Recently in the e-groups, discussions included the deployment of Skype for Business, finding time for training in smaller law firms, restrictions on the use cases of Surface tablets and more. Explore curated sources on these topics including some from ILTA’s treasure chest.
Skype for Business
Recently in the e-groups, members discussed the deployment of Skype for Business. Some organizations are using the mobile app features. For a four minute overview of Skype for Business, watch the video “Review: Skype for Business Pros and Cons” by Jonathan Hassell. Next, learn how Seyfarth Shaw and Holland & Knight deployed Skype for Business in the ILTACON 2015 session, “Unified Communication: Putting the Pieces Together.” Also consider listening to the recent ILTA podcast, “Office 365 Conversations – Skype for Business” with Tim Hooks of American Municipal Power and Larry Kuhn of Microsoft.
Who Has Time for Training?
IT departments of small firms face the same challenges of those in larger organizations – security, upgrades, BYOD policies, information governance, outages, etc. Quality training could free a small firm legal technology professional to focus on a security initiative instead of answering the repeat question about hidden cells in Excel. However, training takes time. What’s an IT department of one to do? The ILTA membership has time saving resources. Consider sharing ILTA’s Tip of the Week with attorneys and staff. Subscribe to the User Support Services and Desktop & Applications Services e-groups for a steady stream of questions asked of legal technology professionals and the solutions. When ready for a training program consider Deborah Thompson’s recently published blog, “How to Develop a Training Program.” This is Part 1, watch for Part 2 from Thompson. If budgets allow for some outsourcing of services, read Eric Hoffmaster’s article, “Demystifying IT Managed Services” for guidance on finding the right service provider and the right contract for your organization’s needs.
Surface – Personal Device or Firm Device
The Surface Pro line continues to receive positive reviews as a potential laptop replacement. On December 3, 2015 Wired UK reviewed the Surface Pro 4. Some firms have issued Surface Pros to attorneys with Windows 10 and a suite of other firm applications. To learn from their experiences, review the ILTACON 2015 recording and slides from “Deploying and Supporting Microsoft Surface Devices.”
Something Extra – Internet of Things, ILTA’s Technology Survey, and VPNs in China
ILTA’s 2015 Technology Survey is now available to members for free. Non-members can purchase the survey for $500. Many legal technology bloggers have commented on the survey.
“ILTA’s 2015 Technology Survey Published: Security is King, Queen and Pawn” from InsideLegal.
“Highlights from the Just-Published ILTA 2015 Technology Survey” by Robert Ambrogi.
“Encryption, Security Awareness Training Increasing at Law Firms: Survey” and “Security on the Rise, but Law Firms Facing Time, Budget Challenges” from Legaltech News.
If you made any personal technology purchases over the past week of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and other sales, consider reviewing Innovative Computing Systems posts from earlier this fall on the “Importance of Upgrades” and “Securing Your Home Internet of Things.” Also if you previously bought any VTech devices for children in your family and friends network, watch for updates about the recent hack. Troy Hunt wrote an in-depth explanation of the hack, “When Children Are Breached – Inside the Massive VTech Hack.” After the initial announcement, VTech has hired FireEye to secure their systems and data. ZDNet wrote an interesting piece, “VTech Hack: Four Crucial Takeaways for Every Parent and CEO.”
With many firms and their clients becoming more global, on-site work in China has become more prevalent. An ILTA member recently asked about document management system access via the VPN for an attorney working remotely in China. China now blocks many VPNs, once a tried and true work-around to Internet restrictions in China. To learn more, read “China Has Escalated Internet Censorship to a New Level” and “The Best VPN for China.”
As ILTA’s content curator, I’m always monitoring the discussion forums to discover what topics are top-of-mind among the members. Each week, I focus on a few areas that spark your interest, and I provide some curated resources to assist your own information-gathering on the topics. If there are specific topics you would like assistance exploring, please contact me at joanne@iltanet.org