Techno Update – Microlaw Inc

ARCHIVES: Renee's Techno.Update

Welcome to the archives of Renee's Techno.Update - a periodic newsletter from Renee Kodner, MicroLaw's VP of Operations. The column brings you plain-English, no-nonsense homespun techno.updates, we like to think of it as the "Prairie Tech Companion." Here are the previous editions:

September 25, 2004
August 24, 2004
August 6, 2004
June 1, 2004

September 25, 2004

Hi Everyone:

It has been a long time since we discussed web designers so I thought a plug was in order. Everyone just has to check out www.consultwebs.com. If your firm is in the market to setup a site or revamp and revitalize an old one, Dale Tincher is the guy to call. Consultwebs does a bang up job - pure and simple AND they are just plain great to work with. Go ahead and check out examples of their craft. Dale and his gang specialize in search engine optimization. His clients appear high on the google hit list during searches! That's a good thing.

So, in the that same vein, I'd like to announce that eMicroLaw (part of microlaw.com) is coming in October - this is CLE and training offered online. All you need is an Internet connection; a speakerphone or telephone and about an hour of time. You see exactly what you would see in a live CLE presentation or MicroLaw Legal Tech Training session and have full interaction - live - with the professional presenter. You can either set up a projector and speakerphone in a conference room or attendees can call in directly from their desks and use their own PCs. More info coming soon!

Don't forget. If you are planning to upgrade your current version of Time Matters to version 6, the sale price evaporates on September 30th. Give me or Jim a call if you have any questions.

Until next time, take care.

Renee
MicroLaw Inc.

August 24, 2004

My son had his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday. What a trip. Here's the point. We printed his invitations on MicroLaw's color printer and they look great. The moral of the story: if you don't have a color printer in your office, get one! They aren't extravagant any longer. There are reasonably priced (and unreasonably priced) models from Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark and Canon. Give Craig or Ross a call about color printing and the plethora of options available to you.

Next, welcome Jim Brzezinski to MicroLaw. Jim is our new marketing specialist (and my right hand guy). Jim will help out with our marketing efforts and with client communications/support. You will hear his happy voice whenever you call us and see his smiling face at conventions. Jim is stuffed into an office with me during "the construction". What a good sport.

I just returned from BillingMatters certification training. BillingMatters is a very customizable billing product that stands alone or works in conjunction with TimeMatters from Lexis-Nexis. Tabs and BillingMatters have different focuses and a much different feel. If you are thinking of switching or implementing a billing system, please let me know. I can help you determine which one best suits the way your firm practices and bills.

Popular internet sites like Lexis, Westlaw and Amazon.com are having printing issues with Microsoft's XP SR2 patch. If you have loaded the patch and are experiencing printing issues from these are other sites, you may need to make the site "trusted" in internet explorer or the pop-up blocker the service release installs. Please let me know if I can assist with any problems.

Sincerely,

Renee
MicroLaw Inc.

August 6, 2004

Summer has set in and MicroLaw's home is under-construction. We're doing a complete remodel of our new building which should be done in early Fall. Despite the dust and the heat, technology marches on! I had the pleasure of one-on-one PracticeMaster case management certification training with the folks at Software Technology in Lincoln, Nebraska last month.

From time to time, MicroLaw reviews your case management options and PracticeMaster continues to make huge strides forward with every revision. Of course, its integration with Tabs is and always has been a real plus. But is has become more flexible, powerful and attractive. Version 12 will be even prettier and more powerful!

Your case management choices are many. Let us show you what's out there and help you decide on the best approach for your firm. We work now with TimeMatters, Amicus Attorney and PracticeMaster, and can independently advise you on the best options and direction.

Welcome Paul Driftmier as a new MicroLaw Legal Systems Consultant! Paul came to us from Whyte, Hirschboeck. He has a nice radio voice, a huge presence and a dedication to customer service. Have a question? Don't hesitate to ask. He'll make sure you get an answer. Currently Paul is specializing in peripherals and software, i.e. printing, scanning and anti-spam, but he is cutting his teeth on case management and records management too. He will make a welcomed addition to the Ross/Sherry/Dora/Renee consulting team.

A couple of interesting notes:

Do you have a USB "flash memory key"? If not, let me know and I'll send you information. Floppy drives are pretty much dead and have been replaced by these little devices. They have memory onboard and plug into USB ports. To your PC, they look like another hard drive. No batteries required - most less than 2 ounces. Ross has a collection of them, and I just got one and love it. They start at about $20. Everyone needs one.

We've really been hard at work putting all sorts of useful and current information on www.microlaw.com. Ross has been working hard using FrontPage (a first for him) and has created a new Techno.Tidbits section you should visit. Also, check out our new Legal Tech CLE area, MicroLaw Mondays CLE materials and Ross' new Wisconsin Law Journal column called "Ross Ipsa Loquitur" - lots of good stuff that should help you.

We're taking the lead in coordinating a Wisconsin/Illinois Time Matters Users Group. The goal will be to promote sharing of information, tips, and techniques among firms using the Time Matters and Billing Matters case management and billing software. There are several similar successful efforts around the country and we thought it was about time we had one here. This will be independently run once it gets going - we're just jump-starting the process. Watch for more information in the MBA Messenger and Wisconsin Law Journal and also at www.microlaw.com for announcements about dates/times for the inaugural organizational meeting. Let me know by e-mail if you're interested in participating, attending, joining, etc.

Sincerely,

Renee

MicroLaw Inc.

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June 1, 2004

Greetings Everyone,

I need an editor. The statement regarding Amicus X in my last update: "Amicus X is totally web-based. No internet. No access", is not correct. That's what happens when I try to be brief. Amicus X does not need any kind of Internet connection to run. Rather, it is a browser-based product so it runs inside Internet Explorer on your network. You then have the ability to extend access outside your network and the browser interface makes this easy. Call or e-mail and we will explain this issue and expand on the program's other exciting features. In re-reading the release, I note I used some improper contractions as well. Yes . . . I need and editor and . . . . . Ross will make sure I get one.

If you have a Dell or HP fileserver coming up on its third birthday, and you are not considering its replacement, you may want to consider a warranty extension. Servers are expensive to fix so an extension some times makes good sense. If you have questions regarding this, please contact Craig. He is our warranty expert.

Surge protection, battery backup - on to my yearly crusade. The Midwest has been hit with a lot of storms lately and our clients have lost a system or two to bad electricity and lightening. Please make sure your surge protectors are adequate and that you test the batteries on your UPSes. Make it part of your spring cleaning regimen and let me know if I can help.

Sincerely,

Renee

MicroLaw Inc.

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email: rmkodner@microlaw.com
web: http://www.microlaw.com