Firm sets IT series rolling

City firm Ashurst Morris Crisp has launched the first in a series of departmental on-line platforms in the latest stage of its Internet strategy.

Ashursts' legal development partner Jeremy Thomas said the new site for the environmental, health and safety department was the first of a initiative for 'generic' departmental on-line platforms to go hand in hand with the firm's bespoke extranet service to specific clients.

In September, the firm unveiled a bespoke extranet site for one of the firm's key banking clients, DrKW Finance (see [2002] Gazette, 12 September, 13).

He said the firm hopes to roll out similar sites for the firm's other departments, with the IT and intellectual property department likely to be first.

Helen Loose, partner in charge of the environmental department, said the service would act as a valuable business tool as it would help clients to identify and manage their environmental risks.

Ashursts' IT developments follow installation by the firm last year of a firm-wide Arachne knowledge management system.

Jeremy Fleming