Increased Flexibility
Law firms are looking for ways to automate, consolidate, virtualize, and in some cases eliminate costly, time consuming business processes, such as client billings and other non-billable administrative functions in order to reduce operational costs. Cisco Streamlined Workplace includes accelerated content networking switches (ACNS) and services that optimize the performance of networked applications. This results in a streamlined workplace based on streamline client management, document/contract management, as well as new business generation.

Client Management
This includes applications and solutions that deliver time-critical information to the partners, attorneys, paralegals and administrative staff on client billings, expenses, legal team, case history — regardless of whether they are working at the office, on the road, in the field or at home — in order to respond to client inquiries in real time, and to improve case management by more accurately tracking client information in real time.

Document/Knowledge Management
This includes real-time access to important internal files (correspondence, discovery and pleading files), document summaries and other document depositories/repositories. It also includes real time access to external information such as subscription-based online Nexis and Lexis databases, as well as public databases for accessing court calendars, or alerts on news, trends or new decisions coming down from the courts. These important resources boost productivity and enable the entire staff to better respond to clients on the spot.

June 2004