New podcast available

If you're a law firm wanting to know what Unified Communications (UC) can do for you, then take a listen to the latest podcast from InTechnology.


http://www.intechnology.co.uk/MainPage.aspx?ID=357

It runs through the main benefits of the UC platform from a legal user perspective and explores InTechnology's own fully managed offering - currently unique in the UK as it is the only solution that fully integrates IP telephony with Microsoft OCS.

Locked in the App Store

Oh god, I can't seem to find my way out of the App Store. Ever since I got my mits on the lovely iPad, I seem to be stumbling over app after app that I just have to try. Plus with an iTunes account, it doesn't seem to hurt so much....well, not until you add up all the receipts that come through. And since when have I had an interest in historical maps? Or the Periodic Table for that matter?

Window on the world

As someone who crashed out her first press release on one of Lord Sugar's finest green screen word processors and then carefully distributed it to the media via that quaint old thing called the post, I find the whole digital revolution remarkable. And as someone who has gone freelance and based herself out in the sticks, I am also hugely grateful for it as it means that so much of what I need to do my job is accessible via my laptop. Not everything, I grant you, but lots - and certainly enough to ensure that most of my working day is productive rather than wasted in cars or on trains.

Amongst my clients, InTechnology are probably the most progressive and productive when it comes to exploiting the digital revolution for marcomms and promotional purposes. They've knocked out podcasts and videos and on Wednesday 17th at 9.45 they'll be doing another in their live webinar series, this one around the business case for cloud-based communications. [More details here - http://www.intechnology.co.uk/MainPage.aspx?ID=383]. So whereas in the old days I'd have had to make plans to tootle off to a seminar venue and probably strike out most of my day, now I can just open up my browser and tune in for an hour from the comfort of my sofa. And no-one will mind me sitting there drinking coffee in my jim-jams while I do it...

The White stuff

I had a bit of a shock this morning. I fired off an email to Rupert White at the Gazette about a forthcoming supplement and got a rather stark automated reply that said effectively that Rupert had left the building. He'd not mentioned anything so I was just about to send out the search parties when those good folks at the Legal Support Network announced the transfer of the season - Mr White was joining them shortly as their new Head of Content and Community. Well, I don't think Fergie could have done better - Rupert's a very nice guy and talented and knowledgeable with it, successfully pulling the Gazette out of the digital dark ages into the bright shiny lights of the 21st social media century. In David and Sarah & co, he's got colleagues who prove that good guys can win, and I'm sure he'll bring his own inimitable Rupert style to proceedings. And more than anything, I think it shows just how far LSN has come and how far it intends to go - a white good move in my book.

Actions speak louder

Actions do indeed speak louder than words which is why I'm going to keep my accompanying spiel to a minimum. I've just finished a case study for lit support and edisclosure specialist Legal Inc and in an industry that seems to be perpetually inundated with swathes and swathes of new application, gizmo and vendor PR we thought we'd ring the changes and report on some real-life coalface achievement.

Demonstrating the technology works is one thing but equally important is the role of process and people and understanding how the three have to be adroitly brought together in order to meet tough processing and review challenges. You can read how Legal Inc did it in 'Legal Inc and Clearwell: Cutting complex projects down to size'.

The staff of life

One of the things that has really impressed me about e-know.net since I started working with them a couple of years ago has been a very evident valuing of their most important asset, their staff. It's refreshing to see a company taking an inclusive, consultative approach to employee relations, and spending time and money on acknowledging and rewarding individual and collective performance. It's not just about formal schemes such as the Employee of the Month award or informal team-bonding and social get-togethers - it's about asking staff their opinions and encouraging suggestions and contributions on everything from business development to which charitable initiatives to support. Making them feel an important part of the organisation beyond their immediate job function - not rocket science exactly but a rarer occurrence than you might think, so I take my hat off to them. Most recently, they asked everyone to put forward names for their new office cum data centre. I joined in and, in a nod to the data centre's amazing eco credentials, I offered up 'The Greenhouse'. I wasn't in the least bit offended that they eventually went with Datapoint House...well, I only sulked for a couple of days. I suspect they were worried that they might have people turning up in search of hardy annuals only to find a flowering managed service provider in residence instead.