Who's buying what

South-coast firm Blake Lapthorn has deployed Plumtree Corporate Portal as the single interface for employees and clients to all the firm's systems and information.

The platform, produced by Plumtree Software, is accessed via the Internet and consolidates Blake Lapthorn's Internet and intranet infrastructures.

A collaboration server allows lawyers to work together on-line through discussions, document sharing and task lists.

The firm said it would also provide clients with greater transparency about the work done for them and the fees charged.

Central London firm Finers Stephens Innocent is the latest to roll out BigHand's TotalSpeech digital dictation workflow system practice-wide, after a successful pilot in the property department.

It will now go to 122 users.

Meanwhile, BigHand has moved into Europe, selling TotalSpeech to leading Belgian firm Claeys & Engels.

City firm Charles Russell has upgraded to Interface Software's InterAction 5, a Web-enabled client relationship management system.

The firm first bought InterAction in 1999, and the new version offers Web-enabled access to relationship intelligence and automatic e-mail alerts to a fee-earner's desktop if there are any developments with a chosen client.

City firm GSC Solicitors has decided to replace its incumbent Pilgrim system with Timeslice's practice and case management system, LAWMAN.

Home counties practice Pictons has chosen Elite's Practice Management System to provide an integrated practice and client relationship management solution.

Elite was this month acquired by the Thomson Corporation, valuing Elite, a US-based company, at $122 million (78 million).

Bendall Roberts in Ely and Reading's Barrett & Co, who have been using Quill's accounting system since 1978, have upgraded to Quillennium, the latest generation of the product.

West Somerset firm Risdon Hosegood has selected Solution 6's Trust Accounts package, an accounting software package, along with sister products TrusTAX and PerTAX.

The firm predicted that it will spend 25% less time on producing estate accounts and tax returns as a result.

Stephensons, a five-office firm in the north-west with 320 staff, is spending 500,000 with jmc.it to replace its IT infrastructure, migrating from its existing Novell platform-based system to a complete Microsoft solution.

Manchester firm JMW has appointed Web and multimedia consultancy eyedea to develop the firm's on-line marketing strategy, including building a Web site with extranet facility.