ILTA tech survey, Technolawyer affirm Workshare's focus on world class software & service

Workshare, a leading provider of document collaboration software, is the overwhelming top choice for its software solutions at law firms with more than fifty attorneys, according to the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) 2011 Technology Survey. The survey results attest to Workshare's 2011 focus on dependable software and world class support services.

The annual survey represented input from over 100,000 attorneys and more than a quarter million users. According to the report, for firms with 50 to 149 attorneys, Workshare's solution is the number one choice for 53% of respondents, for firms with 150-349 attorneys Workshare is selected by 70%, and for firms with 350-699 attorneys, the software is used by 75%. For firms with more than 700 attorneys, 85% reported selecting Workshare as their solution.

In another testament to the legal community's strong acceptance of Workshare products, the new TechnoLawyer list of the top 15 products of the year places Workshare PDF Professional and Workshare Point in the second and fifth places on the list, respectively - the only company to have two products in the top five. In the summary of Workshare PDF Professional, author Neil Squillante called Workshare the "Adobe Systems of the legal industry. Speaking of which, Workshare PDF Professional takes aim at Adobe's Acrobat with a low price of $79." For Workshare Point, number 5 on the Top 15 list, Squillante writes that until they covered the new solution "which transforms SharePoint into a legal-specific document management system," TechnoLawyer did not realize the degree of interest in the Microsoft product.

Among Workshare customers, 332 law firms chose Workshare solutions in 2011, and more than 18K organizations use Workshare solutions worldwide. One of the most significant milestones has been the return of former customers to Workshare since the version 7 release. Workshare Professional 7, Workshare Compare 7, and Workshare Protect 7 incorporated hundreds of customer suggestions to increase performance while making it easier to deploy across the organization.

"Over the last twelve months Workshare's focus on end-user education with the launch of Workshare University, new web-based training videos, deployment scripts, and annual user group meetings, have all contributed to customer success." said Scott Smull, CEO of Workshare. "Product features are important; but the ILTA survey results and Technolawyer mention reflect the excellent support we provide to our customers."

About Workshare
Workshare provides document collaboration software to enable business professionals to accurately create, collaborate and control high-value content more efficiently. More than 1.8 million professionals rely on Workshare solutions to increase productivity and safeguard their confidential information, ultimately securing their intellectual property, customer relationships and the organization's reputation. Workshare's comparison and collaboration solutions provide risk management and security to over 18,000 organizations worldwide and easily integrate with line-of-business applications. Stay informed by following Workshare on twitter, www.twitter.com/workshare, or visit www.workshare.com for more information.

By Guest Blogger: Workshare

Workshare to give away iPad 2 at Legal Tech New York booth 124

Workshare To Give Away iPad 2 at Legal Tech New York

Legal Tech New York attendees should be sure to stop by the Workshare booth (#124) to see the latest product innovations for document comparison, metadata removal, PDF and SharePoint. Workshare Point version 1.2, will be on display. See how the solution supports Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010. The latest release also enhances access to Microsoft's FAST search functionality which is easily accessible in Outlook and the Workshare Point user interface. Attendees who stop by the Workshare booth may enter their name into a drawing for an iPad 2.

Workshare Online Update by Chia Ling

I am the product manager for our forthcoming cloud solution and was pleased to see the recent blog by PeninsuLawyer about the comparison functionality we’ve been working on.  They raise an interesting question about our plans to make the platform available on iPhones and tablets.

Here at Workshare we’re very conscious that the world of tablet devices has moved on considerably in the past twelve months. It’s amazing to think your neighbour, grandmother, five year old child and, of course, you have all probably had their hands on an iPad.

After using an iPad myself for the past couple of years there are three conclusions I have made about using it in a business environment.

One is that the iPad, or more generally tablet devices, are here to stay. We have seen an entire ecosystem of business software and peripherals built around these tablets and there are no signs of the momentum slowing down. This means better and more ways we can all try to be productive with these devices no matter that my screen shows more game apps.

Secondly, it is nearly impossible to be a touch typist with an iPad. What this really says is that trying to edit a document or write a document with a glass surface for a keyboard is not the most productive way to work and may never be. Yes it is possible, and some of you might even be able to hammer out 100 words per minute. Others have perhaps experimented with foldable keyboard but for the majority either way is an exercise in frustration. One way of looking at this is that software vendors have to accept users as having only two fingers rather than ten when designing the interface into their applications. Short cuts, gestures and voice shouldn’t be used just to complement a keyboard, but where appropriate replace them.

Lastly, our apparent addiction to tablets may mean shortcomings of the various input methods are simply accepted.  Typing with a full keyboard may take five minutes compared with 15 minutes using the iPad (damn the autocorrect!) but I can do it walking the dog, on the treadmill or maybe some of you have even typed it skydiving.  Try doing that with a laptop!

I am pleased to read that the PeninsuLawyer thinks Workshare Online on an iPad would be useful. This is the start of Workshare’s cloud solutions and we will continue to address how users want to compare and review their documents on their chosen devices.

By Guest Blogger: Workshare

Workshare debuts new SharePoint solution case study featuring law firm Abramson Smith Waldsmith

Streamline Legal Document Management with SharePoint 2010, Office 365 and Workshare Point

With more than 100 years of combined experience, the trial lawyers at Abramson Smith Waldsmith, LLP, have earned the firm's reputation as one of California's leading personal injury practices. The firm's attorneys handle the full range of serious personal injury cases - including those involving defective products, dangerous drugs, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death and litigation - against powerful companies and insurance companies.

Partners hold leadership positions in key peer-reviewed organizations, including the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL), the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), and the International Society of Barristers. Abramson Smith Waldsmith is listed in Best Lawyers in America and in San Francisco Magazine's Super Lawyers issue.

As leaders in the field of electronic case presentation, the firm is heavily invested in Microsoft Office-based technology, which enables its attorneys to efficiently display facts and evidence, highlight discrepancies in testimony, and clarify complex issues for juries. However, it has always been a challenge for the attorneys to access, share and store documents efficiently and securely.

The Need for Cloud-Based Document Collaboration to Enhance Productivity
Because the firm's attorneys constantly need access to Microsoft documents and worksheets, they wanted to store them in the cloud using Office 365 for easy, universal access. Given the highly sensitive nature of these legal documents, popular online storage solutions such as Dropbox were not secure enough to meet the firm's needs.

Another constraint was that the firm operates without full-time in-house IT staff. Consequently, the attorneys needed a hosted solution that would outsource their server maintenance and keep the cost of ownership low.

Finally, as busy trial lawyers with a thriving practice, the firm's attorneys needed a solution that was compatible with their Microsoft environment and didn't require them to learn new tools. They had to stay productive using Microsoft Office both during and after the new technology rollout.

Workshare Point: Enhancing the SharePoint Experience
With Workshare Point, the attorneys at Abramson Smith Waldsmith found the Microsoft-compatible solution their firm required. Workshare Point provides a seamless integration between Microsoft Outlook and SharePoint that looks like the familiar Microsoft interface. It transforms SharePoint into a central document management system where users can access document libraries with just one click, and easily organize documents by client or matter.

"The productivity of our users will increase because they can now access SharePoint without leaving Microsoft Outlook," said Charlie Young, outsourced director of IT at Abramson Smith Waldsmith. "Workshare Point significantly improves the user experience by allowing users to share information contained in email and attachments without having to store it locally."

SharePoint and Outlook Integration Improves Email Management
Because Workshare Point integrates Microsoft SharePoint and Outlook, the firm's users can now access SharePoint document libraries directly from Outlook. This enables them to:

• Drag and drop emails and attachments into SharePoint
• Preview email messages that are stored in SharePoint from within Microsoft Outlook.
• File emails on Send with one click
• Select multiple emails to file or delete
• Track and manage incoming email more efficiently with suggestive filing

Workshare Point also provides a familiar user interface that allows easier SharePoint browsing when users open or save Microsoft documents. Control folder views provide either a tree view or navigation capability. Users can even use FAST search technology within the browser.

"Our attorneys work under constant time pressure," noted Bill Smith, senior partner at Abramson Smith Waldsmith. "Although Microsoft SharePoint and Outlook are powerful solutions, users sometimes have trouble quickly locating the documents and emails they need. Workshare Point solves this problem for us by reducing the time our lawyers spend searching for and accessing information and allowing them to use their time more efficiently. Because our work takes us all over the U.S., Canada and Europe, this technology makes it easy to take our office with us. In the long run, our investment in Workshare Point will save the firm both time and money."

Increased Document Security and Reduced Risk
By grouping all related documents and emails together, Workshare Point increases the firm's control over documents, whether those documents are shared internally or distributed externally. It gives the attorneys the option to enforce filing and deletion of emails, further increasing document security, and eliminates reliance on traditional file shares.

Support for Document Comparison and Version Control
Workshare Point supports integration with Workshare Professional, an application that provides integrated document comparison and version control. Workshare Professional also provides the capability to manage metadata inside of Outlook and Office applications for seamless document security. This allows Abramson Smith Waldsmith to automate the removal or get real time alerts when email attachments contain left over track changes, improper redaction of sensitive information and hidden comments. It also allows them to convert email documents to pdf format for additional security. Using Workshare Professional, the attorneys at Abramson Smith Waldsmith can collaborate effectively on even the most complex legal documents, and ensure that only the final approved version is distributed outside the firm.

By Guest Blogger: Workshare

Integreon Unveils Adaptive Coding With eView 4.0 Review Platform

Automated Coding Technology Supported by Workflow and Analytics Consulting Services Improves Efficiency, Quality Assurance and Defensibility for Document Review

NEW YORK – January 30, 2012 – Integreon, the largest global provider of integrated legal, research and business solutions, today announced the launch of version 4.0 of its eView™ hosted document review platform, newly enhanced with Adaptive Coding technology to automate the categorization, prioritization and batch coding of documents during the e-discovery review process. Integreon’s approach combines machine learning techniques with workflow design and analysis consultation to facilitate cost-effective, high-quality reviews for legal departments and law firms.

“We’ve been building and hosting review systems for more than twelve years, including seven years running managed review services from our own document review centers,” said Phil Shellhaas, Director, Discovery Solutions at Integreon. “We’re leveraging this experience to now offer Adaptive Coding with the consultative expertise of our seasoned review practitioners. In this way, we’re helping our clients to ensure the effective use of this innovative technology within a reliable, best practices framework.”

Integreon’s Adaptive Coding integrates concept-based categorization technology from Content Analyst within the company’s proprietary eView review platform, a hosted application and litigation review database. The technology utilizes latent semantic indexing to automatically identify patterns in the relationships between terms and concepts in order to efficiently conduct reviews for responsiveness and privilege.

“Automated coding is a breakthrough technology for reining in the cost of electronic discovery,” said Christine Taylor, Analyst at The Taneja Group. “While the technology itself is certainly impressive, protocols and standards will be needed to govern its usage. The pairing of this technology with process engineering expertise should be an attractive option for organizations concerned about the quality and defensibility of their discovery processes.”

Integreon’s consultants are available to assist with the design of proven and efficient workflows and processes that align with the specific needs of each client or case. eView can be used independently or can be combined with Integreon’s Managed Review services, which are delivered by one of the largest and most knowledgeable global review teams in the industry. Integreon’s review team includes an experienced staff of document reviewers comprised of hundreds of lawyers from across Integreon’s global delivery centers, including facilities in the U.S., U.K., India and Philippines.

“The launch of eView 4.0 with Adaptive Coding demonstrates our continuing commitment to deliver the best, most innovative discovery services and technologies, including the widest selection of best-of-breed technologies from a single provider,” said Al McNee, Global Head, Legal Discovery Services at Integreon. “The breadth of our technology lineup facilitates knowledgeable consulting to better serve our law firm and corporate clients in selecting the right solutions to meet their needs.”

Integreon at LegalTech New York 2012
Integreon will be featuring eView at its booth (#2503) during the LegalTech New York 2012 conference at the Hilton New York, January 30 – February 1, 2012. Please visit the Integreon booth or contact eview@integreon.com to arrange a product demonstration.

About Integreon
Integreon is the largest and highest-impact provider of integrated legal, research and business support solutions to corporations and law firms. It is a trusted partner to 9 of the top 10 global law firms, the top 10 investment banks, and 17 of the top 50 global brands, enabling these organizations to improve profitability and freeing their leaders to focus on business growth. With 2,000 associates operating from 17 offices across North America, Europe, Asia and Africa, Integreon works collaboratively with its clients to address their specific support needs, including legal process outsourcing and e-discovery/disclosure, market and competitive intelligence, due diligence and other business services. For more information about Integreon’s full range of solutions, please visit www.integreon.com.

By Guest Blogger: Integreon

CNET gives Workshare Professional 7 a 5-star rating

Workshare Professional 7 Earns CNET's 5-Star 'Spectacular' Rating

Workshare, a leading provider of document collaboration software, has earned a 5-star 'Spectacular' rating for its Workshare Professional 7 software solution in a November review on CNET.com. The strongly positive review is another indication of the company's continued emphasis on outstanding product quality.

Workshare Professional 7 is an enterprise-class solution which makes it easier to manage and compare documents and enhances the document collaboration process between colleagues and organizations. It works with Microsoft Office so users can easily review and compare changes to contracts, documentation and other business documents when sharing between email, web portals and document repositories as well as to identify and manage hidden information (metadata).

CNET wrote the software has 'many productivity-enhancing extras' and 'as enterprise-class software, it proved surprisingly easy to configure and use. Even the most technophobic end users should be able to handle it.' The 5-star review highlighted the easy installation with its clearly labeled icons, the extensive but easy-to-read list of all the various options which are categorized by headings, and described how the software easily compared and tracked changes in documents with substantial changes.

"Mintz Levin has been a user of Workshare for many years and can truly confirm their latest version of Workshare Professional 7 is by far a significant improvement over previous versions," said Jason M. León, IT Manager for Mintz Levin. "The administration of their product is much easier now and performance enhancements are a noticeable improvement. Its new features and enhancements are sure to satisfy our most critical customers. The individualized, one-on-one customer support we have received over the past year has been solid."

"Workshare Professional 7 provides our users with very efficient and sophisticated collaboration and document management functionality. We are very pleased the excellent CNET review acknowledges the ease of use and broad range of features we have included in this product," said Scott Smull, CEO of Workshare.

About Workshare
Workshare provides document collaboration software to enable business professionals to accurately create, collaborate and control high-value content more efficiently. More than 1.8 million professionals rely on Workshare solutions to increase productivity and safeguard their confidential information, ultimately securing their intellectual property, customer relationships and the organization's reputation. Workshare's comparison and collaboration solutions provide risk management and security to over 18,000 organizations worldwide and easily integrate with line-of-business applications. Stay informed by following Workshare on twitter, www.twitter.com/workshare, or visit www.workshare.com for more information.

By Guest Blogger: Workshare

Gibbons law firm saves with Workshare PDF Professional

Gibbons P.C. Finds Cost Savings By Replacing Adobe Acrobat with Workshare PDF Professional

Workshare, a leading provider of document collaboration software, announced that Gibbons P.C. is deploying Workshare PDF Professional to replace Adobe Acrobat across the organization. Workshare's PDF software makes it easy to create PDF files and interactive PDF forms, convert files to and from the PDF format and combine various documents, spreadsheets and presentations into one PDF file.

The firm, with offices in Newark, Manhattan, Trenton, Philadelphia and Wilmington, now has a cost-effective solution to create, convert and edit PDFs, including adding rich content and streamlining team collaboration. Workshare PDF Professional integrates with Autonomy Worksite and SharePoint 2010 allowing users to easily open, combine files into a PDF portfolio and save PDF files directly in the document repository.

The solution allows legal professionals to easily create ebriefs and PDF/A documents, prepare documents for court and electronic filings. It also includes the ability to redact PDF content so that it is no longer discernible and includes tools that allow users to search and redact multiple words, patterns and arbitrary masks such as zip codes or social security numbers.

"With PDFs being the most commonly used of all our documents at our firm, finding a dependable solution that can meet the feature requirements of our users is key," said Michael D. Aginsky, Chief Technology Officer, Gibbons P.C.. "We are very happy to now use Workshare PDF Professional which provides us with all the functionality we liked in Adobe Acrobat, but at a more affordable price."

"Workshare PDF Professional makes it extremely easy to create and manage PDFs, and with the integration into Autonomy and Microsoft SharePoint, the software is an excellent choice for organizations that develop PDFs constantly, using content from all types of documents," said Scott Smull, CEO of Workshare.

About Workshare
Workshare provides document collaboration software to enable business professionals to accurately create, collaborate and control high-value content more efficiently. More than 1.8 million professionals rely on Workshare solutions to increase productivity and safeguard their confidential information, ultimately securing their intellectual property, customer relationships and the organization's reputation. Workshare's comparison and collaboration solutions provide risk management and security to over 18,000 organizations worldwide and easily integrate with line-of-business applications. Stay informed by following Workshare on twitter, www.twitter.com/workshare, or visit www.workshare.com for more information.

By Guest Blogger: Workshare

Workshare offers CLE-Eligible Session on Legal Doc. Management

Workshare, Microsoft and Abramson Smith Waldsmith, LLP to Deliver CLE-Eligible LegalTech Session on Legal Document Management

Workshare, a leading provider of document collaboration software, will participate at the upcoming LegalTech conference January 30-February 1 in New York and will provide a CLE-eligible session with Microsoft and the law firm of Abramson Smith Waldsmith, LLP, focusing on legal document management strategies. In addition, Workshare will provide demonstrations on how to easily manage documents between SharePoint and Outlook in booth #124.

The Microsoft super session on Tuesday, January 31 at 10AM will highlight why Abramson Smith Waldsmith, LLP (ASW) decided to move their document management to the cloud and how Workshare Point addresses their productivity, cost reduction and confidential matter management needs.

For ASW, increasing accessibility and maintaining the security of client matters, addressing the growing needs of mobile users, and increasing profitability through better productivity were critical business issues. Managing Partner Robert J. Waldsmith will present details on their challenges and why the firm chose to utilize Microsoft Office 365 and Workshare Point to meet these needs. Matthew Brown, VP marketing at Workshare, and Ryan Soosayraj, product manager, Workshare, will also present at the session.

Workshare Point version 1.2, on display at the Workshare booth, supports Microsoft Office 365 and allows users to connect to a SharePoint Online Server hosted by Microsoft, as part of Microsoft's cloud solution, Office 365. For smaller firms or departments seeking secure Web-based collaboration, Workshare Point 1.2 also works with Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010. Workshare Point allows users to manage all content within their Office applications as if they were working with on-premise services. The latest release also enhances access to Microsoft's FAST search functionality which is easily accessible in Outlook and the Workshare Point user interface.

"Law firm practitioners need tools that help them easily and securely share documents with others within the firm, provide feedback, and incorporate that feedback in an efficient manner. Workshare Point's integration with Microsoft Office 365 and SharePoint provides a secure collaborative document management solution," said Nishan DeSilva, Sr. Director of Business & Technology Solutions Legal & Corporate Affairs at Microsoft.

"Workshare Point helps law firms create an integrated, intuitive legal document management collaboration workflow that saves time and money" said Scott Smull, CEO of Workshare.

About Workshare
Workshare provides document collaboration software to enable business professionals to accurately create, collaborate and control high-value content more efficiently. More than 1.8 million professionals rely on Workshare solutions to increase productivity and safeguard their confidential information, ultimately securing their intellectual property, customer relationships and the organization's reputation. Workshare's comparison and collaboration solutions provide risk management and security to over 18,000 organizations worldwide and easily integrate with line-of-business applications. Stay informed by following Workshare on twitter, www.twitter.com/workshare, or visit www.workshare.com for more information.

By Guest Blogger: Workshare