FileCenter Professional 8: Read Our Exclusive Report

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a document and records management system (see article below), an iPhone keyboard case, a cloud file server, and a text automation app for the iPad and iPhone. Don't miss the next issue.

GO PAPERLESS FASTER THAN EVER

Document management is so important for every law firm that it has spawned more cliches than a politician. For example, law firms "drowning in paper" desperately want to go "paperless." Many of the solutions designed to help law firms get from one cliche to the other cost an "arm and a leg" and require you to be a "rocket scientist."

FileCenter Professional 8 … in One Sentence

Launched this month, Lucion Technologies' FileCenter Professional 8 is a document management system with PDF and scanning tools that doesn't require a consultant to set up.

The Killer Feature

Many document management systems support scanning as an afterthought if at all. By contrast, FileCenter Professional captures all your documents, including those that arrive on paper. Accordingly, it offers multiple scanning technologies, each of which is aimed at a particular need of law firms.

For example "In-Place Scanning" enables you to scan directly into a designated client/matter "drawer" in image-only or searchable PDF format (FileCenter Professional uses a file cabinet metaphor). "Scanning Profiles" automate scanning jobs by applying presets such as resolution, optical character recognition, document format, and where to file scanned documents. It can even name your scanned documents automatically.

Scanning Profiles works in conjunction with "Document Separators" to automate large scanning jobs. Using this technology, when you scan a stack of documents, FileCenter Professional automatically splits them apart and files them for you, naming each document appropriately.

"Our new scanning features stem from spending many hours talking to lawyers who use previous versions of FileCenter Professional, and studying their scanning workflows," Lucion CEO Jeff Pickard told us. "As lawyers ourselves, we understand that law firms have unique requirements so we crafted FileCenter Professional 8 to be the most elegant and efficient tool available to meet these needs."

Other Notable Features

Also new in FileCenter Professional, you can edit and clean up your scans. The new image editing tools work on any PDF or TIFF scan, including those you scanned prior to using FileCenter Professional. The new Inbox provides a flexible workspace into which you can import documents from virtually any source — digital cameras, network scanners, portable scanners, etc.

FileCenter Professional requires minimal configuration because it overlays your current file and folder structure while enhancing functionality beyond that which Windows provides. For example, the software has long provided filename templates and reusable folder layouts. In the new version, you can also set up "Custom Lists" of common terms to draw from when you name a file. Thus, you can build filenames for new documents faster.

In addition to organizing your scans, FileCenter Professional also organizes the documents you and your colleagues create in Microsoft Word and other programs as well as client-related email. And it can eliminate the need for standalone PDF software thanks to advanced PDF tools such as combining PDF documents, annotating and editing them, digital signatures, form filling, and more. Other features include the ability to view documents in virtually any file format, and search the full text of your documents using advanced tools such as Boolean queries.

What Else Should You Know?

FileCenter Professional costs $199.95 with volume discounts available. FileCenter, which lacks some of the features in the Professional version, costs $49.95. Learn more about FileCenter Pro 8.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

The Count for Prints: Read Our Exclusive Report

Thursday, May 09, 2013

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers business intelligence and cost recovery software for your printers (see article below), an application for defensibly capturing evidence on the web, a task manager for teams, and an iPhone communications app. Don't miss the next issue.

TAKE CONTROL OF PRINTING COSTS

Many lawyers misunderstand cost recovery technology. They think it's only for law firms that charge separately for telephone calls, faxes, and copies. However, this data has many other uses, including determining hourly or fixed fees, identifying your costliest clients, matters, and employees, tracking the time spent on telephone calls for accurate billing entries, and more. This is called business intelligence. Until now, one activity has flown under the radar despite its growing cost — printing documents.

The Count for Prints … in One Sentence

Launching today, Lex Systems' The Count for Prints tracks the usage of all the printers in your law firm.

The Killer Feature

The Count for Prints works with both network and standalone printers. It doesn't just track the number of printouts by client/matter and user. You can also create rules and restrict access to optimize printer usage and reduce costs. For example, you can route jobs to designated printers depending on their nature — number of pages, draft or final version, type of paper, client/matter, user, etc.

If you charge for prints or use the data to bake the costs into your hourly or flat fees, The Count for Prints includes a pricing table for assigning a value to each print job according to your firm's policies. Pricing can vary depending on the attributes enumerated above. The Count for Prints can keep your lawyers and staff apprised of their printer usage so that they print more judiciously.

"In the early days of PCs, users would just print their work product," Lex Systems President Owen Rice told us. "Nowadays, lawyers also print documents they used to duplicate using a copier thanks to the popularity of scanners and the paperless office movement. Accordingly, printer usage has increased. By controlling access to each printer, routing large jobs to high-capacity printers, and accounting for all print jobs, The Count for Prints reduces paper usage and toner costs, making printing more cost effective."

Other Notable Features

In addition to The Count for Prints, Lex Systems also offers The Count for Copies, The Count for Faxes, and The Count for Calls. All modules consist of software that runs on off-the-shelf PCs. There's no proprietary hardware to license or purchase. Lex Systems guides you through the installation process and provides training.

To track an activity, you can enter client/matter and other required information from your computer or from a PC or tablet connected to a device such as a copier or printer — whichever makes more sense. You can use a mix of both input options.

The Count integrates with all major accounting systems, eliminating the need to export and import data. All captured data remains within your law firm on a central server. Lex Systems claims that anyone can learn how to use its administrative tools (you need not be an IT professional). However, the company provides unlimited support and training at no additional cost if you need help.

What Else Should You Know?

Lex Systems charges an annual fee for The Count that depends on which modules you use. Learn more about The Count for Prints.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Foxit PhantomPDF Business 6: Read Our Exclusive Report

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers PDF software with functions many law firms require (see article below), a cloud dictation workflow system with support for digital recorders and smartphone apps, an encryption utility for Dropbox and other cloud storage services, and a web application for streamlining the recruiting process. Don't miss the next issue.

PROFESSIONAL PDF SOFTWARE AT A BASIC PRICE

Disruptive products usually begin modestly. In the software world, they often cost nothing. Then — bam — they eventually provide robust features while keeping their price low (albeit no longer free). This scenario plays out repeatedly in the hyper competitive world of PDF software thanks to Adobe's decision to make PDF an open standard.

Foxit PhantomPDF Business 6 … in One Sentence

Launched last month, Foxit PhantomPDF Business 6 is PDF software.

The Killer Feature

Foxit originally launched a free PDF viewer, which still exists and is also now at version 6 (Foxit Reader). However, the new version of Foxit PhantomPDF Business offers many "professional" features law firms need.

Chief among these is the ability to create PDF documents, including with one click directly from Microsoft Office. You can also use Foxit PhantomPDF Business for scanning paper documents into searchable PDF documents thanks to the built-in OCR technology. The software also offers batch processing and drag-and-drop PDF creation. It supports all PDF variations, including PDF/A, which some courts require.

Other Notable Features

Foxit PhantomPDF Business also provides editing tools that go beyond minor touch-ups. You can edit entire paragraphs with your document layout reflowing automatically. You can also insert and edit images, change headers and footers, and even adjust the margins and other page layout properties.

You'll also find commenting and drawing tools, including the ability to track who made which annotations when multiple people review a document. Foxit PhantomPDF Business integrates with Evernote and SharePoint, but perhaps more importantly it enables you to email a document directly from the application.

Other features include organizational tools for moving and removing pages, changing page numbering, etc. Bates stamping, watermarks, document comparison, full-text searching, form creation and filling, digital signatures, and document security settings (including password protection).

What Else Should You Know?

Foxit PhantomPDF Business runs on Windows XP and later (including Windows 8), and integrates with Microsoft Office 2003 and later. It costs $129 with volume discounts available. If you don't need some of the professional features, the Standard version costs $89. Learn more about Foxit PhantomPDF Business 6.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Pertino: Read Our Exclusive Report

Monday, April 22, 2013

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a cloud file server and remote desktop service (see article below), a stand for the iPad and iPad mini, an iPad keyboard case, and an email management app for the iPhone. Don't miss the next issue.

A FILE SERVER SANS THE SERVER

Once fearful about cloud services, law firms have since embraced them. And right on cue, bar associations have started providing cover much like with email back in the day. However, most cloud services seem built for individuals rather than for teams. Therefore, using them is like taking a step back for law firms that once used a file server.

Pertino … in One Sentence

Launched this year, Pertino is a cloud file server and remote desktop service.

The Killer Feature

File servers essentially provide access to your documents from anywhere, the downside being that you need to buy a computer, set it up, and maintain it — or more likely, hire a consultant for these tasks.

Pertino provides the same benefits without the expense of hardware and the hassles of configuring it. For example, it doesn't use an IP address for your login. You don't need to create a VPN. Etc. Instead, you create a volume and then invite people to whom you want to give access. Each person creates a login and password using Pertino's software.

You can create as many "networks" (volumes) as you want and remove people anytime. For example, you can create a temporary network for exchanging exhibits during a deposition and a permanent network for your everyday work. Pertino uses bank-grade encryption.

Other Notable Features

Pertino works like a file server. Everyone with access sees the same folders and files. Users can create new documents, edit existing documents, and delete documents (you can limit how users can use a network using the administration tools). Pertino currently offers a Windows client with a Mac client en route soon. The company will offer apps for the iPad and smartphones later this year.

Pertino facilitates other network services as well. For example, you can use it for remote desktop access. Thus, employees working from home can use Microsoft Word or any other application on their work computer via Pertino. This eliminates the need to buy additional software licenses.

What Else Should You Know?

Pertino offers two plans. The Personal Plan is free. It limits access to three users and three devices per user. The Professional Plan costs $10 per month per user with a cap of 250 users and three devices per user. Learn more about Pertino.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

ExhibitView iPad 4.0: Read Our Exclusive Report

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Originally published in our free TL NewsWire newsletter. Instead of reading TL NewsWire here, sign up now to receive future issues via email.

BECOME THE STEVE JOBS OF TRIAL PRESENTATIONS

It's a time-honored tradition to hand witnesses a document in court (and in depositions) so that you can ask them questions about it. But a trial is as much about optics as the facts and law. Imagine handing a witness your iPad displaying a document that the jury could also see on a large display. You'd look like the Steve Jobs of the legal profession. This coolness factor is now within the reach of any litigator.

ExhibitView iPad 4.0 … in One Sentence

Launched last month, ExhibitView iPad 4.0 is an iPad presentation app.

The Killer Feature

Tech-savvy litigators who use trial presentation software still hand witnesses paper documents for two reasons. First, if you're using traditional software it's awkward to hand a witness your laptop. Second, even if you're using an iPad, you can't risk the witness pressing the home button, displaying a different document, etc. You can display a document on a screen and have the witness testify about it, but this technique doesn't enable a witness to mark it up and lacks the psychological impact of tactile handling of the document.

ExhibitView iPad 4.0 features a new Deposition/Witness mode. It enables you to hand your iPad to a friendly or hostile witness without having to worry about them viewing anything but the displayed document, photograph, illustration, etc. The app also features a whiteboard on which you or the witness can draw and create demonstrative evidence on the fly — again, locked down.

You tap a button to enter Deposition/Witness mode, after which the screen rotates and locks the orientation, and provides a set of markup tools along the top that the witness can use for annotations. You can save any annotations to the case file and submit it as evidence without altering the original document.

"ExhibitView iPad's new groundbreaking Deposition/Witness Mode stems from our roots in trial consulting," Co-Founder William Roach told us. "Our trial presentation applications for iPad, Windows, and Mac give litigators more choices, flexibility, and power for for their presentation needs."

Other Notable Features

Also new is Max Viewing Size, which keeps your documents at the maximum size while projecting them (i.e., documents consume the entire screen). This makes it easier for the witness, jury, and others to see what you're displaying. According to the company, competing apps don't use the entire screen of the iPad from edge to edge.

Other features include support for retina iPads, improved callout and freehand drawing tools, the ability to zoom in with a tap, and more printing options.

You can use ExhibitView iPad on its own, but it also integrates with the company's two other applications — ExhibitView for PC and DepositionPro. With the former, you can create presentations on your PC and then move them to your iPad via iTunes (many litigators find it easier to present from an iPad, especially if the case is too small to warrant a trial consultant). With the latter, you can review and annotate deposition transcripts (including video), and then export clips you want to present into ExhibitView iPad.

What Else Should You Know?

ExhibitView iPad costs $49.99. You can obtain a discount via Apple's Volume Purchase Program. Learn more about ExhibitView iPad 4.0.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.