menu move to sidebar hide Navigation Main page Contents Current events Random article About Wikipedia Contact us Contribute Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file Special pages Search Search Appearance Donate Create account Log in Personal tools Donate Create account Log in Contents move to sidebar hide (Top) 1 Industries 2 Issues 3 See also 4 References Toggle the table of contents Client portal 1 language עברית Edit links Article Talk English Read Edit View history Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions Read Edit View history General What links here Related changes Upload file Permanent link Page information Cite this page Get shortened URL Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikidata item Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Internet-accessible gateway for clients to access protected services and files A client portal is an electronic gateway to a collection of digital files, services, and information, accessible over the Internet through a web browser . The term is most often applied to a sharing mechanism between an organization and its clients . [ 1 ] The organization provides a secure entry point, typically via a website , that lets its clients log into an area where they can view, download , and upload private information. Client portals are most prevalently used for the secure exchange of financial information, usually when teams are working remotely. Privacy laws such as the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act require that organizations encrypt their clients' personally identifiable information that is sent online electronically. Sharing such information through email does not comply with the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act and other federal privacy laws. [ 2 ] Client portals allow users to centralise and virtualise their organization, usually to increase efficiencies and communication. Other advantages of client portals, as distinguished from email, include increased file size limitations and self-service access to a private repository. Client portals are often used in conjunction with workflow automation and document management to maximize work environment efficiency. [ 3 ] Industries [ edit ] Client portals are prevalent in many industries. Industry sectors include various commercial organisations and aren't usually specific to one industry. Owing to the nature of the industry, law firms make up a significant number of client portal users. This is because lawyers are constantly collaborating and interacting with clients, involving a significant amount of paperwork. In these cases the file sharing functionality is imperative. [ 4 ] Some client portal features extend to invoicing , time logging and expenses tracking. These benefits lead to a number of Small and medium enterprises using client portals to manage their business operations. [ 5 ] Issues [ edit ] Security has been a hot topic surrounding client portals. Many client portals feature 256 bit SSL, similar to that of online banking, [ citation needed ] but businesses with sensitive information , such as medical data, sometimes express concerns about their data being in the cloud. Businesses still wishing to use client portals usually adopt private cloud solutions and host the software on-premises. See also [ edit ] Document management Shared file access List of client portals References [ edit ] ^ American Institute of CPAs. "The Rage Surrounding Client Portals (July 2008)" . Archived from the original on 2016-03-04 . Retrieved 2010-08-17 . ^ Journal of Accountancy. "Client Portals: A Secure Alternative to E-Mail (February 2010)" . ^ CPA Technology Advisor. "Building Strategy: How Workflow, Document Management and Portals Work Together (June 2010)" . Archived from the original on 2010-12-12 . Retrieved 2010-08-17 . {{ cite web }} : |last= has generic name ( help ) ^ Seyle, Donna. "Expand Your Solo or Small Firm Practice Using Client Portals" (PDF) . Law Practise Today. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 April 2016 . Retrieved 29 January 2014 . ^ Cohn, Michael (28 January 2014). "Zoho Revamps Online Accounting Software" . Accounting Today . Retrieved 29 January 2014 . Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Client_portal&oldid=1273562682 " Category : Groupware Hidden categories: CS1 errors: generic name Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2016 This page was last edited on 2 February 2025, at 23:17  (UTC) . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. , a non-profit organization. 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