Dennis Kennedy

I really believe that way too few lawyers take advantage of the benefits of wireless Internet access with a notebook computer or Tablet PC. This combination makes so much sense for lawyers at a zillion different levels. It pains me when I hear about firms that are seriously talking about taking notebook computers away from lawyers and giving them only desktop computers and BlackBerries.

This only makes sense to me if you want to drive your most tech-savvy lawyers out of your firm in a short time. That may well be the plan, for all I know.

A while back, some of my friends in Intel's Centrino group asked me about an idea to create an informational website or tool that would help explain to lawyers the tangible benefits of mobile computing. Obviously, the site would focus on the Centrino technology.

[By way of disclosure, longtime readers of this blog know that I have made two videos with and for Intel's Centrino group about the ways lawyers can use mobile computing to improve their work and their lives and I have received the use of two Centrino computers in return. So, factor that in when considering my comments, but I've been making the same points on mobile computing for many years.]

We had a couple of good discussions and they went off to their creative people.

I heard today that the Wireless Advantages for the Legal Profession tool is now available. It's pretty cool and very well done. It gives you a good education about the key tangible benefits lawyers can gain from mobile wireless computing, including better client service. Let me repeat that - better client service.

It may be just the tool you need to convince your firm to allow you to get a new notebook computer or Tablet PC or to permit you to hang on to the one you have. I'm also surprised by the number of lawyers (OK, even one of them would have surprised me) whose firms will not let them get a notebook with a wireless card or Centrino. Hey, wake up - every kid in high school has wireless computing these days.

But, you don't need me to tell you about it. You want to look at the cool tool Intel has created.

Here's what you do. Go to http://www.intel.com/business/smallbusiness/wireless/benefits.htm. In the right column, under step 2, you will see a section on "Law." Now click on the link that says "Explore the legal demo" and voila, you are there. Do some exploring and then some thinking before you make your next computer decision or have your next computer decision made for you. You'll find a lot of good ideas there.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

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