Law firms could do a lot worse than try out the free office suite OpenOffice, especially as its latest incarnation is so powerful. Rupert White gives solicitor-advocate Ruth Barber some time to test it




The Gazette is backing the UK's first law bloggers conference, Law Blog 2007, which takes place in London this week. In connection with the event, we gave co-organiser and Geeklawyer blog co-author Ruth Barber some technology to review.



The main point of the test was to see if it was possible to get by without using Microsoft products, particularly Office. In our recent 'first look' write-up of Office 2007, reviewer Richard Stephens said that if a law firm is using only basic functions of Word, it could probably save a great deal of money by using the free OpenOffice software package. We gave Ms Barber an Acer TravelMate 4280 with built-in 3G connectivity installed with the full version of OpenOffice, and a brief to avoid using Microsoft productivity software as much as possible.



'Anyone working on a Windows system is Microsoft dependent,' she said. 'I know there are other operating systems, but unless you were a computer programmer in a previous life, it's better to leave well alone. But there are many viable alternatives for the non-techie lawyer if you choose to leave the Microsoft path.



'It is possible to survive and do business without using Microsoft, but most lawyers are far too nervous and conservative when it comes to IT to research and try out the options. But as lawyers gradually become more IT savvy and technology allows more mobile working, failure to recognise the options may result in commercial disadvantage.



'Most law firms use Microsoft Office, Word, Excel and Powerpoint, which are good but expensive, especially when there is a viable alternative available for free. OpenOffice is a suite of programs to rival Microsoft Office: Writer (think Word), Calc (Excel), Base (Access), Impress (PowerPoint), Draw (Visio) and Math, an equation editor. The layouts of Writer and Calc are very similar to Word and Excel, and existing Microsoft files are compatible with OpenOffice. The switch is painless.'



A key problem for law firms might be that OpenOffice is not directly compatible with Microsoft Outlook. 'But,' she said, 'if you put your IT manager and your accountant in a room together, they are likely to conclude that the savings made using OpenOffice more than compensate for being without Outlook.



'OpenOffice's slow take-up stems from a lack of awareness and the risk-averse nature of many firms when it comes to IT. But all firms understand the concept of "free" and, like sheep, once one firm is doing it, the others will invariably follow.'



Ms Barber awarded OpenOffice a healthy four out of five stars. These stars are not defined or endorsed by the Gazette.



As to her experience with the Acer TravelMate, Ms Barber was positive, but mainly because such a set-up matches her life as lawyer, rather than it matching all lawyers' needs.



'It's ideal for barristers or solicitors who spend a lot of time travelling and doing business away from the desk,' she said. 'It's extremely useful in court during lengthy trials. But other lawyers should think carefully whether the cost outweighs the benefits and whether a PDA [personal digital assistant] will be adequate, and less cumbersome, for their needs on the road.'



There were downsides, however, primarily the cost, something the Gazette has mentioned before in relation to Vodafone data contracts. She also had a valuable comment about security: 'Lawyers are notoriously lax with security,' she said. 'Make sure you encrypt if you are sending sensitive documents, unless you want every geek in Starbucks to be reading your statement of claim.'



But essentially, said Ms Barber, the Acer provided mobility extras such as Skype use as well as productivity gains in court, not to mention filling otherwise dead time. 'Unlike mobile Internet access on your phone, you can not only read email and documents, but draft and send a complex response,' she said.



Once again, cost will figure in how attractive these data-intensive benefits might be.



It might be worth looking to competitors such as T-Mobile or Orange for datacards or USB modems, especially if you intend to keep a laptop longer than two years, as these can more easily be upgraded.



Vodafone Connect 3G on an Acer TravelMate 4280 earned five stars, making 3G laptops a now consistent Gazette guinea-pig hit.





Ruth Barber is a solicitor-advocate at Frisby & Co, a three-director incorporated law firm in Stafford specialising in regulatory, serious fraud and commercial work.



Law Blog 2007 is open to all comers and will be held at IP/patent management firm CPA Global's offices in London. If you are quick, you may still be able to get a ticket: www.cpaglobal.com/events/current/0/712.



Download OpenOffice from www.openoffice.org.