Reasearch in Motion, authors of the Blackberry software, have announed plans to make it available on phones and devices running Windows Mobile 6. This will provide a "virtual Blackberry" to Windows device users offering email, instant messaging and Blackberry Maps.

The strength of the Blackberry has always been ease of use and tight seamless integration with the hardware being used to run it couled with the end-to-end solution provided by virtue of the server software. It will be interesting to see how this translates to the Windows platform.

It is also questionable whether users of Windows devices would want to use the Blackberry software. On the one hand it could make Windows devices more attractive to ordinary users. On the other hand the applications for Windows devices tend to be more advanced than the Blackberry offerings and it is unlikley that existing users of these would want to move to the Blackberry offerings.

nFlow have announced that Tods Murray LLP, one of Scotland’s leading independent law firms, with offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow, had selected and recently implemented nFlow as its digital dictation solution, thus providing to the firm key features such as matter and grid sorting plus the ability to offer real time replication, not available from other suppliers, which significantly enhances their disaster recovery facility.

Following a formal tendering process, Tods Murray LLP shortlisted nFlow alongside one of its
competitors, who were then asked to demonstrate both their technical and support capabilities.

With both companies recognised as being market leaders in the digital dictation field, Tods
Murray LLP were keen to assess the two companies ability to not only meet their specific
technical and business requirements but also the company that was most closely aligned to the
firms culture and working practices.

 nFlow came out as a clear leader. Ian Beck, Head of Information Technology, Tods Murray LLP stated “We were very impressed with nFlow as an organisation from the very start. They provided a confidence in that they understood our firm’s culture and requirements and that they would be able to provide the highest level of service from the onset.”

The nFlow system serves 188 users spread over the Edinburgh and Glasgow offices, initially
implemented through a pilot project quickly followed by a full roll out. Key to the firm’s decision
was the simplicity of the nFlow approach coupled with robustness of infrastructure, product
design, functionality and full Citrix capabilities.

The system is the first that replicates all databases and audio files across both offices which
allows the firm to provide a robust disaster recovery facility. nFlow are the only digital dictation
supplier able to demonstrate this functionality and it provides Tods Murray LLP with the ability to
widen the scope of their disaster recovery options whilst providing a more scalable and high
performing system for a large number of users over multiple offices. The system has also
implemented Active Directory integration as well as integration with their Aderant Practice
Management system.

Mintons Solicitors, an 8 user firm in Leeds, yesterday became the 500^th professional services client for digital dication firm Bighand.

In a record financial year they have opened offices in both Chicago and Sydney and replaced analogue tape systems in over 130 firms.

WinScribe has integrated Interwoven WorkSite (matter-centric document management), with the WinScribe digital dictation solution.

The integrated solution will help law firms improve their workflow management, fundamentally enhancing the way they interact, communicate and exchange critical legal information across their extended enterprise.

The integrated solution will allow legal professionals to attach or link to relevant files stored in WorkSite and to accompany a dictation before it is routed to secretaries for transcription. This process should save time for both the author and secretary as the author will no longer need to notify or tell the secretary about other related documents required to transcribe the dictation. When the dictation file is opened, the secretary will receive a notification from WorkSite in WinScribe that there are attachments or links necessary to include in the transcription.

Likewise, once the secretary has finished transcribing the job and the document is saved in WorkSite, the secretary will then be able to simply attach a link with the dictation file to a document stored in WorkSite. This will benefit lawyers when reviewing their documents before they sign off and also eliminates the need for paper drafts going back and forth between lawyers and secretaries. WorkSite also provides the user with a way to incorporate all forms of matter-related material into a single secure and searchable desktop integration.

The free spreadsheet and word processor applications currently offered by Goiogle are soon to be complimeneted by a presentation tool called "Presently" which will offer PowerPoint type functionality.

Also the spreadsheet tool has just had charting functionality added.

Although these tools are fairly basic compared to the Microsoft Office offerings, the fact they they are easily available on-line and directly faciliate collaboration make them interesting. While few would run their business on them at the moment they can be useful for ad-hoc collaboration and as the feature sets grow more users will be attracted to them.

The Blackberry email network in North America has suffered a major outage leaving hundreds of lawyers, bankers and others without their always-on email service. Although normal service has just about been restored questions are being asked as to whether the capacity of the network has been reached.

Further information from The Times, BBC.

Outsourced transcription specialist, Voicepath, has teamed up with digital dictation specialist BigHand, to take advantage of its new ‘advanced transcription module’ which makes sending work outside a firm as simple as sending it to the next desk in the office.

Responding to the increasing numbers of law firms looking to keep support costs down and improve internal efficiency BigHand developed a solution which enables one-click outsourcing of work, as well as progress tracking, using specialist providers such as Voicepath. 

The module allows Voicepath to appear within the BigHand DDS workflow in the same way as an internal secretary, making outsourcing work a clear and simple task.  It also means any digital audio files are subject to BigHand3 security and protection, giving law firms added peace-of-mind when sending dictation externally.

Voicepath was one of BigHand’s first Outsourcing Agency Partners. Beta-testing programmes are now in place in two firms with one of the firms set to switch all users over to the advanced transcription module in the next week.  A further six sites are set to go live shortly.

Voicepath now integrate directly with all 3 major digital dication suppliers (Bighand, nFlow and Winscribe) and are the only outsourced transcription service to do so. They are able to do this as a result of significant investment and innovation in their technology platform in recent years. Coupled with their UK based pool of experienced transcriptionists (mainly ex-legal secretarites), this makes Voicepath an attractive proposition to firms looking to get the most in terms of the efficiences that digital dictation technology offers.

Voicepath offer a free 30 trial to interested firms.

See BBC website for article on Microsoft announcement that Windows XP will no longer be available on new machines after 31st January next year. After this you will be forced to accept Vista on new machines or downgrade and use existing XP licences purchased as part of a corporate licensing package.

ICCM providers of the highly configurable e-Service Desk software have announed two wins in the legal sector, namely nFlow and Lewis Silkin.

e-Service Desk is based on the Metastorm BPM workflow engine which enables users to quickly and easily build powerful workflows through a graphical interface. This will already be familiar to many law firms that use it to streamline file opening, conflict checking and many other back office processes.

The Scottsdale City Attorney’s Office has gone live with the Legal Files case management system. Legal Files is providing a complete, front-end legal department case/matter management system, integrated with the existing document management system, Microsoft Outlook and CompuLaw.

 

The city attorney’s office is using Legal Files to track and manage litigation cases, transactional business contracts and agreements, claims and complaints, as well as assisting with providing legal advice to limit legal risk. Additionally, Legal Files is being used to track time spent on various types of matters, provide reports to help with workload assignments and conflict of interest checking, and automate document assembly/generation.

 

“We’re very pleased to have the Scottsdale City Attorney’s Office as a client,” Legal Files Director of Sales and Marketing Tim Schroeder said. “We enjoyed working with their staff during the implementation and look forward to a lasting partnership.”

 

Last year the city attorney’s office conducted an in-depth review process of case management systems that included a formal request-for-proposal process. Legal Files Software Inc. was selected by a committee of employees from the city attorney and information systems offices and was awarded the contract in the fall of 2006.

nFlow, a leading supplier of digital dictation solutions have announced that Conyers Dill & Pearman, an international offshore law firm specialising in company & commercial law, commercial litigation and private client matters, has selected nFlow as its digital dictation solution to replace its incumbent analogue system.

As the first remote installation of its type nFlow have proved themselves as the innovative and technical digital dictation solution provider.

Conyers Dill & Pearman carried out an extensive research process of all the leading market
digital dictation players, to analyse both the products and services on offer. The decision to select
nFlow was threefold; the technical capabilities of the solution, nFlow’s customer service, technical
expertise and experience and finally its flexible implementation.

“nFlow represented a solid, reliable choice.” stated Ken Siggins, IT Manager, Conyers Dill &
Pearman. “We were impressed by their ability to respond to our requirements and manage the
project remotely inline with the firm’s working practices.”

A major prerequisite for the firm was the ability to select and install a solution without the need for
an extensive pilot process with suppliers sending teams to work onsite in Bermuda. nFlow was
the only supplier willing and able to implement the solution remotely through Citrix, utilising the
extensive expertise and experience of its implementation team. “ As an offshore firm we face
specific challenges when evaluating and implementing technology” Siggins continued,
“Geographical distance from our suppliers can often prove difficult, however the nFlow team were
not phased by this and provided a faultless Proof of Concept and implementation remotely due to
their extensive expertise”

To date the user experience has been extremely positive, with secretaries and lawyers alike
readily adopting the new solution. Rob Lancashire, nFlow Sales & Marketing Director said:
“Imperative to the implementation was nominal disruption to the day-to-day working practices of
the firm and that end users would require minimal training. We are delighted to have been able to
meet these deliverables, particularly for a firm on the other side of the Atlantic!”