The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/163881
iPad or personal computer when working from home. For our users, having access to their data — even locally saved files — through Citrix made the proposition of using an iPad instead of a laptop much more palatable. With the use of RES Workspace Manager, our users no longer needed to be concerned about the availability of local files or about settings within applications when working remotely. Files saved locally in the office became available to users when they logged on to Citrix, and the settings were consistent. For example, it's no longer necessary to set up one's email signature in Outlook on a physical desktop and then again in the Citrix XenApp environment. Offer and Educate During the Windows 7 rollout, we offered lawyers and managers with laptops the option to switch to a desktop computer and tablet combo, Apple's iPad 2. (Midway through the rollout, we began deploying the third-generation iPad.) Tablet devices would come equipped with Good for Enterprise, Citrix Receiver, iPass Open Mobile, Breezy and a shortcut to our Outlook Web App. Users who already owned iPads or who wanted to purchase their own iPad would be able to get the firm's apps on their personal device at the same time their computer systems were updated. Those who were already familiar with iOS devices had been asking the firm to support them for some time, and we didn't think they would need much help or support if they made the switch. However, Tom Rothenberg, DLA Piper's Director of IT Services, says, "We decided it was important to inform our potential [new] iPad users on the pros and cons of using an iPad instead of a laptop, especially for those lawyers who still had very little experience with those devices." As our Windows 7/Office 2010 rollout progressed, support managers gave presentations a couple of weeks before the rollout came to each office. In those presentations, potential swappers were shown — with an actual iPad — what they could and could not do, which apps would be installed for them and how the iPad works, giving them a taste of what the new experience would be like. Lawyers who were unable to attend demos or who didn't use their laptops for travel also had one-on-one sessions to further outline the benefits of having a desktop coupled with a tablet device. These presentations played a pivotal role in the success of the tablet deployments. As for the effect of promotional presentations on adoption, Rothenberg says, "The adoption rate was much better in offices where we had formal presentations to promote the device. The adoption rate was also higher in smaller offices." Aside from the general presentations in each office, we targeted users we knew had laptops they never took off their desks. We approached those people and found that many — if not most — were more than willing to make the swap. As part of the awareness-raising campaign, we produced a video to promote the rollout of Windows 7 and Office 2010, and to introduce support for mobile devices. The iPads were deployed at the time of training, which was offered in both one-on-one sessions and in group settings. We found that follow-up visits were key to helping users new to iOS devices, especially because most newbies didn't have questions until they actually used the iPad. For users already familiar with iOS devices, it was an easy transition. Adapt As Needed We realized those who spend a lot of time typing or performing heavy document production while outside the office might prefer a laptop. We provided a free Bluetooth keyboard to those who switched to an iPad as an incentive during our pilot, but we did not offer it during the general rollout. We found that most who opted for the tablet simply use it for email, scheduling and reading documentation when away from the office. It has proved to be the perfect tool for these light business tasks. If more involved document editing is necessary outside the office, it tends to happen from a computer system using our Citrix infrastructure, rather than on the iPad. Although you can buy a keyboard for the iPad or use an iPhone as a track pad within Citrix Receiver, those peripherals cost extra money and reduce the iPad's portability benefit. Most of the services we provided initially were exactly what our mobile users were looking for, but it became clear that some services were underutilized and others didn't provide the quality experience expected by our users. One of the applications we have re-evaluated since our initial deployment is Good for Enterprise. Good was used for mobile device management (MDM), email communication, calendaring and contact management. The reaction to Good was mixed; most users simply wanted to use the applications native to their operating systems. We agreed that if we were allowing users to bring their own devices, we should also allow them to maintain their native user experiences. Otherwise, they might avoid using the applications put in place by the firm and look for ways to work around them, such as forwarding to unsecure Gmail accounts. Since our rollout, we've begun the switch from Good for Enterprise to MobileIron. MobileIron allows us to continue to manage firm-owned and user-owned mobile devices and the firm data on those devices, while allowing the use of the applications provided natively by the device — in this case, Apple's iOS mail, calendar and contacts applications. In addition, we initially offered Breezy as a way for users to send email messages and documents to printers both inside and outside the firm, but our users didn't really utilize it. We have discontinued Breezy without any pushback from users. Cost Savings Although the cost of a desktop and iPad combo was a little less than the cost of a laptop, Rothenberg says he anticipates the true cost benefits will be realized when we move to a virtual desktop Peer to Peer 37