Business Insider Law Review has an interesting perspective on this year’s LegalTech New York, and I can sum it up here in one word: Fear.
This time it’s not fear of change the law firms are grappling with, or at least not just fear of change. It’s also fear of the unknown, of transparency, of ownership and myriad other founded and unfounded fears that usually come up in any conversation about cloud computing.
I don’t think anyone would blame them, especially their clients.
Still, it seems like the only thing holding back further utlization of cloud computing and Software-as-a-service applications are these same fears. And the same could be said of social media in terms of an individual’s fear of transparency.
All of which indicates a trend in computing and content, and it’s not one to ignore. The implications for deep-seated change at your organization are huge – as are the potential cost savings. Every organization and individual has to decide on their level of transparency, perhaps striking a deal between new opportunities and the bottom line.
The good news is, many of the tools – from Meeting Room Manager to Facebook – have built-in privacy and accessibility levels, so you can set permissions and retain some control. The possibility of achieving efficiencies, opening new opportunities, streamlining your processes and more are too compelling to completely shun these new technologies.
Our advice: Try out the low-risk options first (like using a SaaS application for scheduling rooms, for example). Get comfortable with your level of transparency, but get started right away.
