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4News in briefHat-trick of wins for GlobalExpenseEmployee expenses management systemspecialists GlobalExpense (020 72985757) has won orders for its systems fromthree more UK firms: Trowers & Hamlins,McGrigors LLP and Dickinson Dees.GlobalExpense will manage the workflowand expense authorisation process for allthree firms, including tax compliance plusreceipt audit and validation.www.globalexpense.comRecommind on the moveRecommind this week moved into newLondon offices at 14 Greville Street EC1N8SB. The phone line is 020 7785 7243/4.Keyhouse competitive wins in IrelandIrish legal software supplier has benefitedfrom two competitive swap-outs in recentweeks. RDJ Glynn in Galway has switchedfrom a Opsis accounts and casemanagement system to Keyhouse’s ownLawOffice suite. And, David J O’Meara inMallow has swapped out a TFB system infavour of Keyhouse software.www.keyhouse.ieNew Metis CRM modulee1 Business (01962 718296) has launcheda new business alerts module for its MetisCRM system (which is based on a SageSalesLogix platform). The module createspre- and post meeting reports, promptsand event confirmations via email.TFB take out Pracctice siteCorker Binning in London is replacing itsPracctice system with TFB’s Partner forWindows suite. Other recent TFB wins areHubbard Pegman & Witney, Nicol Denver& Purnell and Loxley Legal Services. TFB has also released a free module forfirms wanting to encrypt data that, for anyreason, needs to be sent on CD away froman office or transferred between branches.Legal Technology Insider (206) February 2008Legal IT show trends –Outlook and SaaSAt this month’s Legal IT Show, two trends in system designand delivery stood out from the crowd, namely software asa service (SaaS) and Microsoft Office integration. Oneexhibitor, DPS, had already announced an SaaS initiative(see last Insider) and at Islington, Virtual Practices (01225787700) – the online services arm of SOS, also threw itshat into the ring with its new guide We’re starting a lawfirm: what should we do about IT. This reiterates theargument that start-ups should consider alternativeapproaches to IT, such as SaaS. It is not a new argument(although it remains one small firms seem unable to grasp)however perhaps the shift in terminology away from olderconcepts, such as bureaux, ASPs and hosted applications,and the new focus on ‘service’ may now attract thebusiness interest it deserves. Next month we look at new SaaS supplier e-know.net.www.virtualpractices.com/guideOur Outlook embedding is more embedded than yoursWe reported in the last issue that DPS (them again) hadlaunched their Outlook Office system, which delivers legalaccounts, case management and digital dictation fromwithin a Microsoft Outlook interface. This has beenfollowed by the launch of Pilgrim’s Lawsoft Office PMS, aproduct that – in the words of one Pilgrim user – is“gobsmackingly awesome”. David Thorpe of Pilgrim iskeen to stress that Lawsoft Office is more than just a fewbuttons added to the Outlook menu ribbon but is insteadfully embedded with Microsoft Office and MicrosoftExchange. This means that, for example, time can berecorded in Outlook and bills produced within Word. Lawsoft Office, it should be noted, is not an alternativeor upgrade to the existing Lawsoft system but can co-existwith it. You can find further details of both the Pilgrim andDPS systems on The Orange Rag blog for 18th February.For the record, both FWBS, with its Matter Centre product,and SOS, with its .NET based Connect software, alreadyoffer an Office/Outlook embedded interface. Similarly,LexisNexis Visualfiles M2 matter management runs withinOutlook, as will its new Vanilla system, when it is finallylaunched. The one hazard we foresee is rival suppliersmuddying the waters and confusing punters by claimingtheir respective Outlook and Office integrations are moreembedded than those of their competitors.

5HMRC – still schizoidafter all these yearsWe’ve reported before that HM Revenue & Customs andthe Land Registry have a schizoid relationship with theoutside world. They know they must co-exist withcommercial suppliers but still hanker for the days of theold state monopolies, as one conveyancer recently foundwhen he was cold-called by HMRC. He was first askedwhy he wasn’t using online submissions to handle SDLTreturns – to which he replied he was and had been using acommercial service for the past two years.“Oh,” came the response, “but you are not using theHMRC service, why not, it’s free you know?”“But it doesn’t integrate with case management does it?”“No it doesn’t,” replied the HMRC representative. “But isthat the only reason why you won’t use us?”“Well yes, afterall it is a pretty big reason.”“Is it?” replied HMRC. And with that exchange, the callended. In other conveyancing related news.New SMS server at HammondsdirectHammondsdirect has implemented an Avanquest TextMessage Server to help automate the way the volumeconveyancer handles the distribution of SMS progressmessages to its clients.HIPs integration with ZylphaZylpha (01962 875475) – a new name to us – haslaunched HIPCase. This is described as an ‘out-of-the-box’integration utility that allows law firms to create homeinformation packs directly from information they alreadyhave stored in their conveyancing case managementsystems. For example, MoveHomeLegal is already usingHIPCase with its Visualfile case management software.www.zylpha.comVisualfiles show latest conveyancingAt this month’s Legal IT Show, LexisNexis Visualfilesshowed its next generation conveyancing software. CalledVisualConvey, this is aimed at the company’s traditionalSolcase case management user base but in addition to thecore functionality of its predecessors, also provides agateway to all the integrations necessary in today’s HIPsand e-conveyancing environment. VisualConvey alsoincludes a prospect management feature to manage theworkflows associated with quoting for new business andthe follow-up to convert prospects into actual clients.Offshoring to save 2 billion by 2015New research by the outsourcingconsultancy princeOMC predicts that20% of law firm staff will be located inlow-cost overseas markets by the year2015, in a move that will save the legalworld’s largest firms as much a 2 billiona year in operating costs.The survey foundthat while 25% of global 100 firms werealready offshoring some aspects of theiractivities – primarily IT and supportservices – 53% predicted that bothsupport services and legal work could beoutsourced and/or offshored within thenext five years. The primary drivers foroffshoring are financial, with 27%blaming pressure from clients to reducecosts, followed by increased competition(22%) making cost reduction a priority.International newsDubai firm selects Tikit for IT refreshDubai-based law firm Hadef Al Dhahirihas awarded Tikit a contract to conduct amajor overhaul of its informationmanagement systems. The project will seeTikit implementing the LexisNexisInteraction CRM, Interwoven Worksite,Workshare Professional, Sage Carpe Diemtime recording and Tikit’s own TMSdocument template management system.Tim Travers, who was previously based inthe UK, has been advising the law firm.Timesoft win more Aderant businessBelgian law firm Lydian Lawyers hasselected Timesoft to implement its newAderant Expert practice management. The50 lawyer firm is based in Brussels.Morningstar wins Norwegian implementationDutch-based IT integrators MorningstarSystems have been selected to implementa LexisNexis Interacion CRM system at theNorwegian law firm Wiersholm.Legal Technology Insider (206) February 2008

6Editorial: Goodbyeto ‘best of breed’ ?Since the mid-1990s the accepted dogmain the legal world has been that IT systemsfall into one of two categories. They areeither ‘integrated systems’ or they are ‘bestof breed systems’ – but is this distinctionstill valid today?The old argument was that integratedsystems gave users no choice. So, if youran a PMS from Supplier X, then the onlycase management you could use inconjunction with it would also be fromSupplier X – and hard luck if you wantedto use a system from a different supplier.In contrast best of breed gave you the keysto the sweetshop so you could pick andmix the elements you wanted, with a PMSfrom Supplier A, case from Supplier B, etc.Unfortunately, somewhere along the linethe definitions blurred and a generation ofsalesmen and IT managers grew upthinking ‘best of breed’ meant better thanintegrated. Which was unfortunate assome of the so-called best of breedsystems that have come and gone were,quite frankly, crap. As for ‘pick and mix’?In many application categories the systemchoice is so limited as to be verging on thenon-existent. For example, there arearguably just three best of breed PMSproducts in the market, compared with 40plus integrated systems.More importantly, over the past decadealmost all suppliers of integrated systemshave opened up their product ranges, sotheir software will happily co-exist withthird party software, thus offering puntersthe benefits of the integrated and best ofbreed approaches to technology. Perhapsthe simplest solution is to drop the divisiveterm ‘best of breed’ and call such systemswhat they are known as in otherindustries, namely as ‘point solutions’.Charles ChristianLegal Technology Insider (206) February 2008Opinion: Why firms stillbuild their own systemsManchester-based Lewis Hymanson Small (LHS) began lifelast year as a breakaway from Rowe Cohen. For operationsdirector Brian Rogers, the priority was to ensure resourceswere devoted to fee earners, rather than back office staff,and that wherever possible IT systems would handleroutine administration.Key requirements, along with getting away from a systemof endless monthly form filling on Excel spreadsheets,included HR, file management and compliance in itswidest sense – ideally all within one integrated solution, asthere were so many areas of overlap. However a trawlthrough the market was unable to locate a suitable off-theshelf system and so the firm decided to use its owninhouse IT expertise. Brian Rogers takes up the story.LHS set about developing its own fully interactive HR andcompliance system, the development of the HR systemgiving the firm the foundation on which to build thecompliance system, which is linked into each individual’sHR account. This means that if someone is promoted to afee earner position, for example, or team leader, the HRsystem is able to automatically update the compliancesystem for auditing and other purposes.The compliance system is fully interactive and helps thefirm meet its obligations under the new Solicitors Code ofConduct 2007 and Money Laundering Regulations 2007. Italso aids general client care and quality programmes. Thesystem centrally controls all professional indemnityinsurance matters, complaints, client feedback, moneylaundering reports, referral fee arrangements, file auditingand experts. Other compliance areas will be added as andwhen required.The system includes the following functions: Automatic reminders to fee earners to complete monthlyprofessional indemnity returns, with email alerts tosupervisors if they fail to do so. Online file auditing – supervisors complete an onlinescreen and tick the relevant boxes as they go through files,any adverse ticks tells the system to send an email alert tosupervisors for follow-up. Complaints handling – each client complaint is recordedseparately and the system manages the process in

7 accordance with the firm’s complaints policy with keydate flags appearing as necessary. A full printedchronology can be produced if the complaint ends up withthe Legal Complaints Service. Client feedback – clients who send thank you letters orreturn questionnaires have their details recorded centrallyand this feedback can be used during performance reviewsof staff. Referral fee agreements – the system records all detailsrequired by the SRA including source details, fee scalesand review dates, and produces alerts when six-monthlyreviews of arrangements with referrers are due.News in briefOn a technical note, the LHS system is intranet based,developed on Microsoft .NET technologies, and linked tothe firm’s Outlook system for email and diary purposes.Goldsmith Williams goes paperlessGoldsmith Williams has deployed amailroom automation system to helphandle the road traffic claims paperworkcoming into its Liverpool offices. The newsystem – designed by Basware UK (01606331234) and using Kofax software –integrates with the firm’s Eclipse casemanagement and automatically scans andallocates 85% of the 1500 pages of mail(including faxes and emails) it receiveseach day to the correct matter files. A feature length article looking atmailroom automation can be found on theOrange Rag blog for 11th February.Many small to medium sized firms do not have in house ITpeople to develop sophisticated systems and thereforehave to use a range of different systems which are oftennot fully integrated preventing all departments fromworking in unison. With the increasing pressure on firmsto be efficient, give good client care, avoid moneylaundering and adhere to strict conduct rules, it isbecoming more important than ever for law firms to haveefficient systems in place.Brian Rogers, Lewis Hymanson Small LHS believes the system would be of interest to otherlaw firms and is now looking for IT partners who couldhelp refine the software and bring it to market.It pays to be honestA law firm IT director writes in to say. “Some time ago,mid 2006, we became aware that the VMWare licensingshown on our online account screen had two additionalVMWare server licences attributed to us that we hadneither ordered nor paid for. Suffice to say, repeatedrequests to correct this produced a continual passing of thebuck within VMWare but now perhaps it is resolved?“According to our latest licensing statement, it wouldappear that compensation has been given to us in the formof 130 free licences. Wouldn’t if be lovely if this were true.It’s nice to know,” adds our contact, “that the quality ofVM’s software is not reflected in their administrativeabilities – or should I say inabilities.”Gateley Wareing selects DMCHBJ Gateley Wareing has selected a rangeof products from DMC Business Machines(0845 130 6251) to improve themanagement and operations of the firm’sprint and scanning systems. The DMCproject will include integration with thefirm’s Interwoven DMS, eCopy, expensesretrieval, OCR and scanning systems.www.basware.co.ukFrom Equitrac to ModdocsRandy Henderson, who we firstencountered with ICG Research and morerecently Equitrac, has set up the Moddocslegal technology marketing and costsrecovery consultancy. The marketingbusiness aims to help UK companieswanting to break into the US legal ITmarket. We’ll be publishing one of hiscost recovery articles in the near futurewww.moddocs.caBLP pick Research MonitorBerwin Leighton Paisner is to roll out theResearch Monitor online research usage,password tracking and cost recoverysystem from Priory Solutions (0845 0569464) at its London office.Legal Technology Insider (206) February 2008

8People & PlacesHemming joins TikitAnn Hemming, our favourite MBA, hasdeparted from LexisNexis to join Tikit andhead up e-learning projects.From Zantaz to MimosaBrian Bennett, who headed up UK legalmarket operations for Zantaz before it wasacquired by Autonomy last year, has beenappointed managing director of emailarchiving specialists Mimosa Systems Inc.The company’s UK office is based inReading (01189 637860).www.mimosasystems.comKirton raises at TikitIan Kirton, previously with DDS vendorSRC, has moved to Tikit as businessmanager for the office productivity group.Steve Falconer flies into PilgrimSteve Falconer, previously a regionalmanager for LexisNexis Visualfiles, hasjoined Pilgrim Systems as customeraccount manager.Kropholler now VP at CPADerk Kropholler has left Thomson Elite totake up a new role as VP for EMEAbusiness development with CPAManagement Systems. He can be reachedat dkropholler@cpaglobal.comReader poll: Sharepointdefinitely, maybeIn our latest readers’ poll, we asked a series of questionsrelating to the take-up of Microsoft Sharepoint by lawfirms. We had 62 responses and this is what you said.We started by asking does your firm use or plan to deploySharepoint? A total of 29% said it was already deployed,48.4% said they were planning to deploy it – leaving22.6% with no plans to deploy Sharepoint. As to whatfirms were using or planning to use Sharepoint for, themost popular response (45.8%) was intranets, followed byinformation sharing platforms (33.3%). Only 16.7% werelooking to use it as a DMS platform, and a further 4.2%saw it as a process and workflow platform.When asked if Sharepoint would become the standard forlaw firm intranets over the next 12 months, just over half(51.6%) agreed, a quarter (25.8%) disagreed and 22.6%proffered no opinion. We also asked if Sharepoint couldbecome the key information search and retrieval platformfor fee earners. A massive 71% agreed, with just 16.1%disagreeing – and 12.9% with no opinion.We then asked if Sharepoint could provide a realalternative to the traditional DMS. The response was splitwith a quarter (26.7%) saying ‘yes’ and the same numbersaying ‘no’, leaving 46.7% replying ‘maybe’. Howeverwhen we asked if readers thought the remaining enterpriseDMS vendors would eventually create hybrid products thatincorporated Sharepoint with their own systems, 48.4%said ‘yes’, 41.9% said ‘maybe’ and just 9.7% said ‘no’.Stone freeLegal business manager Helen Freestonehas moved on at Microsoft to a new role.A replacement has not been announced.For our penultimate question, we asked firms using orplanning to use Sharepoint how critical it would be totheir businesses. Very critical was the response of 18.5%,another 18.5% said plain vanilla critical, 55.6% saidimportant, leaving just 7.4% who didn’t think it was veryimportant.Gooderham now at RedwoodFollowing its recent acquisition byLexisNexis, Redwood Analytics hasrecruited Stu Gooderham as thecompany’s first UK-based salesman. Hewill be based at the Lexis Chancery Laneoffices and he can be contacted atSurprisingly – well actually rather worryingly – given thisenthusiastic response, only 35.5% of respondees saidSharepoint infrastructure featured in their current disasterrecovery and business continuity plans, leaving nearlytwo-thirds of firms apparently exposed risks-wise.sgooderham@redwodanalytics.com See back page for details of this month’s readers poll.Legal Technology Insider (206) February 2008

9Digital dictation news in briefNow Winscribe joins the Blackberry jamWinscribe has formally launched a version of its digitaldictation system that uses a Blackberry as the recordingdevice. Users can record on the device, playback and edittexts and then send them to their firm’s Winscribe serverfor transcription. Winscribe has put the system throughextensive testing in a number of locations, with ThringTownsend Lee & Pembertons the main UK beta test site.Here at the Insider we’ve tried the Winscribe system on aBlackberry 8800 (running o/s version 4.21.68) and found itvery simple to use – the sound quality was excellent. Thereis an extra icon on the home screen, clicking on thatbrings up a Winscribe jobs menu. Click on ‘create jobs’ to

LexisNexis chose the eve of this year's Legal IT Show to announce its acquisition of Axxia Systems, one of the market's best known and longest established suppliers of case and practice management systems. Axxia will now join the LexisNexis UK practice management solutions division, which also includes the Visualfiles business that