iPhone to squash Blackberry in law firms: legal IT boss

By Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 03 September 2008 13:28

Mobility

Apple's iPhone could supplant the BlackBerry as handset of choice among lawyers, according to the IT general manager of a major law firm. In fact, at this particular firm the desire for BlackBerrys has already been supplanted by iPhone lust.

Thus far, there has been some scepticism that the Blackberry, the smartphone of choice for the business sector, would ever be surplanted by Apple's newest phenomenon. However, as the business applications and markets build, the iPhone is beginning to seem like less of a toy and more of a tool to many in the corporate world.

"I suspect most law firms will soon, if they aren't already, be trialling iPhones, and as a single mobile platform makes sense, I suspect that over time these firms will also standardise on iPhones," said John Duckett, IT general manager at DLA Phillips Fox.

He believed that the BlackBerry's attraction to law firms was its push technology, but that Microsoft's ActiveSync would win through. Apple's adoption of ActiveSync for the iPhone has confirmed this opinion.

"[W]ith the iPhone, we have a high-profile company with great marketing and a superior technology." [His emphasis.] 

"Although an iPhone is primarily aimed at the consumer market it's still going to be very attractive to the corporate world, and that includes the legal market," said Duckett.

We already know Duckett likes the ActiveSync support, but what else makes the iPhone attractive to lawyers? Find out on page two.