Clifford Chance makes connection with e-commerce

Clifford Chance has claimed that it is the first law firm to offer clients 'industrial-strength e-commerce capability' with the launch of CliffordChanceConnect.To ensure the integrity of the service, the firm has outsourced its hosting to Exodus, the world's largest host, which provides the service to the likes of bookseller Amazon.CliffordChanceConnect consists of two key components: Client Centre, a customised site for clients and the firm to exchange and publish information, and deal rooms.

Clients can give third parties access to deal rooms and specify levels of access rights for each party.Paul Greenwood, Clifford Chance's director of knowledge and information, said the deal rooms now offered 'the same functionality' as document management systems - offering, for example, automatic version control of drafts - rather than just being somewhere to display documents.The service means the in-house 'Fruitnet' deal rooms are no more.Neil Rose