As technology relentlessly evolves, law offices of all types and sizes face pressure to acquire "the next big thing" in the never-ending quest to become more productive and competitive. But there’s no guarantee that any new hardware or software will deliver all, or even some, of its promised benefits.Who can forget past fiascos, such as Motorola’s Iridium satellite phone service or Microsoft Vista? Even seemingly essential technologies, such as the BlackBerry line of mobile devices, can quickly fall victim to something new.
Separating potentially helpful products from offerings that either fail to perform effectively or are quickly rendered obsolete is a challenge. "It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of technology and the potential benefits," says Richard Console Jr., managing partner of Console & Hollawell, a personal injury law firm based in Marlton, N.J. "You can have the best technology in the world, but if it’s not utilized properly and uniformly … you could end up wasting a tremendous amount of time and money," Console says.
