Peer to Peer Magazine

BEST PRACTICES Why Thought Leadership in Technology Is Needed Now More Than Ever M ore and more, effective technology leadership in law firms centers on thought leadership. This applies not only to the operational impact and benefits of technology on the business, but also to the strategic and risk management components. Thought leadership needs to extend well beyond understanding the business justification of, say, fat versus virtualized desktop clients. Instead, it will need to focus on the total impact and opportunities of technology and its application on the changing legal business and its supporting processes. To (keep) earning the right to be part of the strategic technology decision-making process, and indeed show your value beyond keeping the lights on, thought leadership will be an essential element of the CIO/technology manager’s position. To spark our collective genius, I’ll lead with some thoughts around rapidly developing consumer technology that might spark your own thinking. SURF THE WAVE! The days when the technology you used at work was more advanced than what you had at home are long gone. Now, developments in workplace technology are driven by consumer-focused devices and applications. In the mind of the consumer, applications (the software you use), content (the information you access) and devices (the equipment you use) are very rapidly morphing and merging. This consumer-driven technology tidal wave is already affecting businesses and workplaces. It is a tidal wave that technology leaders need to understand and subsequently apply to business and translate into value as part of the firm’s overall business and supporting technology strategy. Do you surf the wave or swim against the tide? 18 www.iltanet.org Peer to Peer KILLER APPS “Killer app” is the label generally given to an application that drives mass adoption. There are a few of these around at the moment: Social networking/media, access to media and entertainment content, and gaming are generating a huge uptick of apps, which are being delivered on a variety of devices (handheld, iPad, TV, gaming console). Interestingly, in some cases, the application and associated content blur to such an extent that it is hard to define where one ends and the other begins. Our challenge is to decide which of these technologies can be adapted to and be useful in a business context — which will help business become more efficient, “The merging and blurring of the multiple information channels in a business environment is inevitable . . .” increase quality, provide better service, be more competitive and more profitable — all while keeping track of business- related (privileged) information. CHANGE IS HAPPENING NOW Social networking and media are driving innovative ways to communicate. Instant messaging, video, audio, community and voice technologies — or a mix of all of these — allow people (especially young people) to interact and create

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