Originally published on November 29, 2010 in our free SmallLaw newsletter.
Over the last ten years or so, the drive toward integration/synchronization has increased. Remember when Alt-Tab showed your open programs and you could switch from one to another? Today, we want one-click integration — send your time entry to the accounting program, save that PDF to your document management system, use information from your practice management program to generate documents, send an email message from any program, etc. With security concerns largely resolved, the future of Web-based (SaaS) practice management systems will depend not only on their maturing feature sets but also integration.The Two Flavors of Integration
Whether server-based or cloud-based, "integration" comes in two flavors: synchronization of two applications or realtime direct access via an API/SDK. Synchronization — the transfer of information from one program to another, or bi-directionally in more advanced solutions — is easier to write, but realtime links are more powerful and usually more stable. Most of the mature desktop practice management and time billing programs now sync reasonably well with each other, and with Word and Outlook. Worldox, the leading document management program for small and midsize firms, will link with just about anything that generates a document. Realtime links remain a minority, but everyone seems to be developing them.
There is a lot of pressure on vendors to develop additional modules so that realtime integration takes place within a single code base and hence is presumably faster and more reliable. Examples include Tabs3 and PracticeMaster, Time Matters' now abandoned experiment with Billing Matters, PCLaw's basic front office module, and Gavel & Gown's ongoing development of a billing program that will become part of a single code base with Amicus Attorney. The problem with these efforts is that while the core programs are very good, the "add-on" modules are lacking.
On a Windows platform, integration is "relatively" straightforward, since the underlying platform is the same for all programs. However, it leaves out Mac users. And when you get to the cloud, the problem is compounded as the application must integrate with a local server or another cloud-based application. Despite the supposed openness of the Web, many Web applications are essentially closed because they lack APIs or SDKs.
Platform Fragmentation and Microsoft Outlook
The synchronization most in demand is between Outlook and various smartphones. When Palm was dominant, many software companies wrote direct links to their devices. However, as platforms multiplied (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone, etc.), it simply became too expensive for companies to maintain links to all the available platforms, with the result that today most software links to Outlook and then from Outlook (or Exchange) to the smartphone. Some links are realtime — email and calendar items get pushed to the smartphone as they arrive.
Outlook has becomes the "glue" that holds integration together. Those who do not use Outlook are frequently left out in the cold, although syncronization with Google Apps Gmail (the enterprise version) is on the rise. And there is a little program called GmailDefaultMaker that will let you set Gmail as your default mail client.
What Links Do You Need?
So where do the various SaaS practice management programs stand in terms of their ability to link to other programs? They are developing links so rapidly it's difficult to keep track.
The big four SaaS offerings — AdvologixPM, Clio, HoudiniESQ, and Rocket Matter — started out as relatively self-contained and limited: Contacts, Matters, and Calendar. Integration with other programs, especially email and documents, was at best limited. The exception here is AdvologixPM which was built on Salesforce.com's Force.com platform so it already had some links available through the Force.com AppsExchange.
When looking at a SaaS product, how do you want to expand its capabilities to other programs and functionality? The following examples are not intended to be exhaustive by any means. For a more extensive review of the capacities of various programs, see Seth Rowland's TechnoFeature reviews of AdvologixPM, Clio, HoudiniESQ, and Rocket Matter (all available in the TechnoLawyer Archive).
1. Smartphones
Lawyers love smartphones so a dedicated app is a plus. Yes, you can always just log into the product via a Web browser, but Web sites don't often translate well to the small screen plus they're slower than dedicated apps. None of the big four currently offers dedicated apps, but AdvologixPM, Clio, and Rocket Matter offer mobile versions of their Web sites.
2. Document Management
Investigate links to a document store. How do you get your Word documents or Outlook email into your practice management system? Do you have to resign yourself to using a totally separate area? At present, document management is lacking, although AdvologixPM and Clio both offer synchronization with Google Docs (Clio places a "Clio" button into the Google Apps toolbar). If you are not ready to move to Google, HoudiniESQ offers plugins for Word, Excel, and Outlook that enable you to send documents to the cloud. AdvologixPM offers integration with NetDocuments, which is arguably the most robust option available, but it means an additional monthly charge for NetDocuments (a SaaS document management application).
3. Outlook
The big four provide a bi-directional synchronization of contacts and events between Outlook and the program. What about email? AdvologixPM installs a mini-app directly into Outlook that gives robust access to the main program. HoudiniESQ also automates integrating Outlook emails into the program. Clio's Outlook integration is limited and clumsy.
4. Client Access
Can you grant specific clients partial access to some of their matters? Both AdvologixPM and Clio offer this extranet functionality.
5. Offline Access
What happens when you are totally disconnected from the Internet (say, on an airplane)? Does the application have a desktop module with which you can work "offline" and synchronize when you again have contact? Clio has a desktop module with which you can enter time remotely.
Conclusion
If you are considering switching to a SaaS practice management program, pay particular attention to integration. Will you be forced to abandon Word for Google Apps? Will you be able to link the SaaS application to other specialty software you use?
The good news is that features offered by one application are often matched by the others. Also, since these programs were written using Web technologies, they can be updated and expanded much more rapidly than traditional desktop programs. Finally, these companies are "hungry" — that is, they tend to be much more responsive to customer needs than vendors with a large installed base. If a given program does not have a feature you want, discuss it with them. Generally speaking, you can still easily reach the founders and lead developers. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Written by John Heckman of Heckman Consulting.
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