Real-Time Collaboration Solutions Yield Major Efficiencies

Real-time collaboration (RTC) has advanced to a point where its advantages bring benefits to almost every aspect of organizational communications. For law firms, RTC makes possible new ways of working that are simple to adopt, easy to afford, require little or no CapEx and, in most cases, utilize existing computer and peripheral equipment. RTC can bring together employees, clients, trainers and others in ways that save time and overcome distance, thereby delivering measurable competitive advantage.

What is RTC?

In a nutshell, RTC is audio, video and Web conferencing ' all in one, online, all the time. RTC eliminates such inefficiencies as:

• Watching PowerPoint slides on a computer while juggling a phone handset to hear a presenter on a long-distance conference call that costs extra at each endpoint;
• Assembling meeting participants in a video-equipped conference room to look at tiny faces on a big screen; and
• Waiting for IT help to get a conference going.

Voice, video and data can instead all be integrated and delivered to regular PCs and laptops over broadband Internet (or other IP).

RTC allows users to:

• See, hear and interact face-to-face;
• Present documents or slides; and
• Share an application, or an entire desktop, from the convenience of a single browser interface.

Best of all, you get to choose what you want to do. If you do not need the video, shut it off. If you need to be on a videoconference but you are on the road, no problem ' simply 'invite' the host videoconferencing system (by its IP address) into the RTC system's virtual meeting room or classroom.

How RTC Can Benefit the Law Firm

Aside from its positive impact on organizational communication generally, RTC can provide advantages of especially high interest to law firms:

• Freeing up time. By replacing in-person activities with virtual solutions where it makes good sense to do so, a law firm can create a better, less hectic work environment with more hours billable at full rather than travel-time rates. Reducing unnecessary travel also makes it feasible to do more travel for new business development, where in-person dealings are highly desirable.
• Streamlined learning and training. Lawyers need to stay current with CLE requirements while keeping up with developments in their practice areas. RTC streamlines and enhances these learning processes. Training participants learn not only from the information provided and the presenter, but also from those around them. Real-time collaboration solutions enable face-to-face interaction with classmates, which is unachievable through self-paced Internet learning. RTC also gives participants the ability to obtain answers to questions when they arise, rather than having to wait for an e-mail answer. Moreover, RTC allows entire groups to be trained simultaneously, regardless of location. If there is a new software application for the support staff, or a graduate business seminar for the litigation practice, an RTC solution permits training sessions to reach all these individuals across all office locations.
• ' Expedited conferencing. Every attorney who has worked on either an M&A deal or a complex real estate closing knows that these transactions can quickly become a scheduling and logistical nightmare because so many parties are involved ' from the lawyers to the bankers to the accountants and the principals. A real-time collaboration solution provides everyone involved in such complex activities the ability to meet on short notice, face-to-face and in real-time, no matter how large the geographic separation.
• ' Mobility. One of the most compelling reasons for adopting RTC is mobility. After all, a conventional videoconferencing system is not portable. The prevalence of WiFi and high-speed Internet connections means that any member of your firm can work any time, from anywhere. With RTC, down time ' eg, waiting at an airport ' can become an opportunity for an impromptu meeting or brainstorming session.
• ' Employee retention. RTC can help. If a key practice member cannot maintain a physical presence at the firm, RTC can facilitate a virtual presence that may satisfy both parties.

Choosing an RTC Supplier

There are many RTC options and many suppliers to choose from, so a law firm can maximize its advantage by shopping carefully.

First, the firm can either buy a license for the software and support, or it can subscribe to a hosted service. If a firm licenses the software, it risks ending up locked into a solution with which it is not happy. The firm will also end up with server hardware. Unless the firm is a large enterprise with a real-time voice, video and data-savvy IT group, it's generally a good idea to initially deploy a hosted solution. That way, a firm can learn if RTC is the right choice. The firm can always decide to buy later.

Second, here is a list of key questions a firm should ask suppliers before making an RTC decision:

• ' Does the supplier provide real-time voice, video and data technology integrated into a single, easy-to-use browser interface?
• ' If the firm needs to reach large groups, can the supplier provide streaming and archiving capabilities in addition to the RTC software?
• ' Can the supplier help the firm integrate learning and training solutions that reduce time away from the office?
• ' Can the supplier integrate asynchronous content with live instructor-led sessions?
• ' Does the supplier understand the needs of the legal business well enough to tailor an application for the firm?
• ' Can the supplier provide access to industry and legal experts to provide fresh information that helps the firm compete more effectively?
• ' Will the supplier provide deep customer support?

Above all, any RTC solution a law firm adopts should be intuitive and should streamline workflow, not increase it. After all, your business is the law ' not RTC technology.

R. L. (Rick) Marciniak is the CMO of Vemics, Inc. (www.vemics.com), a provider of customized hosted applications for real-time conferencing and collaboration. Marciniak holds a Master's degree in Communication Design and is a member of the e-Learning Guild and the Design Management Institute. He can be reached at 617-670-2401 or [email protected].

Real-time collaboration (RTC) has advanced to a point where its advantages bring benefits to almost every aspect of organizational communications. For law firms, RTC makes possible new ways of working that are simple to adopt, easy to afford, require little or no CapEx and, in most cases, utilize existing computer and peripheral equipment. RTC can bring together employees, clients, trainers and others in ways that save time and overcome distance, thereby delivering measurable competitive advantage.

What is RTC?

In a nutshell, RTC is audio, video and Web conferencing ' all in one, online, all the time. RTC eliminates such inefficiencies as:

• Watching PowerPoint slides on a computer while juggling a phone handset to hear a presenter on a long-distance conference call that costs extra at each endpoint;
• Assembling meeting participants in a video-equipped conference room to look at tiny faces on a big screen; and
• Waiting for IT help to get a conference going.

Voice, video and data can instead all be integrated and delivered to regular PCs and laptops over broadband Internet (or other IP).

RTC allows users to:

• See, hear and interact face-to-face;
• Present documents or slides; and
• Share an application, or an entire desktop, from the convenience of a single browser interface.

Best of all, you get to choose what you want to do. If you do not need the video, shut it off. If you need to be on a videoconference but you are on the road, no problem ' simply 'invite' the host videoconferencing system (by its IP address) into the RTC system's virtual meeting room or classroom.

How RTC Can Benefit the Law Firm

Aside from its positive impact on organizational communication generally, RTC can provide advantages of especially high interest to law firms:

• Freeing up time. By replacing in-person activities with virtual solutions where it makes good sense to do so, a law firm can create a better, less hectic work environment with more hours billable at full rather than travel-time rates. Reducing unnecessary travel also makes it feasible to do more travel for new business development, where in-person dealings are highly desirable.
• Streamlined learning and training. Lawyers need to stay current with CLE requirements while keeping up with developments in their practice areas. RTC streamlines and enhances these learning processes. Training participants learn not only from the information provided and the presenter, but also from those around them. Real-time collaboration solutions enable face-to-face interaction with classmates, which is unachievable through self-paced Internet learning. RTC also gives participants the ability to obtain answers to questions when they arise, rather than having to wait for an e-mail answer. Moreover, RTC allows entire groups to be trained simultaneously, regardless of location. If there is a new software application for the support staff, or a graduate business seminar for the litigation practice, an RTC solution permits training sessions to reach all these individuals across all office locations.
• ' Expedited conferencing. Every attorney who has worked on either an M&A deal or a complex real estate closing knows that these transactions can quickly become a scheduling and logistical nightmare because so many parties are involved ' from the lawyers to the bankers to the accountants and the principals. A real-time collaboration solution provides everyone involved in such complex activities the ability to meet on short notice, face-to-face and in real-time, no matter how large the geographic separation.
• ' Mobility. One of the most compelling reasons for adopting RTC is mobility. After all, a conventional videoconferencing system is not portable. The prevalence of WiFi and high-speed Internet connections means that any member of your firm can work any time, from anywhere. With RTC, down time ' eg, waiting at an airport ' can become an opportunity for an impromptu meeting or brainstorming session.
• ' Employee retention. RTC can help. If a key practice member cannot maintain a physical presence at the firm, RTC can facilitate a virtual presence that may satisfy both parties.

Choosing an RTC Supplier

There are many RTC options and many suppliers to choose from, so a law firm can maximize its advantage by shopping carefully.

First, the firm can either buy a license for the software and support, or it can subscribe to a hosted service. If a firm licenses the software, it risks ending up locked into a solution with which it is not happy. The firm will also end up with server hardware. Unless the firm is a large enterprise with a real-time voice, video and data-savvy IT group, it's generally a good idea to initially deploy a hosted solution. That way, a firm can learn if RTC is the right choice. The firm can always decide to buy later.

Second, here is a list of key questions a firm should ask suppliers before making an RTC decision:

• ' Does the supplier provide real-time voice, video and data technology integrated into a single, easy-to-use browser interface?
• ' If the firm needs to reach large groups, can the supplier provide streaming and archiving capabilities in addition to the RTC software?
• ' Can the supplier help the firm integrate learning and training solutions that reduce time away from the office?
• ' Can the supplier integrate asynchronous content with live instructor-led sessions?
• ' Does the supplier understand the needs of the legal business well enough to tailor an application for the firm?
• ' Can the supplier provide access to industry and legal experts to provide fresh information that helps the firm compete more effectively?
• ' Will the supplier provide deep customer support?

Above all, any RTC solution a law firm adopts should be intuitive and should streamline workflow, not increase it. After all, your business is the law ' not RTC technology.

R. L. (Rick) Marciniak is the CMO of Vemics, Inc. (www.vemics.com), a provider of customized hosted applications for real-time conferencing and collaboration. Marciniak holds a Master's degree in Communication Design and is a member of the e-Learning Guild and the Design Management Institute. He can be reached at 617-670-2401 or [email protected].