Jeffrey Kaplan’s article, “Inverting the IT Pyramid,” is one of the most thought-provoking or thought-promoting articles I’ve read in a while. He discusses the evolution of technology product companies into services companies.
Do the ideas also apply to legal technology? Does it makes sense for the companies who make the best legal software to also offer legal services? If you can’t get law firms to consider the client benefits of your technology, why not eliminate the middleperson and deliver the benefits to clients by offering them through your own law / professional services firm? I know, I know, there are some rules out there that might get in the way.
But think of it this way – if Intuit makes the tax software, why couldn’t I conclude that they also know how to use it best and might well be the best, most efficient and cheapest place to get high-quality tax preparation services. Just a thought.