HEWLETT-PACKARD:Paper is the traditional medium for solicitors, but moving to a digital system can speed up response times for clients, save money and solve growing storage problems

There are few businesses more entrenched in paper than solicitors.

Just think of the amount of legal documents they handle and receive every day.

From vital information on case files to the more mundane things such as invoices and so on.

We've probably all seen many a barrister or solicitor use a trolley to push box loads of files into court, but what if evidence was available to download and present from a laptop?

Well that's not as fanciful as it sounds - recently a partner in the firm Eoin O'Connor & Co Solicitors was able to pull up a critical document on his laptop by linking remotely into the company's database and producing it for the judge.

This is the first time that evidence has been accepted in court via a laptop.

This was all thanks to technology deployed by Hewlett-Packard (HP) and one of its partners eXpd8.

Paper was a particular problem for O'Connor's firm based in Naas, Co Kildare.

Printing in any solicitor's office is one of the biggest office overheads especially in a smaller firm where costs are particularly critical.

Paper is also a traditional medium for solicitors, especially when it comes to filing because it's perceived as being comprehensive and reliable.

But paper also brings its own set of problems such as access to the data required at any one instance. O'Connor's company found itself wasting a lot of time locating files.

It also was leading to nerve jangling moments in court as solicitors and barristers were waiting for files to be sourced on time.

Additionally, there's the question of space - as the paper mountain grows where do you put it?

"We needed a modern digital storage solution throughout the practice, one that allowed us to work more efficiently, both in and away from the office," says O'Connor, principal partner, Eoin O'Connor & Co Solicitors.

Going down the technology route O'Connor approached HP partner eXpd8. It suggested utilising its client management software, digital dictation and a HP "Digital Sender", working in conjunction with the practice's HP server, Microtower PCs and notebook PCs.

The eXpd8 software controls all client files and staff diaries and automatically notifies users about important legal dates such as court appearances. It also tracks the activities and costs associated with each file.

The HP Digital Sender converts all paperwork associated with a case to digital files ready for storage.

Business-critical information is therefore secure and, when required, accessed rapidly either from an office-based PC or remotely via a laptop computer.

The company then began converting some files to digital format. As more were stored in this manner it was discovered the partners had more control over, and instant access to, the information.

"It only took one call from a client making urgent enquiries to convince me that the eXpd8 and HP solution was the right way to go. The information was at my fingertips. It soon became apparent that once the data was stored digitally, we simply didn't need physical files," said O'Connor.

The firm ramped up the implementation of the new technology and now all information is stored digitally by using the HP scanner and eXpd8 software.

Staff quickly update files as required and everyone can access information instantly. The firm has also eliminated expensive off-site storage. It's now a truly modern digital office.

O'Connor's company soon saw the extra benefits of being able to work remotely and being able to respond to clients quickly by accessing the digitally stored information.

"Recently, while I was waiting for a judge, I dealt with two or three enquiries by simply accessing the appropriate information remotely. In the past, I'd have had to go back to the office to view the paper-based files.

"Consequently, my response time to clients is now considerably faster. Digital storage means I can access information at anytime, from anywhere in an instant," says O'Connor.

The firm also, recently, created a precedent in Irish law which had its foundations in the technology O'Connor had invested in.

Important papers arrived at the practice's office when O'Connor was in court. In this scenario, previously, he could not present them. However, his secretary was able to scan the papers, store the information and inform him they were available."In court, I accessed the critical evidence from my laptop and presented it to the judge.

"I believe this was the first time an Irish court has accepted evidence from a laptop," says O'Connor.

Classifying savings for customers:

HP is also endeavouring to drive cost savings not just in the realms of the business and the legal profession such as Eoin O'Connor & Co Solicitors. It's also trying to reach out to the general consumer who has a printer and purchases consumables such as print cartridges.

HP has reclassified its print supplies under the best choice printing (BCP) imprimatur to meet the needs of different users based on how frequently they use their print facilities.

The company felt it needed to simplify the customer experience making the packaging easier to identify with colour coding (blue, green and red) and reclassifying them as 'standard', 'value' and 'speciality' (with the third category mainly used for photography).

This was on the foot of research which revealed that many consumers did not purchase either a machine or the inks that were suitable for their printing purposes.

"What we saw over time was the development of a user profile that was split in two areas," says Gary Tierney, HP's country manager for its imaging and printing group.

"You had one set of customers who did a lot of printing and others who didn't.

"But both crossed over each other in relation to the machines and inks they were buying.

"It screamed that people didn't understand the difference between the devices and which was the right machine and consumables for them," says Tierney.

With this new rebranding comes a different price structure - 'standard' inks come in between €10-€15 and will print about 200 pages.

'Value' hovers around €30 upwards and can print up to 1,000 pages.

'Speciality' comes at a higher cost and is mainly for photo enthusiasts.

"Everyone is looking to save money and there are different ways to do that," says Tierney.

"Whether it be developing different strategies and pricing or new technology that changes the way people work.

"From our point of view, the breath of what we do and all these things coming together is what HP is all about - helping people save money and work more efficiently," says Tierney.