Research for the 2007 edition of the Software Solutions Guide shows law firms recognise the value of scanning but are slow to grasp the business continuity nettle, reports Rupert White


The Law Society's Software Solutions Guide, released last week, throws up some useful statistics from its market research - notably in relation to the technologies that law firms are looking at acquiring.



One IT director at a medium-sized London practice, questioned at the Legal IT show in London last week, said he was looking for network attached storage systems - servers dedicated to storage. However, he said he was struggling to get concrete information on their use in direct relation to law firms.



Network attached storage may not be top of the current list of essential items, but it is increasingly important. The guide lists it as the sixth-most popular IT product or system that the nearly 600 firms polled were looking to adopt at the moment. However, those listed as more important feed into a future need for integrated, powerful storage.



The list of technologies law firms are examining for adoption is a bellwether for legal IT in general (see box).



More than a quarter of firms questioned (27%) said they were looking into buying systems that will scan paper documents as they come into the firm. If those firms that said they were already in the process of adopting scanning are also included, almost one-third of firms are actively seeking this technology now. More than one in five are looking at digital dictation.



Only 15% are looking at networked or offsite back-up. This is just 3% more than are looking at network attached storage (12%). But law firms should be aware that digital documents, and probably dictation files, will not only need storing - they will also need a rigorous approach to back-up.



When asked if their firm had a documented business continuity plan, more than a quarter of those questioned said they were either merely planning a plan, had not made a plan, or did not know if there was a plan or if one was being planned. The number of law firms with a 'full' documented business continuity plan was exactly the same as last year, at 36%.



At least IT experts might be happy to hear that those respondents who said there is a 'basic' plan in place has risen by a healthy eight points in the last year, to 37%.



This means that just over seven out of ten law firms claim to have some kind of documented business continuity plan. Whether this is really true, and there is sadly every reason to doubt how good some of those plans are, that still leaves 27% of law firms exposed to significant risk.



As Dave Burwell, chief information officer at City firm Allen & Overy, wrote last week (see [2007] Gazette, 8 February, 13) : '[some] 70% of businesses that suffer major business disruptions that have no business continuity or disaster recovery plans never recover, and go out of business'.



If you did not receive your free copy of the guide, request one at www.it.lawsociety.org.uk.



What law firms want:



1 Scanning all documents on

entry to firm

2 Digital dictation

3 Case and/or workflow

management

4 Networked or offsite back-up

5 Customer relationship

management

6= Networked storage

6= Sales of products or services

online

8= Management IT

8= Electronic disclosure

10 Business intelligence





Source: Law Society Software Solutions Guide 2007