Legal services provider Bude Nathan Iwanier LLP has chosen Ascertus to deploy iManage Work across its business. The solution will deliver a single email and document management solution to 31 employees. The goal is to reduce the amount of paper used by Bude Nathan Iwanier leading to significant costs.
Ascertus has a proven track record of deploying iManage Work to legal companies. Although it is a cloud-based solution, Ascertus says there is no risk to data. Jon Wainwright, Sales Director, Ascertus Limited told Enterprise Times: “Security will underpin the solution. The firm is deploying a single tenanted solution, so the data will not co-mingle with any other client data. All data will be encrypted at rest and in transit. The system will be fully virus protected.”
Productivity is also expected to be improved through the use of the search engine built into iManage Work. Staff will be able to search for and find and documents related to their work. The initial deployment will focus on documents held by Bude Nathan Iwanier. What is not clear is whether it will then be extended to deliver a single integrated search option allowing staff to search across client data and external databases such as Westlaw UK and LexisNexis.
Better access for staff and customers
The advantage of cloud-based solutions is access. One of the challenges for lawyers is often the quantity of paperwork that they need when dealing with clients. As a cloud-based solution this will reduce the need for lawyers to remove documents from the premises without compromising access. The firm believes that this will deliver greater productivity from its staff.
According to Wainwright: “The solution will be set up for highly secure access to data, both via PCs and mobile devices. The firm is also deploying a secure client portal, where data will be fully encrypted. The firm will be able to provide additional security to clients via restricted access as per policy and individual customer requirements.”
Making the data more readily available to clients will also improve customer satisfaction. Customers will be able to access their records when they want. In addition, by having online access through the secure portal, documents do not need to be printed out and couriered. This will result in a significant saving over the first year alone.
What does this mean
Legal firms are beginning to embrace the cloud. One of the concerns has been security of documents both in terms of storage and access. Ascertus uses a single tenant solution for all its customers. This reduces any risk of data leakage while providing better access for lawyers and their clients.
There is no mention of the use of smart contracts or blockchain in this announcement. This is both a good thing and, perhaps, a surprise. Not every deal requires blockchain but at several conferences this year, legal firms have spoken about their interest in the technology. Firms are interested in how the technology can reduce the risk of fraud where contract terms are altered without the approval of both parties. Another area of interest is in the ability to speed up contract design through smart contracts.
How long before Ascertus or iManage Work build or acquire a blockchain solution?
