Who's buying what

Maidenhead firm Colemans has bought DPS Progress from DPS Software to add an extranet facility to its Web site that enables property clients to view the progress of their house sale or purchase at any time.

Clients and authorised estate agents have password-protected access to the files through the firm's Web site.

City firm Stephenson Harwood has deployed the SmartPortal solution from Associated Network Solutions throughout the firm to allow lawyers securely to access network resources - irrespective of location - via a Web browser.

The SmartPortal also delivers confidential client information and legal data to lawyers through a personalised user interface.

Browne Jacobson, which has offices in Nottingham, Birmingham and London, has upgraded its video-conferencing equipment.

The firm has chosen the 384K ISDN 800 models from Tandberg, supplied by West Yorkshire company Direct Visual.

Middlesbrough-based Punch Robson is to implement the Liberate accounts and conveyancing case management software from Linetime.

The firm has taken this integrated option to replace two previous Linetime products - Unix accounts system and the Context conveyancing system - which it ran independently of each other.

Birmingham-based Lee Crowder has become the first firm to implement the new Visualfiles system from Solicitec.

IT director Nigel Williams explained: 'It provides us with one integrated system, which encompasses matter and knowledge management together with an impressive customer relationship management capability, and it will link with our Elite practice management system...

We intend to tailor this information to the individual requirements of our clients, providing them access to both operational and management information over the Internet, using Visualfiles' browser interface.'

Thames Valley law firm Charles Lucas & Marshall has also chosen Solicitec to provide its fourth generation case management system.

To improve client care, the system includes Internet access so clients can view the progress of their case.

The Manchester office of Eversheds has installed the latest internal mail tracking system as part of its ongoing partnership with Pitney Bowes Management Services.

The back office management company has been providing reprographic services to Eversheds' Leeds office since 1998, and has now signed a contract with the Manchester office to provide print, fax and copier fleet management - as well as the mail system.

The system, the company's latest product, uses bar code readings to follow the path of documents around the firm.

The office has also bought Pitney Bowes' scanning service to put documents onto CD.

The London chambers of Geoffrey Nice QC at 1 Temple Gardens has chosen Alternative Team to supply, install and support a 50-user network, with full remote-working capabilities available to all members.