CC connects to Net awards

Clifford Chance's 'industrial strength' e-commerce application - CliffordChanceConnect - has already scooped an e-business award.The service, launched in May, won the award for best innovation at the eBusiness Transformation Awards, sponsored by Charteris and the Institute of Directors.The awards, for which the entrants put themselves forward, are 'for projects and ventures that have transformed business and raised the profile of technology from a business angle'.CliffordChanceConnect consists of two key components - Client Centre, a customised site for clients and the firm to exchange and publish information, such as matters in progress, contacts, financial reports, education resources and announcements, and deal rooms.

Clients can give third parties access to deal rooms and specify levels of access rights for each party.Since its launch, nearly 50 matters sites are either live or in development, while 11 client centres with more than 1,000 Clifford Chance users and nearly 500 external users are up and running.Client system manager Janet Taylor-Hall said the award was 'a great result', as it recognised 'those organisations that proactively change things for the better through e-business', rather than implementing technology for its own sake.The firm called in PA Consulting Group to help with the implementation of CliffordChanceConnect and it was done within six months.Neil Rose