As it does every January, this year’s Consumer Electronics Show previewed the latest in technologyand wasn’t exactly subtle about it. CES 2013 featured some 3,200 exhibitors, spread out over nearly 2 million square feet of Las Vegas convention space, demonstrating 20,000 new products. But lurking behind all the tablets, smartphones, and laptops were signs that for lawyers looking to leverage new technology in their practices, 2013 may not be business as usual. While some nifty gear is heading their way, so too are some difficult decisions. Here are some of the most pressing:
How to embrace Windows 8. It’s no secret that law firms don’t race to adopt new versions of Microsoft Corporation’s Windows operating system. A migration can take 18 months from planning to rollout, and firms often choose to do it in conjunction with a hardware refresh or an upgrade to a new release of Microsoft Office, things that happen every three to four years. In addition, firms like to wait to let Microsoft work out the kinks that invariably come with a new operating system. The American Lawyer’s 2012 survey of law firm tech departments found that just 7 percent of responding firms were planning to move to Windows 8 within the coming year [ "Both Sides Now," November 2012].
