And at January's Legal Tech show in New York, they were out in force. If the acronym is unfamiliar, you are not alone. The software sits on the ASP's server, you tap into it via a simple Internet connection, and your data remains stored with the ASP, available for you or anybody else in your firm. ASPs began to emerge in 1998, but came on strong to the legal market only recently. For lawyers, ASPs are focusing on providing integrated suites of applications for the law office, covering time and billing, case management, document management, legal research and more.
ASPs are attractive to smaller firms.
They enable firms to use a range of applications without substantial capital expense and without the need to have in-house technology expertise. No special hardware is required save for a computer and an Internet connection, and there is no software to purchase, install and update, since the only software required is usually a standard Web browser. Being Internet-based, the applications can be used from anywhere office, home or on the road. ASPs also promise integration, meaning that disparate office applications work together using a common interface. But there are downsides.