Internet Newsletter for Lawyers |
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For more information about .NET, see Microsoft's own description at www.microsoft.com/net/default.asp.
The introduction of Web based systems opens the way for lawyers to access their systems via a simple broadband connection regardless of where and when they wish to work. The use of secure web systems will also allow firms to share data with clients and third parties in an easier and more secure fashion. Ultimately the use of these systems will allow firms to interact with clients and potential clients even when the lawyer is not available, meeting Richard Susskind's ideal of 'making money while you sleep'.
The earliest adopters of web technology in the UK legal market included Pilgrim Systems with the Fee Earner element of their LawSoft product, CMS with their CMS.NET accounts application and FWBS with their Matter Management offering.
However the only UK based supplier to fully embrace the web based version of the Microsoft .NET platform so far, is my own company, Pracctice, www.pracctice.com, with their totally web based and integrated Osprey Practice and Case Management system.
Having decided that Osprey was to be offered as a hosted service Pracctice had to address three key issues:
In order to address the issue of location, Pracctice investigated renting space in one of the many empty 'secure data centres' left over from the 90's, although this did not prove successful as none of them offered the levels of control, quality of service or guarantees required by Pracctice and their potential clients. It was therefore decided that the only way forward was, at great expense, to build and furnish their own secure data centre in Hereford. This was completed in early 2004 and has subsequently been supplemented by an additional secure data centre in Gloucester with a mirrored SAN (Storage Area Network) running across the two sites. The combination of the two secure data centres offers levels of security, resilience and 'up time' that cannot be provided by the vast majority of law firms. It also offers clients an immediate disaster recovery plan, as should anything prevent a firm working from their own premises they can relocate to any other building with internet access and continue with their work.
Rather surprisingly, the question of acceptance by lawyers and IT Managers has not been a big issue. Partners seem to understand that as long as they have continuous access to their systems and data and that Pracctice can deliver an acceptable level of service, then the location of the servers and data does not matter. Many IT Managers also seem to appreciate that Pracctice can offer levels of security, resilience and data protection that far exceed their own abilities and budgets. Also by removing the need to supply and maintain servers, data base licences and inter office communications, IT Managers can spend more of their time looking after their users and working on the strategic elements of the job.
With the advent of hosted systems also comes the opportunity to change the way law firms think about purchasing IT. For many firms, IT is now a major capital overhead and one that seems to grow each year. The purchase of a new PMS and Case system often exceeds £150,000 especially when the 'hidden' costs of upgrading or replacing servers, PC's and operating systems are taken into account. With a hosted system there is no server or operating system to purchase and the programs and data are not located in the law firms' office; thus the system can be viewed more as buying a service rather than a capital investment.
Charles Christian often talks about IT becoming a service to firms in the same way as electricity or the telephone and that IT should be considered as a monthly business overhead, rather than as a one off investment every couple of years. To these ends Pracctice are now also offering Osprey as a rental option.
Since its launch in late February 2004 Osprey and its associated Email system, Groupware has been sold to ten firms with a combined total of over 1,000 users all of whom are using the system as a hosted application with their programs and data stored in the secure data centres and accessing their solution via an internet connection.
Each practice that has purchased Osprey has their own reasons for choosing the system but all of them have stated that the fact that Osprey is available as a 'hosted' application has been very attractive as the cost and time savings in not having to worry about servers, database licenses and expensive communication links will provide a quick return on their investment and offers each of them a secure and future proof system.
Martin Siddle is Marketing Director of Pracctice Ltd,
www.pracctice.com.
Email martin@pracctice.com.
Note from Delia: I would welcome further articles on .NET applications from other suppliers or from users of such systems.
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