Blake Dawson have always been a little ahead of their Aus law firm rivals when it comes to engaging with technology. The firm has developed an IT culture over the last twenty years that other lawyers should be jealous of
Here’s what the Australian newspaper has to say about their ventures into the world of i pad
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LAW firm Blake Dawson has launched a trial to allow iPad access to the corporate network for selected lawyers, as part of an $800,000 IT refresh program.
While the legal fraternity is well known for its risk-averse nature, Blake Dawson hopes to find a balance between creating a flexible work environment while ensuring client confidentiality and boosting productivity.
A few lawyers have begun testing a system that gives them access to corporate files using virtual desktop technology by Citrix. “We’re trialling the different uses of an iPad and we’re juggling the different considerations between security and client confidentiality,” said Blake Dawson’s knowledge and IT director, Chrissy Burns.
“We think that’s (virtualisation) a promising approach to have, where lawyers can have access in a secure way, (but) we have very important obligations to keep client confidentiality.
“Part of what we want to do is facilitate productivity for our lawyers.”
The iPad test was spurred on due to a desktop refresh at the company, she said. Blake Dawson is upgrading to a Windows 7 environment and enhancing its Microsoft Office productivity suite.
“The budget for our combined Windows 7/Office 2010 and Citrix VDI (virtual desktop interface) projects are $800,000,” Ms Burns said.
Using a virtualised environment on the iPad gives Blake Dawson control over the type of information lawyers can access.
In the smartphone arena, Blake Dawson, a predominantly BlackBerry shop, has started testing Apple iPhones and will soon add Google Android phones in trials. “We want to understand if it really offers convenience,” Ms Burns said.