Earlier this month, digital IT provider Alphaserve Technologies launched a new "process discovery as a service" (P-DaaS) offering which would allow law firms and other users to identify a workflow process that may be eligible for automation as part of a limited engagement designed to drive adoption. If the firm chooses to proceed, Alphaserve will help implement the robotic process automation.

Promoting adoption can be notoriously difficult in the legal sphere, which has a reputation for a being a bit slow on the draw when it comes to bringing on board new technologies. Firms are reluctant to invest time and money in a product that may not ultimately fit into its ecosystem. But for many legal tech and managed services providers, the way around that hesitancy is to give them a chance to try before they buy.

"Firms are struggling with how to figure out what areas are good candidates for automation. Law firms do not want to spend upwards of $100,000 for process mapping through interviews with expensive consultants," said Arup Das, Alphaserve's chief executive officer.

Such a "freemium model," as Alphaserve calls it, offers simple and basic services for free with the user having the option to try more advanced or additional features at a premium. Alphaserve took a similar approach with some of its previous AI engagements, relying on free "ideation sessions" to help clients figure out the technology could be deployed within their business model.

It's a model that seems geared towards actively stripping away the excuses an average firm or company would use not to adopt technology—and that includes installation challenges. While cloud-based services are typically less expensive than investing in on premise infrastructure, Das said the cloud was an option only for firms with relaxed security controls. A majority of firms, he added, install the software on-site.

To offset some of the potential cost barriers associated with that reality, Alphaserve's automation as a service offering, separate from P-DaaS,  includes helping firms design and execute a plan for robotic process implementation and provides automation maintenance as needed.

"We are offering automation as a service for firms that have on premise infrastructure so that the firm does not have to pay a large price upfront to adopt the technology," Das said.   

To be sure, Alphaserve isn't the only legal tech company to see the potential value in making some of those up front investments appear less daunting. Last December, it was announced that legal technology management company Kuro Group would begin hosting ONE Discovery's software on its OnRamp program, essentially allowing users to come in and rent infrastructure like software and servers without incurring per GB charges.

Alexis Lewis, co-founder and chief strategy officer at Kuro Group, told Legaltech News that the service would provide a less expensive option then using cloud-based software as a service or deploying e-discovery products on premise.

"The cheapest way to do discovery is stand up the servers, run the software and train your staff on it," he said.

Even the the cloud-based services that don't rely on much in the way of physical infrastructure seem to recognize the need to make their offerings seem less financially imposing. Earlier this year, Relativity announced new pricing and licensing models for its cloud-based RelativityOne solution, including lowering overall data fees up to 50 percent and providing the option to subscribe based on monthly usage instead of the former three year pre-commit fixed subscription model. Users therefore are not tied to the platform, and can try it out at e-discovery tool without a full commitment.