P2P

16 P E E R T O P E E R : I L T A ' S Q U A R T E R L Y M A G A Z I N E | S U M M E R 2 0 2 0 fundamentally change the way we deliver home broadband which would be very expensive and complex." Unless the way home broadband is delivered is fundamentally changed, there is nothing IT can do to help troubleshoot and improve connectivity. Does this lead the way for a new type of enterprise home wireless solution? Unified Communications? There is no single technology in use when it comes to the use of unified communications platforms within Legal, in fact, the consensus is that it's not very unified at all. Most firms appear to be using multiple platforms including Skype, GoTo Meeting, Microsoft Teams, Webex and Zoom, and each firm had differing opinions on what should and shouldn't be used. One firm "allows users to join Team's meetings set up by external businesses but we do not use it internally." Another stated that whilst they use Teams inhouse, it seems to create more problems than it solves. The discussion then moved onto Zoom and with all the latest in the news, there is very much a mixed opinion as to whether it should continue to be used, with one IT director asking, "is it a plague?" Simply put, there is no set platform which stands out amongst the others and each platform is reviewed on a firm by firm basis. What does this mean for the future? For the time being it appears that Lawyers do not want to return, "80% now say they want to work home" but could this simply be related to trying to minimise their risk of catching COVID-19. But it could simply be that remote working is popular and that no-one wants to be the odd one out. However, what happens when courts go back to normal? Will Lawyers want to return then? Another point of discussion was how firms were going to change their office environment as a result of homeworking for an extended time, most of the attendees agreed that there would be a significant reduction in printers as the lack of printing during lockdown proved there was no need for such a large amount within offices. "By as much as 70%" in one observation and "reducing from "£10,000 to just £700 a month" in another. The other item which is being removed is physical phone handsets, whilst they will be keeping the telephone numbers, they will no longer be using desk phones but instead opting for soft clients on laptops. Final Thoughts At the end of the discussion, there was a consensus that Lawyers and the firms, in general, have adapted easily to the change of working location because of the investment that has been put in over the years. One CIO stated, "trends are happening which legal can't stop," and it's time to accept this and fundamentally change the ways in which law firms approach IT and the way it's used to benefit staff and clients. Whilst this situation has not been easy, it is incredible how quickly firms have been able to move when people are F E A T U R E S "80% now say they want to work home."

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