SaaS Vs Traditional Software

In a recent article we discussed the American Bar Associations 2011 Legal Technology Survey Report. Within the report it was revealed that when considering SaaS one of the main concerns for lawyers was “not being familiar with the software as a service technology”. As a result this article will seek to review the basics of SaaS and compare it to traditional software.

In order to discuss SaaS we will first review previous articles written on the subject.

1. It is important to note that the area of cloud computing can be divided into 3 areas. Product as a service (PaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and software as a service (SaaS). Visit our article entitled “Is Cloud Computing Right for you” to read about these different approaches. Alternatively, visit our “3 Approaches to Cloud Computing” video which gives a brief synopsis of the three approaches – in only 39 seconds.

2. In our article entitled “What is SaaS” we discussed the basics of software as a service technology including defining SaaS and examining how SaaS will affect the legal sector.

In order to further examine SaaS, we should consider the difference between SaaS and traditional software. In short, one of the key differences is SaaS is accessed over the internet rather than relying on traditional desktop software or traditional servers. NexFirm have created a point by point comparison which clearly displays some of the differences.

Source: NexFirm

Are Paperless Courts the Future for the Legal Sector?

As the legal sector continues to adopt new technologies such as smart-phones, tablet devices and cloud computing technologies, the affects may be heralding a revolution within the courts.

In a December 2011 article, The Guardian discussed the possibility of a move towards a paperless court. The article outlines the scheme entitled “Transforming through Technology” which will involve the Courts and Tribunals Service across England and Wales, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), in addition to other criminal justice agencies. The scheme hopes to see Judges, jurors and barristers replace their traditional bundles of paper with tablet devices in an attempt to create a paperless court. Under the scheme tablet devices such as iPads will contain all the evidence and documentation needed to conduct a hearing so eventually courts can operate without paper.

Commenting on the scheme Quinton Newcomb, a barrister from the south-western circuit of the Bar Council, stated “the move towards the increased use of digital documents is an inevitable one and one which it seems that the technology is now ready for.”

In addition to tablet devices cloud computing technologies are also assisting in the move towards a paperless court. In the recent case between billionaires Boris Berezovsky and Roman Abramovich, the use of cloud computing technologies is reported to have saved an estimated five million sheets of paper.

If recent developments are any indication, then paperless courts could be the future for the legal sector. Do you believe the courts could operate without paper?

2011 Legal Technology Survey Report

The American Bar Association has released the results of their 2011 Legal Technology Survey Report, which is recognised as the source for information regarding the use of technology by attorneys in private practice. The 2011 report is presented in six volumes and covers issues such as: Technology basics, Law Office Technology, Web and Communication Technology and Mobile Lawyers.

The annual report has revealed interesting information regarding the role of technology within the legal sector including the use of smartphones, tablet devices such as ipads, software as a service and social media.

In relation to software as a service (SaaS) the report addresses both lawyers who use Saas and those who do not use SaaS. For lawyers who use Saas, the report asked, what are the most important benefits of SaaS?

1. Browser access from anywhere

2. Availability at any time, day or night

3. Low cost and predictable monthly expense

4. Elimination of IT requirements

For lawyers who have not used SaaS, the report found the main concerns included:

1. They were unfamiliar with the software as a service technology

2. Issues of security

3. Confidentiality and third party hosting concerns

Source: Law Tech Review

Judge Peck: E-Discovery Innovations in the Courts

Magistrate Judge Andrew Peck of the Southern District of New York recently spoke with Monica Bay, editor in chief of Law Technology News magazine. Judge Peck, a recent winner of the LTN “Champion of Technology” Innovation Award discussed a range of issues including the growing importance of e-discovery for federal courts.

Click to view the Legal Technology News interview.

Can Law Firms Use SaaS?

As law practices continue to adopt cloud computing technologies, this is presenting unique ethical issues for lawyers who intend to store client data on external servers. In order to address these issues the North Carolina State Bar Council has released their final opinions on the subject. The council’s findings, which have been in production for almost two years, sought to address two key questions:

1. May a law firm use SaaS (Software as a Service)?

2. Are there measures that a lawyer should consider when assessing a SaaS vendor?

In an article entitled “Legal Currents: NC Bar Council issues final opinion on the cloud”, Nicole Black discussed the findings from this report. In short, the report gives lawyers its stamp of approval regarding the use of cloud computing technologies within law practices. The report detailed a number of points for lawyers to consider, including:

• Lawyers should take care to protect client information and minimise the risk of inadvertent disclosure of client information.

• Any lawyer who utilises new technologies, such as cloud computing, within their practices should remain aware of any changes within technology.

• The council did not set out specific requirements as this may create a “false sense of security” but instead set forth a number of suggested security measures. These include: How the cloud computing vendor will handle confidential data; Lawyers should fully understand the security issues etc.

Click here to read more about the North Carolina State Bar opinions on legal firms use of cloud computing technologies.