Reynolds invests £200k in IT

PROFESSIONAL indemnity firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain is spending £200,000 on hardware as part of a two-year project to update its IT system.

The London firm has hired consultants Trescray Network Communications to install a system, which will link all the fee earners in its three London offices on one network.

Reynolds claims the system can handle documentation for up to 24 major cases, with six cases active at any one time.

Julie Berry, Reynolds' IT manager, said the system would enable the firm to keep better track of the vast amounts of documents the firm handled.

"The lawyers like it as it is user-friendly and more secure than before since there are less duplicate documents and papers lying around the office."

According to Berry, the installation of cabling and hardware is what usually causes the most headaches.

But she said that since Trescray began work six months ago there had been no hitches.

Reynolds is currently mid-way through a complete overhaul of its IT system. Its fee earners have already been given access to email and new monitors with a minimum size of 15 inches.

Last year it switched from DOS-based Word Perfect software to Windows 95 and PC Docs document management.

And the firm will soon be the first in Britain to introduce the CMS practice management system that is already popular in the US, and which it is in the final stages of installing. The CMS system is compatible with PC Docs, and will enable immediate integration.

Wilde Sapte and Bird & Bird are also understood to be interested in CMS's product.