The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/96072
inside ILTA staff, more time and dollars to spend on security systems (intrusion prevention/ detection, audits, mobile device management, etc.) and greater support from firm management. One of the biggest stories this year has been first indications of a chink in the armor at RIM. The BlackBerry has consistently done one thing really well: secure mobile email. Although BlackBerry arguably maintains its title as the most secure mobile device, it became apparent this year that security is not enough to save it. For the first time in this survey's history, BlackBerry fell, dropping 8%, as ActiveSync rose another 7% to take the top spot — another first for this survey. Even Good Technologies, a company that some said was down for the count four years ago, rose 3% this year, likely due to its strengths in MDM. This consumerization juggernaut is most evident on the question about wireless email platforms. Over the last four years, those reporting they support multiple platforms has more than doubled from 35% to 71%, while the number supporting only one platform has dropped from 50% to a mere 14%. We have been forced to throw in the towel on standardization and are now spending resources building expertise on multiple devices and on the means to secure them. But consumerization is not just about mobile devices. Increasingly, the battle is also about cloud services. In our question on security concerns, Dropbox and cloud technology in general were a common concern. Once again, technologists understand the power and usefulness of these technologies — the cloud was ranked second in our "game changers" question, garnering 22% of the responses. Nevertheless, legal technologists are being tasked with securing cloud use, or in lieu of securing it, preventing its use, which is extremely difficult. • The use of email continuity services is now up to 38% of firms (this could indicate a softening stance on firm data in the cloud) • West km has gotten some traction this year among firms implementing commercial knowledge management packages (up 14% from last year) It has been an extremely busy year since our last survey, and there appears to be no end in sight to the pressure that economic forces exert on the legal marketplace. We are seeing it just as clearly in other aspects of law firm administration, and this pressure is evident throughout the business itself: Expenses continue to rise as revenue gets increasingly challenging to grow. Even though we continue to be pressed to do more with less, our member firms continue to contribute generously to this survey and to this great collective resource known as ILTA. We would like to thank again all who contributed their valuable time and experience to this endeavor, and we trust you will continue to use this survey only as a data point in your technology governance. This survey is peer-powered, and we hope you find it useful. Acknowledgements We gratefully acknowledge the always impressive work of Todd Corham, Chief Information Officer at Sedgwick LLP, who has led this herculean effort for several years. Todd has a talent for analysis of statistical information supported by an equal talent for writing a strong story that paints a clear picture of data. Our Technology Survey Team benefited this year from the skills of Jim McCue, Information Systems Manager at Rodey, Dickason, Sloan, Akin & Robb, P.A. With the strong support of ILTA's staff team, comprising IT Director Clay Gibney, Senior Systems Analyst Philip Graybeal, graphics gurus Kendall Lazorchak and Julia Schwarz, and editor Kristy Cole, we're sure to deliver a report of significant value. Other notable trends in this year's survey include: • A significant jump in the use of dual- and wide-screen monitors (the median jumped from 15% to 25% for users with dual monitors) • A steady climb in the use of a matter-centric interface (now at 57% of firms) • 68% of firms now limit the size of outgoing email messages (median size is 40MB) 102 Peer to Peer As always, it's the input of you, our members, who provide the substance for this undertaking. Our nearly 500 law firms who participated this year are to be commended for the investments you've made to support the profession. Even if you didn't participate, you'll obtain information to support your technology decisions and develop a sense of where you sit relative to your peers. We'll be counting on your input in the years ahead. Enjoy!