OK, so last year's (3oth) LegalTech New York event continued the trend of being dominated by eDiscovery everything. Let's take a look at this year's event...
Those of us who have been attending LegalTech New York for more than the last decade (this will be our 13th year), or even the past five years or so, have seen a major shift in LegalTech's exhibit hall - namely the drastic vendor landscape shift from a broad collection of technology and service providers to what these days is a eDiscovery/litigation support dominated world. While the need for applications and services required to manage the litigation lifecycle and accommodate the various phases of the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) is undeniable, what has suddenly happened to all the other technologies that were previously touted as 'mission critical'? Perhaps the cloud buzz will help revive some of this 'old school' buzz as core technology vendors are looking to deliver said solutions via the cloud.
Speaking of eDiscovery, here are some stats based on a five year show review (these numbers were pulled from LegalTech show guides):
- LegalTech NY 2012 = 45% eDiscovery (223 vendors; 100 eDiscovery)
- LegalTech NY 2011 = 43% eDiscovery (237 vendors; 103 eDiscovery)
- LegalTech NY 2010 = 42% eDiscovery (229 vendors; 96 eDiscovery)
- LegalTech NY 2009 = 35% eDiscovery (263 vendors; 91 eDiscovery)
- LegalTech NY 2008 = 29% eDiscovery (262 vendors; 76 eDiscovery)
The eDiscovery theme continues as it relates to educational sessions and pay-to-play opportunities (i.e., sponsorships) as well - 55% of the sessions and tracks contain eDiscovery and related topics and 70% of all educational sponsors (excluding association sponsors such as ARMA, ILTA, etc.) are eDiscovery or litigation support vendors (compared to 53% and 73% respectively in 2011).
Cloudy Futures?! Last year, we figured cloud computing would be the next big thing taking hold of future event agendas and sponsorship dollars. After taking a closer look at the 2012 agenda and exhibitor list, the offering still seems a bit slim (only 14 vendors touting cloud services will be exhibiting) despite the fact that cloud computing has now made the agenda with a 'cloud computing' educational track on Tuesday, January 31. Maybe the cloud strategy is to stay lean and mean when it comes to traditional trade show exhibits (i.e., 2011 'darlings' MyCase and RealPractice are not on the exhibitor list this year) but use non-conventional approaches to gaining public/prospect support. After all, selling a cloud deployment goes way beyond a 45 minute feature/function product demo.
Speaking of cloud, here are some other themes & trends we'll be paying keen attention to this week:
eDiscovery: The current buzz seems focused on predictable pricing/predictive coding and offering firms and companies a complete picture of total costs as they tackle complex litigation. We should see this message resonate this year while hopefully vendors, analysts and commentators will band together to continue educating the masses on 'where do I start?' and 'who do I call?'. Last year's 'eDiscovery for Dummies' booklet compliments of RenewData will hopefully make the rounds again.
Integration: 'Seamless' integration can make and break a successful software roll-out ... the same holds true for M&As. How are vendors like ADERANT integrating their new assets like Client Profiles, CompuLaw, Deadlines.com and RainMaker into the broader fold? Nearly four months have passed since HP's acquisition of Autonomy. How has this transaction affected the legal profession? What are the large firm legal clients saying? Has HP clearly articulated its legal strategy? Many vendors are being pushed to 'web enable' and 'SaaS' their applications and solution sets; how are these new web apps integrating with their clients' existing technologies and systems? How are firms integrating Office 2010 and how are users dealing with the associated changes and training challenges?
Client service: The theme of our Ignite Law 2012 event (now called LexThink .1) is focused on 'serving clients better'. Whether you plan to submit a talk (open to all as of January 30), attend or watch the 6 minute Ignite videos post event, the idea of client service is one that resonates across the legal profession. Now that the economy has settled a bit and firms are loosening the tech purchasing purse strings, especially for core software and hardware purchases, client interaction, collaboration and overall service become paramount. What vendors are focused on clients in particular?
Cloud 2.0: When InsideLegal first surveyed ILTA firms about their use of and plans for cloud technologies in 2009, only 9% indicated they were actively deploying cloud solutions. While we have come quite a ways since then, and spent a lot of energy educating each other on security risks, capabilities, as well as limitations, the success stories and headlines of increased user adoption are still few and far between. The time for 2.0 - going beyond stemming security fears and showing true value - is here.
Back to the basics: While strolling around Manhattan this weekend, a moving truck caught my eye. With a tagline of 'movers, not shakers' the folks behind this very clearly articulate their goal of moving stuff (without breaking it) but more than that, let you know that while it may not be flashy it will get done right...at least that is what I read into it. The point ... it's 'back to the basics' for technology vendors; show your clients and prospects how you can deliver on what you promise, don't obscure the big picture with glitz, but execute efficiently and true to your word.
Comments