The Legal Mac section of this month's Law Practice Today was published today, featuring the article "Online Legal Practice Management Software Predictions for 2009" by Larry Port
Innovations in the use and development of online software have created new opportunities for law firms, and can present cost-effective methods for adoption.
The year 2008 was a transformational one for legal practice management. After years of minimal new product development, the field broke wide open with the arrival of an exciting new option: Online, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions for law firms.
For some time now, SaaS has been successfully applied to sales force automation, HR and payroll, project management, and other mission critical businesses. The legal industry, traditionally slow to adopt technology, was ready for this new option for several reasons. For one, new web technologies, commonly labeled Web 2.0, now allow for a desktop-like experience over a web browser. Also, day-to-day exposure to web applications has become a common and accepted practice, whether via Social Media sites like Facebook or through online banking. And, an increasingly mobile workforce is looking for ways to connect from any location, from any type of computer.
The impact SaaS solutions can have on the majority of legal software consumers, small law firms, can be profound. Before the emergence of SaaS practice management tools, a small firm could: 1) Purchase software directly from the manufacturer and spend time to install it independently, 2) Purchase the software, installation, and training through a value-added reseller, or 3) Forego dedicated legal practice management software in favor of a home-grown solution, typically cobbled together from Outlook, Word, and Quickbooks. However, SaaS applications are zero-install solutions that are simple to use and allow users to eliminate high-overhead setups in favor on monthly subscription fees. In other words, this fourth option greatly expanded choices for the legal technology consumer.
As transformational as 2008 was for legal practice management, it was still mostly a year of "dipping the toes in the water", so to speak, and beginning a dialog about online options. But as 2009 draws near, web-based legal practice management will no longer be a brand new concept. So what's in store for the coming year? Here are my thoughts:
1. Expect more features...
2. Watch for increased adoption and growth...
3. Count on more mobility...
4. Expect economic conditions to favor monthly subscription models...
5. Watch for expectations to change...
Full text and active links are available at the source site listed below.
Source: The Mac Lawyer, 17 December 2008
