Legal Inc launch IncSpots podcast series
Litigation support and technology specialist Legal Inc has launched a new podcast series, kicking off with an introduction to edisclosure featuring leading industry commentator Chris Dale.
The comprehensive overview will run over ten episodes of IncSpots, and will include items on the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR), the practice direction, seminal cases such as Digicel and Abela, how to prepare for case management conferences, the use of external suppliers, best practice, problem areas, global trends and pending developments within the disclosure arena.
Legal Inc director Lisa Burton is joined by head of the eDisclosure Information Project, Chris Dale, for all ten episodes as they offer their respective thoughts on each issue, Lisa drawing on her practical experience at the coal-face to add to Chris’s in-depth, incisive understanding of the subject.
Commenting on the new podcast, Lisa Burton said: “edisclosure is becoming an increasingly hot topic, with conferences, articles and blogs discussing and debating the complexities and finer points. But we thought it would be useful to start off by taking a step back and providing a basic grounding on where exactly we are at, where we are heading, obligations and requirements, mechanics and methodologies and some honest appraisal of where the reality is falling short of the rule-book, where the practice is not quite in accordance with the theory.
We also aim to provide some pragmatic advice on how to deal with the CPR and practice direction, how best to avoid some of the common pitfalls of the disclosure process, and how to leverage the expertise of external consultants and support providers.”
The first three episodes of IncSpots can be downloaded now from the Legal Inc website – www.legalinc.co.uk. These and future episodes are also available via iTunes.
Legal market finds voice as InTechnology launches first unified communications solution with integrated IP telephony
Data, network and telephony management specialist InTechnology has announced the launch of the legal sector’s first Unified Communications (UC) solution with integrated IP telephony.
Until now, voice has been the missing link in all UC systems but InTechnology has brought together hosted Microsoft Office Communication Server and its enterprise class telephony service at the desktop. It estimates that law firm users will realize a 50% saving in unwanted or superfluous email and voice messages, greatly reducing communication latency, dramatically accelerating the decision-making process and improving employee interaction.
The launch comes at a time when both IT departments and lawyers are struggling to cope efficiently with a growing number of discrete devices and applications and associated messages and calls. A typical user may have a desktop PC or laptop, mobile phone or PDA, office desk phone and instant messaging, all of which are managed separately with multiple contact lists and inboxes.
Add to this the ever increasing quantity of e-mails, phone calls and voicemails to both fixed and mobile devices every day, many of which are generated as a result of email/telephone tag with no decisive outcome, and you risk growing user frustration, technical overload and an unnecessary drain on time and resources.
Available on a pay as you go basis, InTechnology’s Hosted Unified Communications Service provides businesses with a unique set of integrated services including e-mail, instant messaging, presence, shared calendars, shared desktops, video calling, conferencing and IP telephony.
Richard Quine, InTechnology’s director of product management, comments:
“The goal of UC is to reduce the time, cost and frustration associated with unnecessary delays in decision making – to bring together all the tools of communication which we use, thereby allowing users to make decisions on how to interact with one another based on the presence status of their contacts.
What’s significant about the addition of voice to the UC offer is that it has the genuine potential to transform how lawyers communicate and collaborate with one another, with their clients and with counsel. This goes beyond the inherent efficiencies of a unified inbox or utilizing the ‘presence’ concept to accelerate the decision making process.
Firms can now leverage new capabilities such as high definition online video and conferencing – these will enable them to save costs, time and carbon emissions by offering a high quality alternative to face-to-face meetings and conferences. It is estimated that regular business travellers spend eleven days a year on avoidable or unnecessary travel – strip out the associated costs, factor in the extra fee-earning time returned to the practice and you are looking at a very substantial return on your investment. And that’s before you even add in the gains and savings to be had from the newly streamlined communication process afforded by the hosted UC platform.”
e-know.net adds CRM to hosted portfolio
Managed service and SaaS specialist e-know.net has announced the launch of a new offering for SME law firms keen to leverage client relationship management and marketing software, but wary of the levels of financial investment and IT expertise required.
CRM Plus is based around Microsoft Dynamics CRM and can be delivered in two ways: as an addition to e-know.net’s managed desktop as part of a fully outsourced solution, or on a Software as a Service basis for those firms looking only to out-task certain applications. Back-end system administration and technical support are included within the monthly subscription, which is priced at £35 per user; the underlying SQL Server platform and licenses are rolled in at no extra cost.
Consultancy days can be bundled into a wraparound package at the initial implementation stage, with e-know.net specialists able to offer hands-on assistance with any particular configuration, migration or training issues.
Nigel Redwood, e-know.net’s managing director, knows that small to medium sized law firms want to take advantage of CRM tools but are concerned about costs and the availability of the requisite IT skills in-house. “Microsoft Dynamics is a big ticket item in most SMEs’ eyes and the necessary SQL know-how is not always accessible or affordable. CRM Plus gives firms a low cost, no-risk way of bringing vital functionality into their businesses, where they can focus on managing the client rather than mastering the technology, on developing the prospect rather than draining the profits.”
e-know.net has real success in virtual world
Managed service provider e-know.net has announced a further addition to its legal client base with the signing of personal injury specialist; Balinda & Co. e-know.net will deliver Microsoft Office 2007, Microsoft Exchange, BlackBerry Enterprise Server and SOS on a fully hosted basis.
The move is the cornerstone of a three-year strategic plan that will see the firm evolve into an enlarged virtual practice focusing on both PI and employment law. Founder Asiimwe Balinda commented:
“We have ambitious growth plans that are based on a virtual practice model and having the right technology in place is absolutely crucial to our success. From an investment, effort and resourcing point of view we have little appetite for running our IT ourselves, preferring to concentrate on our areas of expertise and leave our outsourcing partner to concentrate on theirs. e-know.net comes with the highest personal recommendation from an existing user, and we’re looking to enjoy the benefits of predictable costs, on-tap support and robust application delivery, with a modern, scalable infrastructure underpinning both virtual and mobile working.”
Nigel Redwood, e-know.net’s managing director, said: “Following hard on the heels of Woolley & Co, this latest win demonstrates not just our capabilities in the sector but more importantly, the profession’s increasing awareness and acceptance of managed service as an alternative to in-house IT. Virtual practices in particular see managed service as being closely aligned with the needs and drivers of their business and we anticipate closing a number of similar deals in the near future.
Copitrak community kicks off with inaugural user group community
The tracking and charging of scanning and mobile telephony costs and a growing environmental awareness were just some of the hot topics at Copitrak’s inaugural user group meeting held earlier this month. Over fifty users registered to attend an afternoon of company and product updates, Q&A sessions and roundtables, with particular focus on the results of a user survey conducted ahead of the event.
With nearly all respondents identifying scanning as a key cost recovery issue for next year, there was plenty of discussion around both charging strategies and IT considerations. The survey revealed that while hardly any firm was charging for scanning at present, two-thirds were keen to introduce it. With concerns also being expressed at the expense of specialist scanning applications, Copitrak took the opportunity to unveil its own workflow solution. It has been designed specifically to offer core functionality such as scan to email and OCR, as well as scan direct to the DMS, but at a fraction of the cost and complexity of dedicated systems.
In addition, the results revealed a concerted movement towards the tracking of mobile telephone costs and the use of tracking to deter private calls; plus more widespread adoption of secure printing/document release, with its savings on paper and toner bringing both ‘green’ and financial benefits.
Copitrak will now look to build on the success of their first user event by creating a dedicated Copitrak community, complete with online forums, a knowledge base, blog, podcasts and video-based training materials.
