“Yammer, much like AOL Instant Messenger, has the potential to put company information outside of the company’s hands. Every user *does* need to sign up and verify through a corporate e-mail address. Moreover, those who have left the company can be requested for removal (one would have to wonder the validation steps here.) Nevertheless, there is no guarantee or auditing of the controls that would keep a company’s data private, and the actual transmission of the data may contain unexpected vulnerabilities.”

Honestly, I think, although law firms are well known for sticking to tradition (for tradition’s sake, usually) I see law firms as places where innovation, when it is socially focused, may take off with less ado and fuss than would be expected. Lawyers are quite social by nature, and this should make good sense to them. Lawyers are also typically impatient, so the speed of communication should also be desirable.

I’m just glad that I can play a role in evagelizing and help shape the use and management of this stuff at my firm. An exciting challenge, for sure!