This is the final post in my Vantage Sydney reflection series, following my discussions on AML compliance and the true cost of SaaS solutions. The final theme that stood out to me at the conference was the changing expectations around legal tech support - and how managed services are quickly becoming the smarter choice for firms looking to maximise value from their technology investments.
For many firms, investing in legal tech solutions is just the first step. The real challenge is making the most of that investment - ensuring systems are optimised, workflows are efficient, and staff have the support they need. But increasingly, firms are finding that vendor support alone isn’t enough.
Why Firms Are Frustrated with Vendor Support
I’ve heard from several firms that they’re frustrated by slow response times from vendors. They’ve spent significant amounts on legal tech, yet when they need assistance—whether it’s best practice advice, troubleshooting, or customisation support—help isn’t always available when they need it.
This is partly due to the fact that many legal tech vendors are transitioning to SaaS businesses. While this shift brings benefits in terms of automatic updates and scalability, it also means that vendors are moving away from hands-on, tailored support. Their focus is now on selling software and providing first-level system support, rather than offering deep customisation, consulting, or ongoing optimisation.
At Vantage Sydney, it was clear that the legal tech industry is at a crossroads. Many vendors are still trying to juggle both product development and client support, but the reality is, they no longer have the capacity to provide the level of ongoing assistance firms need.
Firms still need help with:
Customising their systems to fit their specific workflows
Building reports, integrations, and automated processes
Best practice advice on optimising their tech stack
Ongoing performance tuning and support
This is where managed services come in.
The Rise of Managed Services in Legal Tech
For years, law firms have outsourced IT infrastructure management - from laptops and mobile devices to networking and security. Yet surprisingly, very few firms have considered managed services for their software solutions.
That’s beginning to change.
With fewer in-house legal tech experts available, firms are struggling to maintain internal knowledge. Even when a firm does manage to build a strong internal team, staff inevitably leave, taking customisations, workflows, and deep system knowledge with them.
By partnering with a managed services provider, firms can:
Ensure continuity of expertise, even if internal staff leave
Reduce reliance on vendor support, avoiding long wait times
Optimise their legal tech investment, ensuring full adoption of features
Stay ahead of upgrades and compliance requirements
Bringing Managed Services to APAC – My Partnership with Helm360
Over the past few weeks, my own understanding of software managed services has expanded significantly. My legal tech consulting business, BlindSpot Solutions, recently entered into a strategic partnership with Helm360 - a leading managed services provider for the world’s biggest legal tech platforms.
Helm360 provides expertise across:
Elite 3E, Intapp, NetDocuments – Managing and Supporting some of the most complex legal tech systems in the market.
Product Accelerators – Cut functional testing time and costs by 50% with Helm360’s 3E Automate, while empowering your staff with instant access to key information across your legal solutions using Termi
Microsoft Power Platform and Automation – Enhancing efficiencies with Power Automate, Power Apps, and AI-driven workflows.
Custom Reporting and Enhancements – Developing tailored dashboards, analytics, and insights to improve decision-making.
Ongoing System Support and Optimisation – Ensuring long-term value by maintaining peak system performance.
Cloud Transition and Readiness – Guiding firms from on-premises to SaaS, optimising cloud environments, and planning for the future.
With a simple monthly retainer, firms get access to all of these resources—without the need for additional headcount or long wait times for vendor responses.
Helping Firms Transition to the Cloud
One of the biggest challenges firms face today is the transition from on-premises to cloud-based solutions. While most firms acknowledge that the cloud is the future, many are still unsure how to get there - or concerned about the complexity, disruption, and cost of making the move.
Helm360’s Cloud Transition & Readiness Services help firms:
Assess their current environment – Identifying outdated processes and opportunities for improvement.
Develop a clear roadmap – Creating a step-by-step plan for a smooth migration.
Execute the migration seamlessly – Handling data migration, security protocols, and process optimisation.
Provide post-migration support – Ensuring firms can fully utilise their new SaaS platform without disruption.
This is particularly important for firms that have heavily customised their on-premises systems. One of the biggest fears firms have about moving to the cloud is losing custom workflows, reporting structures, and integrations. Helm360 ensures that firms can either bring those processes with them or replace them with more efficient, cloud-native alternatives.
More Than Just Support – Helm360’s Legal Tech Tools
Helm360 isn’t just about consulting and managed services—they also offer a growing range of tools to help firms interact with their data, maintain data integrity, and streamline system management.
One of the standout tools is Termi, an AI-powered chatbot that allows firms to instantly retrieve information from systems like Elite 3E, Aderant, and ProLaw. Instead of navigating multiple platforms, users can simply ask Termi a question and get immediate answers—whether it’s checking a matter’s financials, submitting time entries, or pulling reports.
To ensure that firms are working with clean and accurate data, Helm360 also developed Digital Eye - a data discovery and cleansing tool that identifies inconsistencies and generates detailed reports within hours.
For firms using Elite 3E, Helm360’s Automated 3E Testing Tool is a game-changer - reducing functional testing from weeks to just hours. By automating regression testing, user acceptance testing (UAT), and system upgrades, firms can stay up to date without disruption.
Why I’m Excited About This Shift
I truly believe that the legal industry in APAC is ready for this new approach. With managed services, firms will:
Get the answers they need - faster. No more waiting weeks for vendor support.
Reduce reliance on internal IT teams. No need to maintain in-house experts who might leave.
Improve vendor relationships. Clear separation between product support and best practice advisory.
Maximise their software investment. Expert guidance ensures firms fully utilise their tech.
Confidently transition to the cloud. Move away from legacy systems without disruption.
This isn’t just better support – it’s a smarter way to manage legal technology. And as firms embrace this modern, cloud-first approach, they’ll quickly realise that managed services aren’t just an option – they’re the future of legal tech support.
To be clear, this isn’t a criticism of software vendors. It’s an acknowledgment that the legal tech landscape is evolving. If vendors want to become truly agile SaaS companies, their focus should be on driving innovation, pushing boundaries, and dominating their category – not getting bogged down in the day-to-day support and optimisation of existing systems. That’s where managed services come in.
It’s a win for everyone. Firms get the guidance and hands-on support they need without frustration. Vendors can dedicate their resources to building the future instead of putting out fires. And ultimately, the entire legal industry benefits from smarter, more efficient technology.
The future of legal tech is clear – and it’s time to embrace it.
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