Firm’s success is down to padding (From The Northern Echo)

Firm’s success is down to padding

10:52am Tuesday 17th August 2010 in North-East Business News By Deborah Johnson

A COLLABORATION between a North-East law firm and a technology expert has resulted in a first for Northern legal businesses in using the iPad.

Watson Burton has worked alongside ITPS to configure Apple’s new device to access the law firm’s servers, giving staff mobile access to emails, client files, diaries and other back-office data via the firm’s LawSoft practice management system.

It enables staff from the Newcastle firm to work from anywhere with an internet connection, without having to carry a laptop.

The move is a first for law firms in the North, and the IT team at Watson Burton and experts from Gateshead-based ITPS believe they have transformed a gadget that is essentially aimed at the entertainment market into a tool with real business advantages.

The two organisations have worked together for more than two years, and this is the latest in a series of technology advances developed by the team.

Jonathan Smith, Watson Burton’s IT manager, said: “We started testing the iPad in-house more to see what all the fuss was about than anything else, and to see how it could help when transporting lengthy documents on the move.

“After spending some time exploring the features we immediately saw the benefits that could be achieved if we could provide system access using such a neat device. We demonstrated it to senior management and got a very positive response.

“We now have several users around the business using the iPad live, and the feedback so far has been excellent.

“Based on the initial response we’re predicting that people will quickly see the business advantages and become converts.”

Kris Curran, a consultant at ITPS, said: “The project effectively means staff who are on the move are not faced with the option of either trying to work around the limitations of a smartphone, or carrying a chunky laptop.

They now have all the functionality of both, in one powerful but easily portable device.

“Because the corporate network is based around a Citrix solution and all information is stored centrally, it’s still fully secure, even if an iPad should be stolen or lost.

“It’s a good example of how a strategic approach can take readily available technology and look at how it can be applied to make the business more flexible and efficient.”