TechnoLawyer: TL NewsWire

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

LEGAL BILLING AND PRACTICE MANAGEMENT ON YOUR IPHONE

Nearly half of all lawyers use an iPhone. This percentage will likely increase because of two words — productivity apps. More exist for the iPhone than for any other smartphone platform. But even on the iPhone, relatively few apps exist for billing and practice management. It's not for lack of demand. Just as teenagers want games and music in their pocket, lawyers want their law firm in their pocket. A new app aims to fulfill this wish.

Rocket Matter iPhone App … in One Sentence
Rocket Matter iPhone App enables you to use Rocket Matter, a cloud billing and practice management system, on the go.

The Killer Feature
Rocket Matter helped pioneer cloud practice management systems a few years ago. From the beginning, Rocket Matter offered a mobile-friendly version for smartphones like the iPhone. But the web has limitations — like requiring an Internet connection.

Rocket Matter iPhone App works offline (e.g., airplanes, courtrooms, prisons, etc.), storing any data you enter locally and then synchronizing it with your Rocket Matter account when you're back online. In offline mode, you can enter billable time, expenses, new contacts, and calendar events. You can also view all client- and matter-related information as of the time you last synced.

"We designed our app to help busy attorneys on the go," Rocket Matter CEO Larry Port told us. "We covered the bases of our core functionality, and created a remarkable product based on the feedback of our Rocket Matter customers. We're excited to make the work lives of attorneys a whole lot easier."

Other Notable Features
As Larry noted, Rocket Matter asked its customers what they wanted most in an iPhone app. As noted above, you can capture time and expenses as they occur, and add other data too. You can also retrieve information such as contacts, calendars, bills, trust account balances, and more. Thanks to synchronization, colleagues with the appropriate user access privileges (such as fellow partners) will immediately gain access to any information you enter.

One of the iPhone's most enduringly cool features is the ability to tap a telephone number to call someone, tap an email address to email someone, tap a Skype address to … you get the idea. Rocket Matter iPhone App supports this functionality, the difference being that you have access to your firm's address book, not just your local address book. Furthermore, you can find contact information by client and matter — especially helpful if you represent companies.

While the iPhone itself provides good security assuming you use a passcode, Rocket Matter iPhone App adds an additional layer of security by requiring a login and logging you out after a period of inactivity.

What Else Should You Know?
Rocket Matter iPhone App is free for all Rocket Matter users. Pricing for Rocket Matter is listed on the web site with both quarterly and annual subscriptions available. Learn more about Rocket Matter iPhone App.

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.

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

A SMARTPHONE NAMED FOR ITS ANNIVERSARY?

It's human nature to quickly take things for granted and adapt. For example, we now take for granted having access to hundreds of thousands of smartphone apps at low prices, and have adapted to typing on a touchscreen. We're also a fickle species, especially with regard to products. Lawyers used to refer to their beloved BlackBerry as a CrackBerry. But most lawyers have kicked the habit and kicked the BlackBerry to the curb — principally because of the smartphone that changed the game five years ago.

iPhone 5 … in One Sentence
Announced today and shipping September 21, Apple's iPhone 5 is a smartphone.

The Killer Feature
Over in the Android world, you may have noticed that smartphones have grown quite large. If you cannot use a smartphone one-handed, is it still a smartphone? If it won't fit in your jeans, is it still a smartphone? Isn't the major selling point of a smartphone portability?

Thankfully, Apple has both jumped on and off this bandwagon with the iPhone 5. It sports a new 4-inch retina display (diagonally) with an 1136 x 640 pixel resolution versus 3.5 inches and 960 x 640 for the iPhone 4 and 4S. However, the larger screen has not taken too much of a toll on the overall size and weight. The new iPhone's width remains the same at 2.31 inches. It's unavoidably taller but not by much — an 8% increase to 4.87 inches. This might be an acceptable trade off as it's 18% thinner (7.6 mm) and 20% lighter (3.95 ounces).

The larger display enables you to add an extra row of apps for five rows in addition to the fixed row at the bottom. While the "retina" pixel density of the display remains unchanged at 326 pixels per inch, Apple claims that new sensor technology results in better colors and sharper text. Finally, the display has a 16:9 aspect ration — the same as your HD television so when watching HD video you will no longer have to choose between letterboxing or chopping off part of the frame.

Other Notable Features
The iPhone 5 features LTE — the next-generation cellular technology that offers broadband Internet speeds (Verizon has the largest LTE network in the United States). Apple has also improved the WiFi technology to accommodate both 2.4 and 5 GHz 802.11n routers.

The iPhone 5 is powered by Apple's new A6 chip with double the CPU and graphics performance of the previous A5 chip. Apple claims that battery life has improved — most notably 8 hours of talk time, 8 hours of LTE web browsing, and 10 hours of WiFi web browsing.

Apple has also improved the cameras. While the rear camera remains at 8 megapixels, it works better in low light, has an improved lens, and takes panoramic photos. It shoots 1080p HD video (you can take still photos while shooting video). The front camera, typically used for video calls, now shoots HD video at 720p (versus 480p VGA for the iPhone 4S) and takes 1.2 megapixel still photos.

Other features include wideband audio technology for improved telephone calls (assuming your carrier supports it), new earphones (called EarPods), improved speakers, and a new dock connector called Lightning that's 80% smaller.

What Else Should You Know?
The iPhone 5 runs iOS 6, Apple's new mobile operating system. iOS 6 will also run on older iPhones back to the iPhone 3GS though some older iPhones won't support all the new features such as turn-by-turn navigation. With a two-year contract, the iPhone 5 costs $199 for 16 GB, $299 for 32 GB, or $399 with 64 GB. Color options consist of black and white. Learn more about iPhone 5.

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.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a free product launching today that provides mobile access to Tabs3 and PracticeMaster (see article below), a desktop-class word processor for iPad and iPhone, a Microsoft Word add-on for printing, a product for discovery document review and production, and a Google Apps add-on for task management. Don't miss the next issue.

MOBILE LEGAL BILLING AND PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SANS CLOUD

Some lawyers find cloud computing confusing because of the various definitions floating around. In its classic sense, it means storing your data on a third-party's computers. Often, you access your data using a web browser application, but that's not the key. You could use a native application. Once lawyers understand that cloud computing refers to where their data resides, their confusion melts away — replaced by concerns about the security implications of storing their data on someone else's computers.

Tabs3 Connect … in One Sentence
Launching today, Software Technology's Tabs3 Connect enables you to access key Tabs3 and PracticeMaster functions and data from any computer, smartphone, or tablet with a modern web browser.

The Killer Feature
Tabs3, a popular legal billing system, and PracticeMaster, a popular practice management system, integrate with each other and run on a PC in your firm. By all accounts, they are mature, stable products with a robust set of features.

Until today, using these programs from outside the office required a third-party solution such as remote control software. With Tabs3 Connect, that's no longer the case.

Instead, you can now use some of the main Tabs3 and PracticeMaster features and access client and other data from your laptop, iPhone, iPad, Android smartphone or tablet — even a Mac. There's no app to install. You just login at www.tabs3connect.com using your preferred web browser.

Tabs3 Connect uses bank-grade security to encrypt your connection. Also, Tabs3 Connect doesn't store any data on your device or on its web server. Instead, all data remains on your firm's server.

"Tabs3 Connect gives attorneys the best of both worlds," President of Software Technology Dan Berlin told us. "At their offices they have mature, full-featured billing and practice management software. And from their phones and tablets they can tap the screen to create a fee, review a client's file, and more."

Other Notable Features
As Dan intimated, Tabs3 Connect is bidirectional. For example, you can enter fees and expenses when they occur so that you won't forget about them. You can create appointments and tasks and link them to matters. When you pull up a client's file or any of your firm's contacts, you can tap an email address to send a message or tap a telephone number to place a call. Thus, you have total access to all of your firm's contacts without having to store them on your smartphone or tablet.

Lawyers who use mobile devices often find the native calendar and other apps too limited. Also, syncing is sometimes flaky. With Tabs3 Connect, you can view your schedule as well as the schedules of your colleagues, access client documents, and view a client's accounts receivable status, including recent payment information and trust balances. When you enter information, your colleagues immediately have access to it. Plus there's no syncing.

Tabs3 Connect also features a secure instant messaging system called eNote that enables you to communicate instantly with others in your office such as your assistant — especially useful when you cannot talk such as in court.

What Else Should You Know?
Tabs3 Connect features a near-zero configuration setup. You just enable it, and then designate users and permissions. Tabs3 Connect is available at no charge to those who use the Platinum version of both Tabs3 and PracticeMaster and are on an annual maintenance plan. Learn more about Tabs3 Connect.

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.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a portable two-in-one scanner (see article below), a legal research service, a cloud document management system, OCR software for Mac and Windows, and a task manager for iPad, iPhone, and Mac. Don't miss the next issue.

A SCANNER THAT GIVES DUPLEX A WHOLE NEW MEANING

The secret to success in the technology world is to solve a problem. Here's one. Mobile scanners can handle documents, but not bound materials. Wand scanners can handle bound materials but not documents. You can "scan" anything by snapping a photo with your smartphone, but positioning your smartphone perfectly wastes time, the lower quality makes optical character recognition more challenging, and you risk looking dorky. A new scanner attempts to solve this problem.

MobileScan Pro 100 … in One Sentence
Shipping in September, Ambir's MobileScan Pro 100 is a portable scanner with document and wand functionality.

The Killer Feature
The MobileScan Pro 100 consist of two components — a dock and a wand scanner with an LCD display. When the scanner is docked, it functions like a typical sheet-fed simplex scanner with speeds of up to 10 pages per minute in black and white (it can also scan in color).

However, you can detach the scanner from the dock, thus transforming it into a wand scanner for bound materials not to mention fabric and other items that you cannot feed.

Other Notable Features
The entire docked unit measures 12.4 x 2 x 1.7 inches and weighs 12.6 ounces. You can power it with the included USB cable or a battery (the battery resides inside the scanner component). The LCD screen enables you to adjust settings without the need for a computer.

The MobileScan Pro 100 scans at 300, 600, or 900 dpi, and saves your documents in JPEG or PDF format via the bundled PageManager 9 software. You can save scans to an attached computer or to the included 4 GB microUSB card that resides inside the scanner. The scanner can encrypt your scans on the microUSB card for security in the event of loss or theft.

What Else Should You Know?
The MobileScan Pro 100 costs $149.95. It works with Windows PCs and Macs. Learn more about MobileScan Pro 100.

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.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a litigation research service (see article below), an iPhone app on which you can store The Bluebook, an app for controlling an Android smartphone from your computer, and an online service for local television broadcasts. Don't miss the next issue.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, ESPECIALLY IN LITIGATION

While it's important to understand the parties, facts, and legal issues in the lawsuits you handle, it's also important to understand the judge, expert witnesses, and opposing counsel. Always know your enemy as they say — and even your friends (co-counsel and your own prospective experts). A consumer search engine like Google may suffice for a blind date, but not for more serious "opposition research" in litigation.

LexisNexis Litigation Profile Suite … in One Sentence
LexisNexis Litigation Profile Suite is an online service that enables you to obtain information about and analyze judges, expert witnesses, and opposing counsel.

The Killer Feature
Litigation Profile Suite draws from a large data set, including more than 100,000 full-text court transcripts, more than 40,000 curricula vitae and resumes, more than 320,000 expert witnesses, and the world's largest collection of jury instructions, settlements, and verdicts. It also draws from Lexis.com, including court opinions, secondary legal materials, and news articles.

From all this data, Litigation Profile Suite enables you to search for a judge, expert, or lawyer, and create a dynamic online report. Unlike a static report, a Litigation Profile Suite report resides in your web browser. Thus, you can drill down to view documents of interest, enabling you to assess a person's experience, past performance, biases, relationships, and more. Also, the reports feature charts and graphs to facilitate your analysis. This insight into key players can minimize surprises and inform your case strategy.

Other Notable Features
The Judge Profile enables you see how much experience a judge has with a particular area of law, evaluate their ruling style and other tendencies, and review their court opinions and other written works, work history, and personal interests. This information can help you decide which motions to pursue and how to best present your case.

The Expert Witness Profile can find prior contradictory statements, challenges to testimony, inconsistent or fudged credentials, and other materials that relate to an expert's credibility.

The Attorney Profile provides details on their areas of expertise. You can see if they've handled similar cases and the verdicts associated with those cases (sanctions too).

What Else Should You Know?
It costs nothing to search Litigation Profile Suite to find people of interest. LexisNexis' Unique ID system helps you pinpoint the right people, which is especially helpful if you need to hire an expert as opposed to searching for a specific person whose identity you already know. You pay only when you generate a report and access its related documents. You can try Litigation Profile Suite, including unlimited access to the reports you generate, for free for seven days. Learn more about LexisNexis Litigation Profile Suite.

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.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers legal billing software (see article below), an ergonomic keyboard, proofreading software for Microsoft Word, and a calculator and an outliner for the iPad. Don't miss the next issue.

BILL YOUR CLIENTS WITH CLARITY

Have you ever gone to a pretentious restaurant in which the menu lacks descriptions for words that many of us who didn't attend culinary school don't know? You end up spending 10 minutes searching on your smartphone. And even then you may not figure out whether "scotch bonnett" refers to the chili pepper or the snail (the former as I once learned — the latter is consumed by crabs, not people). Law firm clients often feel just as lost when reviewing their bills. Providing more clarity on your bills can improve your cash flow and client retention.

Sage Timeslips 2013 … in One Sentence
Released last month, Sage Timeslips 2013 is legal billing software.

The Killer Feature
The new version of Timeslips has a number of technologies designed to create bills with greater clarity. For example, you can list billed time using decimals or hours and minutes, and automatically exclude out-of-date charges from appearing on bills if your have clients with defined billing cycles.

Regarding expenses, you can embed scanned images of receipts on your bills (e.g., airfare, hotel, meals, copying, etc.). You can also create standard rates for common expenses (e.g., 15 cents per copy) so that your clients can see your rate on their bills and not just the amount billed.

Other Notable Features
Most events on a lawyer's calendar are billable. And many lawyers also use their calendars for reminders about tasks (e.g., filing deadlines). Timeslips now features an integrated calendar and task manager, enabling you to create time entries directly from events and tasks. The accompanying Triggers technology can remind you about items on your calendar that you haven't billed.

You can share designated calendar items with colleagues so that they're aware of your schedule and whereabouts. The calendar and task manager offer customizable color codes (e.g., color by client) and alerts. Four calendar views exist — List, Day, Week, and Month.

Sage has also added a number of business intelligence features. That's a new buzzword which essentially means using data to gain a deeper insight into your business. For example, the new Average Days to Pay report enables you to forecast your future cash flow by seeing how long it takes your clients to pay.

Other new features include the ability to delete multiple time entries simultaneously, and add notes to prebills. The Timeslips eCenter service enables you to enter time and expenses from any desktop or mobile web browser.

What Else Should You Know?
Pricing starts at $499.99 ($399.99 if you're upgrading) with volume discounts available. Learn more about Sage Timeslips 2013.

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.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers speech recognition software for lawyers (see article below), a proofreading add-on for Microsoft Word, a mobile scanner, an iPhone task manager, and a cloud collaboration system. Don't miss the next issue.

DRAFT LEGAL DOCUMENTS AT THE SPEED OF SOUND

A twenty-something generation y lawyer I know once expressed surprise that some lawyers prefer writing by voice rather than by keyboard. However, when I was a twenty-something summer associate I witnessed firsthand baby boomer lawyers who could write faster by voice than my generation X peers could touch type. With many baby boomers far from retirement, many gen xers suffering from wrist pain, and speech recognition technology improving more rapidly than keyboards and being integrated into smartphones, the interest level in writing by voice has skyrocketed — even among generation y lawyers.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 Legal … in One Sentence
Announced July 26, Nuance's Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 Legal is the new version of the most popular speech recognition software.

The Killer Feature
Nuance offers several versions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking at different price points. The Legal and other versions all share a new feature — up to a 20% accuracy improvement over the previous version out of the box. Overall, Nuance claims that version 12 can achieve 99% accuracy. As always, it becomes more accurate the more you use it, and as you correct it when it misunderstands you.

Dragon 12 Legal gets you up to speed faster because it recognizes legal terms without training. Also, you can import and share throughout your firm words and phrases that you use for certain clients or in your area of practice. The Legal version also automatically formats legal citations.

Other Notable Features
Also new — Smart Format Rules. Dragon 12 Legal can learn how you format specific words and phrases. For example, if you have a client named Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and you always italicize it, Dragon 12 Legal can spell and format it correctly every time you speak it into a document.

As longtime users know, Dragon NaturallySpeaking enables you to "control," not just dictate. In version 12, you can control Gmail in Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. Also, Dragon 12 Legal can read text back to you with controls for speed, volume, rewind, and fast forward — as well as pause so that you can make edits on the fly.

Regarding input devices, Nuance has expanded support for wideband 16 KHz Bluetooth wireless headset microphones. Also, you can use the Dragon Remote Microphone app on your iPhone or Android smartphone over a WiFi network.

Other new features include an interactive tutorial, an improved Performance Assistant, faster corrections with more options presented, and new voice commands.

What Else Should You Know?
Dragon 12 Legal costs $799 with volume discounts available. Other options include the Professional Edition at $599, Premium Edition at $199, and Home Edition at $99. All of these new editions run on Windows. Learn more about Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 Legal.

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.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers remote access solution that uses two-factor authentication (see article below), a timer-based task manager for iPad and iPhone, an online reference for lawyers, a presentation app for iPad, and software for time and expense entry. Don't miss the next issue.

A MORE SECURE WAY TO REMOTELY CONTROL YOUR OFFICE PC

Secure remote access to your office computer and network has always involved a number of drawbacks. For example, some solutions require you to install software on both computers (e.g., your home computer). Other solutions involve going through a third party's servers. Neither of these solutions is ideal, especially when using a public WiFi connection or a computer you don't control. Given their ethical obligations, lawyers would benefit from a more secure solution.

Route1 MobiKEY … in One Sentence
Route1 MobiKEY is a hardware-based remote control service.

The Killer Feature
A MobiKEY looks like a USB drive except it's not. After installing Route1's TruOFFICE software on your Windows PC at the office, MobiKEY enables you to control your computer from any other Internet-connected Windows PC by plugging it into that computer's USB port. Because it's a physical device, it provides two-factor authentication — similar to how you need both your ATM card and your password to access your bank account (something you have and something you know).

MobiKEY establishes a direct, encrypted connection without having to install any software on the computer you're using. MobiKEY even encrypts your keystrokes so if the owner of the computer you're using logs keystrokes they won't capture anything. As the company likes to say, MobiKEY "leaves no data footprint" on the computer from which you control your office computer.

MobiKEY's higher level of security than other remote control solutions explains why the company got its start serving the federal government, including the military. With MobiKEY, Route1 is bringing its patented technology to law firms at a lower price point.

"MobiKEY provides lawyers with an identical computing experience as when they're in the office," Route1 CEO Tony Busseri told us. "All your files stay within the confines of your law firm, simplifying security policy enforcement and eliminating unauthorized access and unnecessary risk. Route1's philosophy on data security is simple — protect the fortress."

Other Notable Features
While both remote access and remote control have certainly benefitted law firms, they have likewise increased the risk of disclosure of privileged work product. Some obvious examples — theft of your laptop, loss of your USB drive, cracking the password of your remote control service. And keystroke loggers and other malware.

A MobiKEY is unlikely to tempt a thief to the same degree as a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. But stuff happens. Fortunately, losing your MobiKEY or having it stolen is no big deal. Because MobiKEY doesn't contain any files, anyone who tries to use it will find it useless.

What Else Should You Know?
A MobiKEY costs $175. The accompanying TruOFFICE service costs $300 for one year, $570 for two years, or $765 for three years. Learn more about Route1 MobiKEY.

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.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a secure cloud platform for virtual desktops and servers (see article below), a new computer input device that can replace your keyboard and mouse, an app for remotely controlling your Mac or PC from your iPad, and an iPad document management app. Don't miss the next issue.

VIRTUAL DESKTOPS OFFER A HAPPY MEDIUM

In the ongoing debate between adherents of cloud applications and those of native software, both sides seem to agree on the trade-offs. Cloud applications are available from anywhere and don't involve any startup costs, but they tend to have more limited feature sets because of the limitations of web development tools. On the flip-side, native software has more robust features but usually involves an investment in servers and maintenance. As it turns out, a happy medium exists.

AppsAnyplace Platform … in One Sentence
Breakthrough Technology Group's AppsAnyplace Platform is a platform for cloud services, virtualization, and hosted applications (e.g., virtual desktops).

The Killer Feature
With AppsAnyplace, your law firm can run whatever desktop and server software it wants without having to buy or manage servers and related equipment and support. Instead, BTG hosts your suite of applications in its secure data centers (the above photo shows a few AppsAnyplace server racks) and provides 24x7x365 support.

For example, let's say 10 people work at your law firm. For starters, you decide to equip each of them with Exchange-based email, Microsoft Office, and a time entry application.

BTG will create 10 virtual desktops for your firm with Microsoft Office and the time entry software. In addition, it will host an Exchange server for your email and set up each user's email account in their virtual copy of Outlook.

Your 10 employees each receive their own login credentials, including two-factor authentication for added security if you choose. When they login, it will seem like all the software is on their computer, and when they access data, it will seem as if it's coming from a server in your firm.

But because BTG is hosting these desktops, your team can log into their desktop from any computer — and even from an iPad and smartphone. The only software required on a user's device is a thin client (BTG provides its own thin client for Windows PCs so you need not purchase Citrix or other such products).

Other Notable Features
What about data integrity, security, and support? The AppsAnyplace platform resides in multiple "SAS70 Tier-4 data centers." SAS70 is a certification bestowed on data centers that meet certain security requirements. The use of multiple data centers provides redundancy as well as multiple backups of your data in different physical locations.

AppsAnyplace supports just about any configuration you can dream up both in terms of desktop applications and server software. For example, it supports Microsoft SharePoint. You can even use it to host your firm's web site and build your own web applications.

"Ideal for law firms of all sizes, AppsAnyplace can scale up to ten thousand clustered servers or scale down to a single-server configuration," Jeff Kaplan of BTG told us. "AppsAnyplace delivers a scalable architecture with simplified deployment management."

What Else Should You Know?
Pricing depends on various factors such as what you want to host and the number of virtual desktops. BTG will put together a proposal for you based on your requirements. Kaplan informed us that AppsAnyplace almost always costs significantly less than purchasing your own servers. Learn more about AppsAnyplace.

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.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers an online storage service and related hardware and software (see article below), a Microsoft Wordd add-on that suggests edits, an online video production exchange, two-factor authentication software, and document comparison software. Don't miss the next issue.

A PAPERLESS ECOSYSTEM

Apple has demonstrated that hardware, software, and services work well together when one company creates them all. The media has co-opted the biological term "ecosystem" to describe this business model. Plenty of other opportunities exist for ecosystems. For example, the paperless law office. Imagine one company that provides scanners, software, cloud storage, and even outsourced scanning.

NeatCloud … in One Sentence
Launched this week, The Neat Company's NeatCloud is an online document storage and syncing service that integrates with Neat's scanners, software, and other services.

The Killer Feature
Neat makes two scanners — NeatDesk and NeatReceipts — as well as accompanying NeatDesk software (Mac and PC) for organizing your scanned files. These scanners now integrate with NeatCloud. However, the company made two other announcements that together with the scanners and NeatCloud comprise a paperless ecosystem.

Meet NeatMobile and NeatScan. NeatMobile is a free Android and iPhone app that enables you to scan documents to your NeatCloud account using your smartphone's camera. NeatScan is a bulk scanning service. The company scans your documents into searchable PDF files, and uploads them to your NeatCloud account.

Other Notable Features
In addition to scanning documents to NeatCloud, you can also upload them or email them. NeatCloud syncs your files across all of your registered devices. You can also access your files using any web browser. Up to five people in your office can access your NeatCloud account. You can also share designated files and folders with clients and others.

The desktop and mobile applications resemble an email program with an inbox and folders. The OCR software can place information from business cards and receipts into defined fields. The company offers a human-powered service called NeatVerify for business cards and receipts you scan from your smartphone to ensure accuracy.

What Else Should You Know?
NeatCloud costs $5.99 per month for 1 user, $14.99 per month for 2 users, or $24.99 per month for 5 users. NeatScan costs $19.99 for an envelope of documents (about 50 pages) or $89.99 for a box of documents (about 500 pages). NeatVerify costs $4.99 for 30 verifications per month or $6.99 for 60 verifications per month. Learn more about NeatCloud.

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.