New White Paper: Law Firm Management in the Cloud

In the last few years, there has been a plethora of articles and studies discussing the pros and cons of cloud-based computing. There have also been several different attempts to define cloud-based computing and at times, this results in confusion in the marketplace. Is this a rehash of the Application Service Providers (ASPs) we saw in the late 90s or is the new “Software as a Service (SaaS)” model completely different? And just what is “the cloud?”

In its most basic terms, “cloud-based computing” is a technology platform for software applications that are hosted on a computer system somewhere other than your office and is accessible anytime and from anywhere via the Internet using a standard web browser. Instead of making an initial hefty computer investment, like a traditional client-server system, cloud-based computing is typically charged on a per user per month subscription fee.  Read the complete article by Downloading from website.

2011 ALA Annual Conference: Possibilities Turned into Reality

More than 1,200 attendees and 200 exhibiting companies were part of this year's Annual Conference in Orlando.  Rippe & Kingston wants to thank everyone that stopped and visited our booth.  If you didn't get a chance, click here to request information.  Take a look and see if you can find yourself in the grand finale.

LMS runs in Google Chrome Beta 10 and Dev 11

Image via WikipediaOn the 19th of this month, Google took a step up their version ladder by releasing Chrome 11 Beta and a Chrome 11 Dev builds. If you’ve already been using one of the builds, it should have already updated to the latest version all thanks to the automated update system.

I am pleased to tell you that I have tested LMS and now it runs even faster with Chrome!

Did you watch Watson on Jeopardy?

As an IBM business partner we were quite pleased to see this amazing technology demonstrated on Jeopardy.
We received this notice from IBM:


Dear member of PartnerWorld,

On February 14, 15 and 16, IBM's Watson computing system makes it debut as the first-ever non-human contestant to compete on the Jeopardy! quiz show. The format of Jeopardy! provides the ultimate challenge for a computing system because it covers an unlimited range of subject matter and clues that involve analyzing subtle meaning, irony, riddles, and other complexities in which humans excel and computers traditionally do not. But this is more than just a game. Watson's ability to process this kind of data represents a major leap forward in natural language processing, systems design and deep analytics -- innovations with the potential to transform industries. This is a great representation of the innovation IBM and our Business Partners can offer our customers.

Compliance and e-Discovery Challenges.

Organizations of all types and sizes face increasing compliance and e-discovery challenges. A proactive strategy for managing these risks includes email archiving and search tools that allow organizations to respond quickly and effectively when the need arises. By accelerating the response to discovery requests, organizations can significantly reduce the risk and potential costs associated with them.

What is e-Discovery?
Effective December 1, 2006, a number of substantive revisions were made to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP). Some of the most significant changes appear in Rule 26, which governs the production of evidence in most federal court cases, and in particular as the rule applies to electronic stored information (ESI). ESI covers any and all information that can be stored electronically - including email, instant messaging threads, Skype chats, social media transcripts and other forms of electronic communication. In a nutshell, the changes to the FRCP require organizations to manage their data in such a way that this data can be produced in a timely and complete manner when necessary during legal discovery proceedings.

The Risks of Non-Compliance
Unlike some more specific compliance regulations, e-Discovery rules affect every type of company in every industry. If you can be sued in a federal court, then the rules apply. Failure to comply can mean fines, sanctions, executive liability, and other far-reaching effects on business and the bottom line.

Google Message Discovery
Google Message Discovery, part of Google’s Postini suite of security and archiving services, allows you to create a secure and searchable email archive. Google Apps for Business customers can purchase Google Message Discovery archiving and search tools as an add-on product for Google Apps or use it independently with other systems.

Rippe & Kingston is an Authorized Reseller for Google Apps as well as a leading provider of software for Law Firms.  Learn more about Postini and LMS (Legal Management System).

Task-based Budgeting and Billing for Law Firms

This approach is rapidly becoming an industry requirement, as many large corporations or insurance carriers are demanding increased accountability from outside counsel firms.  Insurance companies have set standards for repetitive types of legal cases, i.e. automobile accidents, slip and fall, etc.  How much time should be allowed for discovery, reading a letter, or completing a deposition?   Task-based time recording requires the timekeeper to enter time by task / activity code so that the various elements of the case can be measured by category and compared against national standards.  Task-based time recording has now become an important requirement for many law firms.   Task-based budgeting and billing also allows the firm to offer its clients improved reporting on work performed.  Budgets can be established with the clients at the initiation of a new case, and invoices can detail or summarize the time and fees allocated to each of the various categories on a matter.    Learn more