In the span of less than 3 months, three of the most popular operating systems will have released their most feature rich versions. Apple unveiled Snow Leopard 10.6, their latest iteration of OS X. On October 22nd Microsoft officially debuted Windows 7, and on October 29th, Canonical launched their release of the free Ubuntu Linux 9.10. Despite these major advances, there is one operating system looming on the horizon, set to benefit from a non-competing release schedule: the Google Chrome operating system.
The operating system on your computer is considered the “brains” of the whole process. Along with the logic programmed into the BIOS and other internal components, it starts the whole show once you press the power button. Fundamentally, an operating system enables, facilitates, organizes and provides for the manipulation of data. However, the method in which this has historically occurred is scheduled to change soon. Google announced on their blog on July 7, 2009 that they would enter the operating system foray, built on the shoulders of their browser, Google Chrome. This has the potential to be one of the most “game changing” steps in the world of operating systems, and could fuel the obsolescence of existing methods. Could the Google Chrome OS be the future of law firm computing?
According to Google’s materials:
Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We’re designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.
While the desire for an operating system to “just work” for the end user is the ideal goal of all products on the market, Chrome presents one of the greatest chances to do so. Existing technology is evolving into the Chrome based model of access – software as a service (SaaS) and cloud based computing will inevitably dominate. This will not eliminate the need for locally installed applications (such as LAW, EnCase, Nuix, Discovery Cracker, etc.), however it opens the spectrum up for a managed software environment. Litigation specific applications, such as FYI Core Server, Concordance, LiveNote and iBlaze, have all built components of web enabled products within their offering. This is not by any measure of coincidence, as the offerings through the web often need to be as strong as (or at least able to compete with) the supporting products that exist locally within an operating system.
Supporting the concept that Google will be evolving its Chrome OS offering, their upcoming Google Wave product will fuel a significant amount of application development. Wave will transform collaboration and communication by creating a real-time style environment of discussion. Users will be able to review and discuss documents, video and other media in real-time, changing the traditional dimensions of document management & team communication. Attorneys will be able to review a document with a client and team, discuss and edit changes while maintaining a record. Google Wave is one of the many products in the pipeline that will integrate with the Chrome OS and further compliment the offering.
While we’ve yet to have the opportunity to test drive Chrome, there are several unique aspects of the tentative plans that should be considered:
- Ease of use
If the operating system will truly be an extension of the browser they’ve built, Chrome could probably be taught in an afternoon. As it will synchronize with existing Google products/offerings (i.e. Google Voice, Gmail, Talk, Maps, Search, Desktop, etc.) the end-user will have a truly unified environment – aside from litigation specific tools, there will be limited need to purchase several other titles that users of competing operating systems need to purchase or download & integrate.
Life on the “cloud” – storage, management & consistency
Cloud based initiatives have several strong selling points – they’re cost effective, can be very reliable and offer the user the flexibility to access their information from multiple computers. Chrome will inevitably seek to expand on this as a concept, allowing the user to store data on their local machine as well as to Google’s cloud. With the advent of Ubuntu One, Canonical’s free offering for desktop-cloud integrated storage for Linux users, I believe this trend will continue and Google will be at a significant advantage given the amount of storage space they can offer.
Global administration
IT Administrators are typically happier using Linux’s version of package management and software updates than with Windows Update. The ability for an Administrator to push out updates to computers connected to the network via the command line interface of Terminal is usually one of the most convenient and direct methods of computer updating. If Google is truly relying on Linux, it will include a version of Linux’s add/remove software management and updates. Coupled with Google’s products, this means users will probably be able to install applications from the web that connect directly to their desktop, much in the same fashion as the Windows Sidebar in Windows 7 and Vista, except with Google’s own widgets. There also exists for the potential development of litigation support applications that can integrate from the cloud to the desktop – wouldn’t it be a great feature if a standing Concordance or Summation search could update you on new search hits when data is loaded, right from your desktop?
Powered by Linux
It is interesting that Google elected to use Linux in lieu of writing their own operating system from the ground up, however it is an extremely intelligent decision. Writing their own code would cost them significant development time, and Linux is a mature product that has been in use for almost two full decades. Open source applications are growing in popularity, and Linux is traditionally known as being more secure and stable than other operating systems. Bolting on Google’s code, API and services to a Linux framework will yield a strong product built by a reliable community.
Promotes internal development
With Chrome, end-users will have the opportunity to access the actual code and write their own applications. For law firms, this means the ability to develop internal custom products for the desktop could finally be a true possibility. This could create new opportunities for developers and software authors in offering new and innovative services.
Expands Google’s enterprise abilities
For those in litigation support or e-discovery, many of us have seen Google’s attempts at Enterprise Search, managed search and server retention & indexing products. These efforts, which to be honest have been noble, are further evidence that Google wishes to transition a significant part of their reach from consumers to business users. As it stands, many attorneys and law firms do rely on Google’s products for their business, and this is part of the “pro growth” strategy that Google is hoping to employ. They already offer their Google Apps platform for business customers for $50 per user per year – a significant savings for many over hosting an Exchange server, managing the intricacies of networking & Blackberry deployment and IT staffing.
Offered free of charge
Free can rarely be beaten, and free when supported by a company such as Google is virtually unstoppable. Offering a free operating system to users that is built on Linux, works like Google and can be installed on anything from a netbook to a laptop with high end features will present a significant value proposition for law firms that are open to expanding their operating system palette. It would also present a unique opportunity to government agencies, attorneys and Federal litigation support departments that are looking to streamline their platform, standardize their offerings and significantly reduce their costs.
Android integration
Google has been promoting their Android 2.0 operating system on the latest handsets carried by Verizon. The added features within the Android platform can easily augment the capacity of Chrome. I would anticipate Chrome users who also own a mobile phone with Android on it will be able to tether with relative ease, adding supporting value to owning both an Android handset within an environment that capitalizes on Chrome.
Looking at Google’s history as a company, I believe there are 5 strong components which could fuel the success of Chrome as the future of law firm computing, namely:
#1 Google got Android (fairly) right
They’ve already proven their ability to create, market and commercialize an operating system (albeit for a phone). With the growing popularity of the Android platform on handsets and a strong developer base, Google has a pool of talent to promote and sell the concept from within the community.
#2 Google already owns, licenses or bundles some form of all products one would need – and they’re still growing
From chat, email, document, presentation, charting, telephone, video conferencing and drawing with SketchUp, I think most would agree that Google offers the most successful “total package” free platform available. Their operating system will be the engine on the train that connects all the passenger cars.
#3 They’re building their operating system from a browser
Would Windows be more successful if it had been born in a browser named Explorer? Google has already gained a portion (albeit not as huge as Firefox) market share in the browser wars, so their product release won’t be foreign in name or theory.
#4 Google is a strong marketer
If anyone knows how to market a product, it’s Google. Flush with billions of cash on hand, Google has the clout and resources to mount a full scale marketing campaign against Microsoft and Apple. Imagine one of the Apple, “I’m a PC and I’m a Mac” commercials including a 3rd wheel that just so happens to be more secure, adept, expandable, fully integrated with the web, and lest we not forget, free. Both Microsoft and Apple will have an uphill battle if Google ramps up a significant marketing campaign. Their reach will particularly extend to small-medium size firms which can adjust to new technology faster than larger firms with multiple offices. As Google has already created a presence within the legal community, their marketing efforts at events such as Legal Tech and the ABA Tech Show could turn Google into another support provider for your firm.
#5 Chrome OS will fuel growth in targeted advertising, thus creating an incentive for Google to develop it and advertisers to get on board
Google’s main growth strategy is centered around maximizing their ability to ultimately deliver sponsored search content to their users – this is their bread and butter and one of the many key revenue streams. With the development of an operating system that focuses on Google as the core engine for search, they will in turn be able to deliver truly targeted advertising and sponsored results to the end-user right on their desktop. Google will finally be able to extend the reach of their advertisers directly to the desktop and operating system – something no other operating system has thus far truly allowed (without the user downloading additional plug-ins).
To be clear: I’m in no way hailing Chrome as the savior of operating systems, nor is it going to definitively be the operating system that simplifies law firm computing and brings true order & unity to the desktop environment. Google will have a significant uphill battle within law firms, as Windows is the dominant operating system, firms are inherently set in their ways and they already own applications for their needs. However, for the firms that wish to experiment and explore their Linux options, and Google slowly commands a foothold within the legal industry with its additional products & services (i.e. enterprise search, storage, corporate email, voice/VoIP, Android deployment), they could build a market following from the seeds of other harvests.
Time, testing and development will determine whether or not the Chrome OS will shine or rust.
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