Cloud deployment delivers software from vendor-operated infrastructure, typically as a subscription service. The vendor handles hosting, updates, backups, and much of the security posture.
It contrasts with on-premises deployment where the firm operates the servers and retains full control.
Alternative Names:
Cloud Hosting, Cloud-Based Deployment
Why it Matters?
Cloud adoption is effectively universal in legal technology now, and the relevant questions have shifted from whether to use it to how it is configured. Bar ethics opinions have uniformly approved cloud storage of client data subject to reasonable diligence, so the analysis is about the specific vendor's controls, data location, subprocessors, and contractual commitments rather than the deployment model itself.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Is cloud storage of client data ethically permissible?
What should diligence cover?
