What does the future hold for business technology in law firms?

I was recently reviewing an interesting infographic which displayed almost 42 years’ worth of legal technology, picking out key technology trends that impacted on the legal market and were game changers for fee-earners. This got me thinking, not only about the changes listed, but some of the current technology trends.

So, I have dusted off my crystal ball, reviewed past technology changes, given some possible 21st century parallels and even added a few bold predictions.

Operating systems

In 1977, Wang Laboratories launched its word processing system and it reigned supreme in the legal industry for many years. It was not until the early 1990s that PCs running Windows started to replace Wang terminals and only a few years later that Microsoft launched Word 6, a word processor which displaced the much-loved (and lamented by many) Word Perfect.

More recently, some of our fee-earners have ask me when will we be using Apple Macs in the office rather than Windows-based PCs. My answer is always the same: when Apple and other legal vendors are able to provide and support enterprise-class systems such as practice management, document management and all the other applications that we need to use on a daily basis.

My prediction: There is very little chance of Apple replacing Microsoft in the legal IT market in the foreseeable future.

Communication tools

Facsimile (fax) devices became widespread in the early 1980s and were widely popular in law firms (and still are in some), but their popularity and use started to diminish with the growth of email, which was introduced into most firms in the late ’90s.

Email traffic increased exponentially over the next 15 years or so and, at the same time, the use of fax machines followed the opposite trajectory. Most firms now send very little via fax.

Looking ahead, could email follow a similar path, with new technology arriving that could eventually replace or reduce our reliance upon it? Certainly the next generation of lawyers will be more social media led, having grown up with the technology and been reliant upon the instant nature of communication.

My prediction: Within 10 years, instant messenger technology will be the primary method of communication (in preference over ‘slow’ email).

Mobile devices

The launch of BlackBerry devices in 2003 was huge and, suddenly, the ability to access your email instantly and from anywhere became possible. This was the start of the 24x7 mobility trend which is so prevalent these days.

Like many other industries, BlackBerry became the legal community’s mobile device of choice, mainly due to its simplicity and reliability. It is still arguably the undisputed king of mobile email.

However, since 2007, Apple devices have greatly improved. The iPhone and iPad now have a strong corporate offering with the security features many IT directors expect, making it a viable alternative for many businesses. Google’s Android operating system for mobile devices (the current market leader) is not too far behind.

Research in Motion, the manufacturer of BlackBerry, is struggling to hold its own in a competitive and litigious market and both Apple and Google are eroding the BlackBerry business, circling with intent, waiting to strike the fatal blow.

My prediction: BlackBerry will struggle on for a few more years but will increasingly become a niche player. Like Nokia, it will either partner/merge with or be bought by a more innovative business.

My crystal ball now goes back into its silk-lined box where it will stay, at least until a few of my predictions have been shown to be correct.