Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/9825
of research is done on needs and advantages, risks, and how disruptive it could be to the firm and our clients. We jump early if we see an immediate benefit (in a project), and for others we won’t because we don’t (see an immediate benefit). We saw a need and benefit for 2010, so decided to move early.” “We are excited about this change” adds Terry Pressley of Leonard, Street and Deinard. “This is our opportunity to get in front of the curve and not have to take two steps to get there.” Fish & Richardson has a reputation for being an early adopter and was one of the first law firms to adopt Microsoft’s SharePoint technology. According to Beau Mersereau of Fish & Richardson, the firm’s “IT Steering Committee made the final decision that we would be early adopters for Office 2010. Our ITSC is composed of attorneys from various practice groups and senior management in the firm.” With tech-savvy attorneys, support from firm leadership and a history of early adoption, Fish & Richardson is well poised for a successful early run at Office 2010, and most of the legal industry is watching with a keen interest. Based on our own research and discussions with Microsoft gurus, law firm technologists, legal software vendor partners and other sources, the primary business drivers for upgrading to Office 2010 include improving client service, providing a better environment for employee and client-facing collaboration, and building a user experience tailored for maximum efficiency and productivity. CLIENT SERVICE AND INTERNAL/ EXTERNAL COLLABORATION: • Critical Mass on XML File Format For firms still using Office 2003 (or an earlier version), collaboration and client service is getting more complicated as attorneys and staff rely on compatibility packs or other internal solutions to bridge the XML gap between application versions. According to Oxley, “More and more XML formatted files are coming into the firm (Leonard, Street and Deinard). This is the year that clients are moving to either Office 2007 or Office 2010 with Windows 7. We feel that this is the year we will hit critical mass on XML formatted files.” Mersereau says that at Fish & Richardson, “The .docx file format was a business driver for our decision to be an early adopter of Office 2010. We routinely collaborate on documents with our clients and other firms. Many of those documents are in the new file format. We would prefer to keep them in their native format.” In addition to collaborating with clients who are using Office 2007, firms also need to support employees who have Office 2007 at home and are working on documents in both places. Pressley says, “We see more of a blending of home life and work life. Our users have personal applications on their computers at the office. They have office applications on their computers at home.” As law firms begin to reach that critical mass for XML files and the need for collaborating in native file formats, we expect to see more upgrades to either Office 2007 or 2010 this year and next. We believe that Office 2010 provides new and important technology benefits to the legal end user and to the collaboration process that go above and beyond those available in Office 2007. www.iltanet.org Microsoft 25