Home > Technology > Web apps for in-house counsel will appear in the next few years enriched by HTML5
Published on:

Web apps for in-house counsel will appear in the next few years enriched by HTML5

By

Programs that run full-fledged capabilities, including those that run on specific hardware, such as Apple’s or tablet devices, have the edge now over web-based apps. So-called native apps (aka platform apps) can be visually rich and lively. Now, as the newest generation of the code for designing Web pages, called HTML5 (HyperText Markup Language, 5th generation), spreads and browsers upgrade to take advantage of it, the functionality-and-appearance gap will narrow.

The in-houser of tomorrow – well, in the next few years – may find a raft of very specialized apps released by law firms, legal publishers, law schools or consultants that bring pinpoint information to their mobile devices. At some point, tech-savvy law departments might swap or sell apps they develop. Apps will show off intellectual capital, market the provider, collect and distribute useful data, and cement relationships.

The wide reach of the Web and its agnosticism as to devices and operating systems will enable HTML5 apps, as they compete more equally with native apps, to fill all kinds of gaps in what is available for law departments.

Not wanting to be a credulous dreamer, still I sense the inexorable spread of apps: their precision, low-cost infrastructure, speed of evolution, gathering strength, fit with cloud computing, and cultural familiarity all augur well for collections of apps coming soon to a law department near you.

By
Posted in: Technology
Published on:
Updated:

2 responses to “Web apps for in-house counsel will appear in the next few years enriched by HTML5”

  1. Michael Asen says:
    March 30, 2011 at 8:57 am

    Thanks for this post, Rees. It’s a great point that the rising popularity of apps has launched a new innovation in technology for in-house legal departments. I can’t see that changing in the future. As the product marketing lead for General Counsel solutions at IntraLinks, I’ve had some very interesting conversations with senior people at in-house legal teams. As the role of the General Counsel has evolved into becoming a true business executive and risk manager, I’ve heard numerous people say that they have to look at new ways of doing things and new solutions. My take is that SaaS-based solutions that are platform-agnostic will be increasingly used to manage information both inside and outside the firewall. The key factor for anyone in the legal profession considering different apps or solutions is of course to make sure that they function securely.

  2. webapps says:
    May 12, 2011 at 2:12 am

    Web apps for in-house counsel will be an real helpful feature,,,,, with this great blog my knowledge regarding the web apps has been upgraded,,,,,