Spare a thought for law firm IT directors. They can see much further into the future than most lawyers; they endure sleepless nights worrying about the storage and security of big data; and they are typically fascinated by the potential of artificial intelligence to disrupt the traditional law firm business model.

But the broader challenge for many firms is less strategic and more immediate: getting their lawyers to adopt current technological changes and fully integrate new technologies into the daily processes of their working lives.

When examining the findings of the eleventh annual Legal Week Best Technology Report, which draws on the responses of 2,159 fee-earners, support staff and partners at international and UK law firms, a quiet revolution appears to be taking place.

The survey, which asks respondents to rate the technology at their disposal, covers hardware, software, security, mobile working, support and the impact of technology on workloads and client service.

Not only are lawyers more satisfied with the diverse range of technology they use, but they are also becoming – incrementally – more adept at using it.

As Richard Susskind (pictured), an acclaimed strategist in how IT is changing the work of lawyers, confirms: "In terms of their basic systems – word processing, accounting systems, e-mail – law firms are very well run indeed."

In terms of their basic systems – word processing, accounting systems, e-mail – law firms are very well run indeed

Where he sees room for improvement is in "their use of technology and their delivery of service to clients".

But the survey does provide some evidence that law firms are starting to respond to this criticism, with satisfaction extending beyond the basic elements of drafting, communicating and billing to include business intelligence information, client extranets and communication tools, such as Lync – a benefit both to the firm and in the efficiencies delivered to their clients.

Meanwhile, perennial concerns about adequate training and effective security continue to linger, requiring better education and eternal vigilance.

At a practical level, respondents are pretty comfortable with technology: for example, 90% have access to an iPad for personal use.

Hardware satisfaction ratings are robust. Every category, bar one, scores a dissatisfaction rating of less than 6%; the sole exception being that unloved workhorse, the printer, at 14%. IT support for remote working related to all devices also causes some concern with 7% expressing dissatisfaction.

The diverse processes and systems employed by law firms are generally highly rated, although several cause some dissatisfaction. Most notable of these are: business intelligence information (10%), know-how systems (11%), intranet (12%) and overall application speed (11%).

On the broader satisfaction questions relating to IT departments, most aspects score very highly with only service desk availability outside normal hours (9%) and the extent to which technology is 'regularly updated and improved to meet business needs' (11%) providing more pronounced dissatisfaction levels; although it is worth pointing out that even for these measures dissatisfaction is relatively low and counterbalanced by high levels of satisfaction.