The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/34686
SWIMMING WITH NEW FINS Since we live in email, the improvements to Outlook itself have been great. The To-Do Bar, the ability to save multiple attachments at once and to preview attachments have all been big hits. Even the fact that users are now forced to save their information when editing attachments has led to fewer unhappy users and fewer helpdesk tickets. We also have noticed increased stability with larger mailboxes, something we have many of. Windows 7 itself provides great benefits. System performance improvements are obvious now that we are taking advantage of dual-core chipsets and a true 64-bit platform, including universal 64-bit print drivers. We are better able to work with several programs simultaneously, and built-in tools, such as the Problem Step Recorder for troubleshooting, have certainly provided clear benefits. The least popular change among our user base — the removal of local user administrative rights — has largely been accepted (and perhaps already forgotten), and has resulted in far fewer security threats, more stable machines and fewer headaches. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE The transition to Office 2010 is an evolving process, and we continue to work to educate our users, provide updates and keep our technology stable. On the technology side, we’ve begun exploring Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) to host our desktop user machines, although we don’t anticipate rolling out VDI for at least two years. With the recently announced changes to the Microsoft Core CAL suite, we will begin evaluating Microsoft Forefront Endpoint Protection as a replacement for our current desktop antivirus product. Our ultimate goal is to continuously improve by staying abreast of new technology offerings and keeping our firm at the cutting edge. We are fully aware that business and technology are intrinsically tied to one another and are fortunate to be provided a culture where continued technological growth is not only supported, but expected. Jennifer Potter is Manager of IT Business Analysis at Fish & Richardson, P.C. where she has worked since 2002. Jennifer’s specialties involve identification of business requirements and opportunities, automated workflow design and creation, SharePoint and custom solution design and implementation. She holds various certifications and was the recipient of the 2010 Distinguished Peer Award for Project Management Champion. Jennifer’s passion is enhancing business through the use of technology and development. She can be reached at potter@fr.com. We continue to simplify our IT environment as much as possible to help our firm use its existing and new resources wisely and effectively. ILTA FIND MORE ONLINE! click the images below to read the past white paper articles. Early Adopter Tales: Piloting Office 2010 Microsoft: April 2010 A Rollout That Netted Good Results Project Management: October 2010 Linda Vega is Manager of IT Support Services at Fish & Richardson, P.C. and has been active in the service industry for over fifteen years. During her tenure at Fish & Richardson, Linda has developed an in-house best practices training program responsible for training over 50 non-legal staff secretaries who were placed in all of the firm’s practice areas. Linda’s recent projects include restructuring new-hire training, continued Office 2010 training, marketing and management of desktop support and training projects, and conducting customer service training throughout the firm. She can be reached at vega@fr.com. Peer to Peer the quarterly magazine of ILTA 61