The leader in legal technology news Issue 159 Europe - the next legal IT frontier Some UK legal IT suppliers are talking about breaking into the United States. Others are taking a crack at the Asia-Pacific market but if last week’s Lex Connect Europe event in Amsterdam was anything to go by, Continental Europe is the most promising marketplace of all. This view is echoed by Derk Kropholler, the vice president of sales at Solution 6 Europe, who predicts that the greatest growth in legal IT sales over the next couple of years will be in Continental Europe. Three factors are currently driving the European market. The first is the pending expansion of the EU, with law firms from the new accession states wanting to gear up so they can compete on an international basis. The second factor is a European-wide drift Buying trends - inertia away from local legacy systems vendors, to the big international rules OK ! suppliers - such as Elite and Solution 6 - who are perceived as the only ones who can provide the latest technologies. The Insider has completed its latest informal The third factor is the growing number of mid-sized European survey of legal IT buying trends. This commercial practices who believe they can carve a niche because confirms that the UK market is enjoying one the large UK and US-based multinational firms, who dominate of its busiest periods since the late 1990s but the top end of the market, do not really understand the region or there were some anomalous findings... the legal culture and are failing to provide the services European For example, our research found that businesses want. Or as one German senior partner put it “they although a significant number of firms are like slow-witted dinosaurs, whereas we are much nimbler.” expressed dissatisfaction with their current 4 They also do things differently in Europe. We are all familiar IT suppliers - particularly with new projects with the usual freebies given away at exhibitions but at Lex where either systems were not matching Connect, the German digital dictation supplier DictaNet really expectations or implementations were upped the ante by giving away mobile phones. And not just any taking longer than envisaged - there was no phone - these were top of the range smartphones, complete with inclination for anyone to cut their losses and Windows Mobile 2003, a video camera and loaded with the replace these unsatisfactory systems. mobile phone version of DictaNet’s digital dictation system. According to one IT manager “partners DictaNet’s sales director Florian Schwiecker said it might would rather throw good money after bad seem extravagant but when balanced against what other than admit to making mistakes,” while suppliers spend on magazine advertising and exhibition stands, another added that “suggesting a change of it was actually a far more constructive use of a marketing budget strategy half way through a project is not a as it did leave the prospective customer with something they career enhancing move”. would always remember and could always use. The second surprise was how little research High Street and smaller commercial firms carry out when selecting systems, with Banking - not our strong point ! many drawing up shortlists solely on the basis of what other firms in their area use. We have reported in the past that credit control is not a skill at Axxia, AIM, Videss and TFB were the most which law firms excel. Far too many allow bills to remain unpaid frequently named suppliers that firms had for too long. And even when they do get their hands on some heard of and would consider shortlisting. money, we hear of unbanked cheques sitting on partners’ desks, along with the rest of their post, until they return from holiday. THE INSIDER WEB SITE But the ultimate horror story doing the rounds at Lex Connect www.legaltechnology.com Europe concerned a firm that recently received a payment into its bank of several million uros. A partner instructed the bank For the latest legal IT news, jobs, events and to convert this into £Sterling and then, 24 hours later, changed information, visit the Insider web site, described his mind and asked for the funds to be switched back into uros. by The Times newspaper as “the definitive online Thanks to bank charges and fluctuations in the currency markets, resource for legal technology news”. this little exercise in indecision cost the firm a mere £75,000. 11 March 2004 No frills, just news Legal Technology Insider www.legaltechnology.com NEWS IN BRIEF Capital allowances? 4 MEMERY CRYSTAL REVAMP DR To coincide with a move to new offices this Don’t panic ! month, Memery Crystal is revamping its disaster recovery provisions with the With Budget Day taking place next Wednesday (17 March), the implementation of a remote backup facility question of what will happen to those 100% capital allowances based on the Teksys (01923 247707) Totalflex for IT projects is once more on the agenda. Last year the prospect service. The firm’s IT manager Elizabeth of the allowances being abolished on 31 March 2003 undoubtedly Grist said the Teksys service, which is aimed contributed to a mini boom in IT sales, with firms rushing to get primarily at mid-to-smaller sized firms, was their orders in before the deadline. And then the Chancellor of not only the most cost effective solution but the Exchequer spoiled everyone’s fun by extending the also the most flexible as it allows Memery concession for another 12 months! Crystal to make ad-hoc backups. Leaving aside the obvious qualification that tax concessions should never be the main consideration when buying IT, even if 4 HUMMINGBIRD eCOPY ALLIANCE the 100% allowance does come to an end this month, there is still Following a similar deal some months ago the traditional diminishing balance relief available for HP and with iManage, now Interwoven, document cash purchases. integration specialist eCopy has announced However because this spreads tax relief over a period of a connector utility for the Hummingbird DM years (40% in year one, 25% in subsequent years) Chris Weera of document management system. Using the finance specialists Syscap PFL (01606 338000) suggests partners new eCopy connector, Hummingbird users do then need to carefully consider broader financial management will now be able to scan paper documents issues, including any pending retirements, when deciding directly into their document management whether to opt for hire purchase or a lease rental scheme. For systems. The connector will be available example, on a £40,000 purchase although both schemes will from Q2 this year. www.ecopy.com/europe deliver exactly the same total tax saving over three years, with HP there is 40% relief in year one (about £17,000) but a 4 ICON GEARING UP FOR LAUNCH considerably smaller amount (only £1000) in subsequent years, ICON, the ‘intelligent conveyancing’ system whereas with leasing there is a £6300 saving each and every year. offshoot of Cheltenham based solicitors BPE, is gearing up for a formal launch later this spring. ICON say initial reactions to the beta BLP uses Civica for software version of the system has been so positive licensing efficiency that they are now recruiting for a sales manager and an additional sales executive. Berwin Leighton Paisner has awarded Civica the contract to For details contact Clive McCafferty on 0845 manage its software licensing activities. The contract’s scope 230 4266 or email clive.mccafferty includes not only legal compliance but also ensuring the firm @intelligent-conveyancing.com selects the most beneficial agreement option with Microsoft, taking into account BLP’s current 980+ user licences and its 4 SILKINS TO AUTOMATE UPDATES future expansion and upgrade plans. Lewis Silkin has chosen Datashare Solutions BLP’s systems support manager Julie Jakings said that with (020 8337 2700) to design and deploy a new plans to upgrade to Windows Server 2003 and Office 2003, as system to improve the management of its PC well as needing to renew its existing Microsoft enterprise environment, including desktops, software, agreement, the firm wanted to “future proof” their licensing inventory, patch management and security investment, knowing they would be rebuilding servers and updates. The Datashare solution is based on desktops in the near future. For example, with Berwin Leighton its Altiris client management and recovery Paisner, Civica were able to identify two variations of Microsoft’s suites, run in conjunction with Microsoft’s enterprise agreement and three versions of its ‘buy as you go’ SUS software update service, and will be select agreement to choose between. rolled out across 250 workstations and Civica, which has had a specialist team working on corporate servers. The firm’s head of IT Jan Durant software licensing projects for a number of years, won the BLP said Altiris would automate labour intensive contract in competition with two other software resellers, processes, such as updating pattern files and including the firm’s incumbent supplier. Civica (01709 786786) patches, and create what is effectively a ‘self can also help firms source non-Microsoft software products. healing’ remedy for applications that had 4 Last week Civica was floated on the AIM alternative been corrupted or accidentally deleted. investment market with an initial valuation of £79.2 million. 2 11 March 2004 No frills, just news www.legaltechnology.com Emis finding growing NEWS IN BRIEF 4 NEW IT GOES IN TO BACK MERGER interest in hosted services Cobbetts in Manchester has completed the first phase of what will eventually be a £400k Hosted and ASP (application service provider) services were upgrade to its IT infrastructure, to support one of the benefits of the dotcom boom we were meant to enjoy its pending merger with Birmingham law about three years ago.