Technology potpourri by DANA H. SHULTZ

I recently had the opportunity to help a mid-size firm choose a new accounting system. I was struck by what the product demonstrations said about where office technology is headed. Here are some of the high points.

Remote demonstration

The client had a tight time frame for product selection, so not all the vendors could send personnel for an in-person demonstration. Two vendors chose, instead, to provide remote demonstrations in conjunction with a telephone conference.

Both vendors chose pcAnywhere (Symantec Corporation — www.symantec.com) for remote control. One demonstration succeeded, while the other failed.

The successful demonstration took place over the Internet at T1 speed (1.5 million bits per second). The unsuccessful demonstration was attempted via the dial-up telephone network at 28,800 bits per second.

I was delighted that both my client and the successful vendor had T1 lines, a situation that was not the case even six months ago. T1 Internet access is no longer a luxury or just the province of large firms. Small and mid-size firms that do a lot of work on the Internet (legal research, access to documents from remote locations, etc.) can justify between $1,000 and $2,000 per month for a T1 connection. And no responsible vendor can afford to be in business without a high-speed digital connection.

The dial-up demonstration failed for what turned out to be a subtle, puzzling reason. The firm’s systems administrator had tested the connection from her work area. Performance was slow, but tolerable.

However, when we tried the demonstration from the meeting room, operation was so sluggish as to be useless. Both locations had direct outside lines with no apparent differences. Unfortunately, we did not have the time to figure out whether the problem arose from the firm’s internal wiring, phone company wiring or some other cause. Whatever the reason, one vendor lost the opportunity to show its product in the best possible light.

Multimedia instruction

Taking a unique approach, Foundation Software Laboratories, Inc. (www.fsli-pdpartner.com) has embraced multimedia technology for instruction, user support and product demonstrations. Full-motion video explanations are built into FSLI’s software. New personnel and users needing help can use the videos for assistance.

Of course, the user needs a multimedia-equipped PC, with CD-ROM drive, sound card and speakers, in order to use the videos. Like most of my other clients, this firm’s PCs were not multimedia-ready. However, given the increasing use of audio and video on the Web and elsewhere, many firms are including multimedia capabilities when they order new PCs.

E-mail integration

One of the most powerful features of Windows is Dynamic Data Exchange, a tool that allows various application programs to exchange information with one another. Using DDE, today’s accounting systems can automatically apprise a firm when a critical event has taken or is about to take place.

For example, assume that a firm and its client have worked together to establish a budget for a given matter. The firm can set up a rule by which an e-mail message is automatically sent to the responsible attorney as soon as actual fees and expenses reach 90 percent of the budgeted amount. Once notified, the attorney can monitor the situation closely and alert the client, if necessary.

The bottom line: Law office technology is shedding its backwater status.

Trends that we see first in corporate computing are coming to the legal community more quickly than ever. Firms that ignore these developments do so at their own peril.

Dana H. Shultz is an Oakland-based lawyer, certified management consultant and speaker specializing in office technology and online marketing. He may be reached by e-mail at dhshultz@ds-a.com and on the World Wide Web at http://www.seamless.com/ds/.