync tool. If you click on the link, you can download and run the tool on your computer. This will configure Outlook to access your Google account.
If you begin using Outlook now, you have time to familiarize yourself with the Interface, but can still also use a browser to access the old familiar way while you are learning Outlook. Once we make the move to Exchange, the Gmail interface will go away and we will point your Outlook software to the new Exchange back end. If you are familiar with Outlook by then, you will be ahead of the game and not really see any changes in the way you work with your mail. You will also have the option to access your mail online through outlook.com.
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