Moore’s Law and Your Practice

 

Moore’s Law and Your Practice

Based on a well publicized theory by Intel co-founder Gordon E. Moore, Moore’s law correctly theorized that every two years the number of transmitters that could fit on a dense integrated circuit, also known as a microchip would double every two years. What’s startling about this visionary’s premise is the fact that his evolutionary concept dates back nearly 50 years to 1965 when Moore published an article in Electronics Magazine with the blue collar title of:"Cramming more components onto integrated circuits." 1

Back in 1965 few people knew what computers would eventually look like, however Moore had a good idea of what we should expect as he writes:
“With unit cost falling as the number of components per circuit rises, by 1975 economics may dictate squeezing as many as 65 000 components on a single silicon chip. The future of integrated electronics is the future of electronics itself. The advantages of integration will bring about a proliferation of electronics, pushing this science into many new areas .”2

Whether Moore’s law is still alive, (albeit on its last legs), is a matter of speculation. However, it’s certain that microchips cannot get much smaller. And according to digital engineer and scientist, Seth Snyder:

“We really can’t generate much more speed in the transmission of data over the Internet.”

Staying ahead of the Curve using Fiber Optic Communications

What does this mean to your law practice? According to Snyder, you should expect an explosion of fiber optic technology. A fiber optic sends coded data down a glass or plastic tube via a light beam. This technology has been around since the 1950s, when endoscopes were developed to enable physicians to examine people without resorting to an invasive procedure. A decade later engineers used fiber optic technology that enables us to transmit phone calls at the speed of light. Using fiber optic technology such as Optical LAN (Local Area Network) will enable your firm to meet its communications needs even if you have an ambitious expansion plan in place. That’s because Fiber optics provide a more efficient means of communication than Local Area Networks which are dependent on copper-based LANs, giving you the potential to build a scalable
infrastructure that can adapt to changes. Word to the wise: Moore’s law also applies to the amount of
information we can transmit using fiber optics, so as always you’ll have to stay on your toes to keep your digital infrastructure efficient and effective.

Circuit Board with Scalable Infrastructure Approaching Limits of Miniaturization

What law Offices might look like in the near future

Trying to stay ahead of the digital curve is a bit like trying to grab onto a river as the waters rush through your fingers. According Aderant, a think tank devoted providing technological solutions to the legal industry:

“If you’re a lawyer who spends any amount of time online, you’ll soon discover that the ‘future of law’ has become a cottage industry unto itself.”

1 Moore, Gordon E. (1965). "Cramming more components onto integrated circuits" (PDF). Electronics Magazine. p. 4.
2 Ibid