Firms dial up e-mail service for clients

A mobile phone service for lawyers, that delivers e-mails and other business-critical information directly to a WAP-enabled handset, is in the process of being implemented by leading law firms.Zed for business - a managed service that delivers e-mail, calendar, contacts book and corporate text messaging directly to a mobile phone in real time - has received positive feedback after piloting by Bristol-based Osborne Clarke and City firm Ashurst Morris Crisp, among others.Osborne Clarke's IT director, Nathan Hayes, said: 'The service is quick and enables you to communicate with clients immediately without any hassle.

It is straightforward to set up and the ability to access e-mails on the move is invaluable.'He said that after an initial pilot scheme where the system was only made available to 'technically capable individuals', the firm was in the process of 'rolling it out to an extended group'.Paolo Picone, IT systems manger at Ashurst Morris Crisp, said he has received only positive responses in the three months the service has been available at the firm.

'It works well as a complementary service,' he said.

'It will never replace the laptop, due to the difficulty in composing an e-mail on a phone pad, but it is great for browsing e-mails even if the best way to respond is to phone the client direct.'He added that its chief benefits for lawyers were the immediate notification of e-mail arrival and that it requires only basic training to understand.'There are people in the firm who would scream if I took it away from them,' he said.Robert Silver, director of vertical markets at Zed, said: 'We are trying to offer a service that will make the lawyer more client responsive - and will fit into his shirt pocket.'Andrew Towler