Who's buying what

Starting off this week's round-up is north-west practice Hill Dickinson, which has implemented the Axxia Fee Earner desktop software firm-wide, but is producing its own templates to adapt to firm and client needs.

The firm has taken on the case management system in all offices, but the residential conveyancing department, based in Chester, has led the way in customising the system.

Department manager Sarah Paton said: 'We have maintained the basic Axxia structure but our in-house IT team have replaced the templates and done the programming themselves.'

The department now has a direct connection to the National Land Information Service - which provides on-line property searches - and is on the verge of installing an 'e-sync' system, that means clients can access case information on the Web.

Other departments are in the process of customising their systems.

Nottingham-based Young & Pearce has also invested in conveyancing software, plumping for Mountain's Web-based conveyancing quotation system.

Solicitors enter fixed or percentage fees and compile a list of their own local authorities' search fees via an administration interface.

A fully detailed, fast and accurate quote can then be produced for the client from any workstation with Web access.

Exeter firm Foot Anstey Sargent has developed its own electronic deal room facility called FastDirect following extensive refinement of an IBM collaboration project by its in-house IT team.

Each deal room is separate and configured in accordance with individual requirements.

Access to FastDirect is by login name and password only and will provide a timetable of events, common tasks and e-mail.

If any documents are added, a notification e-mail is sent to all participants.

Irwin Mitchell is to expand the use of digital dictation and speech recognition software from SRC across its personal injury practices in Leeds, Sheffield and London.

The roll-out will encompass 74 employees, taking the total number now using digital dictation in the firm to nearly 200.

There is a second-phase installation planned for later in the year, adding another 95 users to the system.

Leading south-west firm Clarke Willmott & Clarke has placed an order for the newly launched debt recovery system Debtime SQL from Linetime, as it expands its Bristol and Taunton practices.

The software features interest calculations including statutory interest, simple contractual, variable interest rates, monthly interest and late payment of commercial debt.

Chelmsford firm Hill & Abbott is to create a single practice management system by adding Select BackOffice to its existing case management system by the same manufacturer.

The system will replace the existing AIM Charter II product and will be installed in the firm's new office.