The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/163881
case studies Replacing Laptops with a Desktop/iPad Combo by Darien Palmer and Chris Swanson of DLA Piper Gone are the days when we used to talk about laptops as "desktop replacements." In response to increasing demands for portability and flexibility, laptops with docking stations have been standard equipment for lawyers at most firms for a decade or so. These days, many firms are offering tablets as an alternative to the laptop, and this brings up the question, "Is an iPad a suitable replacement for a laptop?" DLA Piper is answering this question with their firm's offer to swap out laptops for iPads and desktops. Demand + Upgrades = Opportunities In taking inventory of our computer systems and through conversations with our lawyers, we found a significant number of laptops were never removed from their docking stations. With our users' increased interest in working from devices such as Apple's iPad, BlackBerry's PlayBook and HP's webOS tablet, we knew we had to adapt quickly and accommodate this demand. Coupled with increased pressure to reduce costs, it was important that we find a way to provide our lawyers and managers with the tools they needed everywhere they work, while cutting costs over the long term. 36 Peer to Peer In 2011, we began evaluating a strategy that would allow our firm personnel to work from tablet devices. We knew working from tablet devices would provide our users with a nice blend of access to professional and personal content, and it would reduce the number of devices they carry outside the office. In order to be adopted, the platform had to provide seamless integration with the current application set used to perform daily tasks, while providing a secure barrier between client and personal data to mitigate risk. The iPad became the obvious choice for these reasons. Because of its intuitive, user-friendly interface, the learning curve was reduced. Its battery life was a significant improvement, lasting up to 10 hours on a single charge. As we were in the alpha stages of our Windows 7 and Office 2010 design and deployment, it was the perfect time to introduce tablets and a limited bring your own device (BYOD) strategy. DLA Piper's upgrade to Windows 7 and Office 2010 also included upgrades to our Citrix XenApp environment used for remote access. The tagline for our rollout was, "Your data, anywhere, on any device." We hoped the improved Citrix experience would do away with the need to carry a laptop, and that users would be more likely than before to use Citrix on an