May 19, 2010

Technology choices for law firms are long-term decisions

Editor’s note: Kim Massana is the interim president and general manager of Elite.

In our continuing conversations with law firm leaders about how they are managing in the current economy, one thing we’re hearing at Elite is that the panic of last year is gone and that our clients and prospective clients are ready to invest in technology again.

While there’s more confidence to invest, there’s also more focus on return on investment and in getting the right infrastructure in place. Firm are looking for technology that helps them manage their business to be more efficient and helps identify opportunities for greater profitability.

Law firms, in general, tend to change their financial management systems every 10 years. It’s often described as being like buying a new car. You can postpone it for one or two years, but you can’t postpone it forever.

Once a law firm is ready for a new system, they look for a solution that will be around in the future and in developing a long-term relationship with an innovative and trusted company. Being part of Thomson Reuters brings us the credibility of a trusted brand, the market capability and the financial strength that are key differentiators and, we hope, provide value for our clients.

What else are we seeing in the marketplace right now? Well, there is significant uptake in areas like business intelligence, budgeting and forecasting, and SharePoint integration.

And, we’re hearing from firms around the world that they want fewer systems in place for managing their accounting, multi-currency and multi-language needs. Firms also are looking for help with international compliance matters.

We are cautiously optimistic for 2010, and with solutions like ELITE 3E we are confident that we will be able to meet the needs of law firms.

2010 will be an interesting year for the legal industry as the downturn gives way to renewed confidence.

Kim Massana
Interim President and General Manager
Elite

Editor’s note: Elite is hosting its 2010 User Conference June 15-17 in Miami. Click here for more information.

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