INFO IN BRIEF

l regional firms spend big on itManchester firm Antony Hydari & Co has announced a 500,000 investment in new hardware and software, including LawSoft from Pilgrim Systems, which links practice management applications to general-purpose functions such as Word, Excel and Outlook.

The firm, which specialises in road traffic accident litigation, has six partners and 200 staff.

Meanwhile, Birmingham law firm Putsmans is investing 100,000 with Axxia Systems in matter management software for more than 100 fee-earners and support staff, as well as LegalARMS, Axxia's debt recovery package.

And ten-partner Bristol firm Meade-King is spending 50,000 on upgrading from QNIX to Sanderson's Galaxy Legal, an integrated practice and case management system.

l property sites report surge in useThe first week of Edinburgh Solicitors Property Centre's new Web sites for both Scotland and England and Wales (see [2001] Gazette, 6 September, 18) saw a huge jump in use.

It reported 750,000 page displays, compared with 52,000 in the same week last year, and more than 600 registered users opening Homeline accounts.

l us firms' it budgets continue to growIT accounts for about 6.6% of US law firms' gross revenues, up from 6% a year ago, a survey by legal consultant Hildebrandt has found.

However, the increase has not led to a significant shift in firms' organisational structures or staffing rations, or towards paperless offices, it said.