At the end of March, I attended the Amicus Attorney Conference 2008 in Toronto, Canada. This three day conference gave me the opportunity to discuss many issues directly with the sales and support personnel at Gavel and Gown and with many other Amicus Certified Consultants from the US and Canada.

In addition, It gave us (certified consultants) a real look at Amicus Attorney 2008 Premium Edition. All of us were extremely happy with the functions, features, and fixes that make up this latest release of the product. It totally out performs version 7. This is mainly done now through the multi-threading of process that were not available in release 7.

Amicus Attorney 2008 Premium Edition is now delivered with Microsoft SQL. So when you purchase the product you receive SQL licensed for each Amicus license you purchase. This licensing of SQL is only for use with Amicus. Do to the SQL inclusion, G&G can no longer provide demo version of the Premium product. This would be a violation of terms with Microsoft.

I want to set expectations correctly for those interested in purchasing Amicus Attorney 2008 Premium Edition. It is not a simple installation of the product for a new install or that of a product upgrade. In reality, you are looking at a 3 day install. This is after doing a good cleanup of the older database being migrated. This includes user profiles, contacts, files, shared documents and templates to name a few.

So what do you get with upgrading? A very robust management system that leverages all of Microsoft Office Products, Microsoft Indexing that gives full text searches, improved performance and a SQL database structure to name a few important advances in the product.

 

At our last session on (Day 1) of the Amicus 2008 Conference, Ron Collins, President, Gavel & Gown Software gave us a live demo of Amicus Mobile. This live demo was using his Windows based PDA, and entering data real-time that was being received at their office several city blocks away. We were able to see real time changes to appointments, contacts, etc at the conference center via presentation system connected to their office over a VPN connection. Changes were also made at the presentation system and we could watch them being added real-time to Ron PDA via the Amicus Mobile software.

This is a product that Gavel & Gown currently has in development. The first release of the Amicus Mobile software will have limited functions with Amicus Attorney. However, additional upgrades of features will be coming.

This demo has shown me that Gavel & Gown has listened to our (Customer & Consultant) requests for this capability. Gavel & Gown is still testing the initial release of the software. Ron Collins said the initial product will not be released until all testing and issues are resolved.

So if you are planning on getting a new PDA and want to have real-time activity with Amicus Attorney 2008 Premium Edition, get one that is windows based.

This article is from a Microsoft Newsletter I receive.

Disasters of all kinds can happen to any business. Some you can prevent; others you can do little about.

But, no matter how serious, you can always minimize the damage that results from most any sort of cataclysmic event. But it takes some committed disaster planning.

If you've given little thought as to how to protect yourself if the worst happened, here are seven ideas to consider.

Devote some time and resources to disaster planning. Take it seriously that a disaster could happen. "These aren't measures any small-business owner wants to think about," notes Marcia Layton Turner, author of "The Unofficial Guide to Starting a Small Business," who has written extensively for BusinessWeek and other publications on disaster preparedness. "The prospect of losing a building, equipment, inventory and critical data is scary. Many entrepreneurs decide it's unlikely, and that's dangerous."

Meet with an insurance agent who specializes in small businesses-he or she can help you make certain that your disaster preparations are adequate for your needs.

Map out a plan. What would you do in the event of a fire, flood, or some other critical event? Now's the time to know-and that means drafting a comprehensive disaster plan.
Take as many variables into consideration as possible, including: where employees should meet after a disaster (and what from your business you would take), an employee communications plan, guidelines for employees to work off-site, data backup, and physical/facility security procedures. Keep a comprehensive list of emergency telephone numbers handy and know the location of utility shut-off valves. For help in knowing just what your plan should include, see the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) guide.

"Know simple things such as how you can get out of the building in an emergency," says Tom Egelhoff of Smalltownmarketing.com, who routinely works with small businesses on emergency and contingency planning.

Make sure your computer files are somewhere else. Nothing is more devastating to any size of business than the loss of computer files. Backing them up is one thing-making certain the actual backup location is somewhere other than your business is something else.

Take advantage of the increasing availability of online backup services, such as Windows Live OneCare-which also offers antivirus, firewall, and other data protection services. This is particularly important if your data is sensitive, containing personal information about customers, patent material, and other proprietary information.

Store physical papers and records off-site, too. Don't overlook the safety of tangible records, such as printed client lists, bills, receipts, and tax returns. If these are materials that you may need to review on occasion, make copies that you can keep in your office, but make sure the originals are stored safely, such as in a safe deposit box. If you must keep certain originals on site, Turner suggests storing them in a fireproof safe.

Use tools to minimize the importance of location. Chances are good that your business has an array of mobile electronic gear-laptops, PDAs, cell phones, and the like. If disaster strikes at your headquarters, make the best use of the tools that keep your business operating, regardless of location.

If possible, Turner suggests letting employees who can, work from home on occasion. That way, should a problem force them to work someplace other than your usual business location, they'll have some experience in working remotely.

Know that there is financial help out there. Finances-or, more specifically, lack thereof-are one of the most common hurdles to recovering from a significant mishap. After all, if you're partially or completely shut down, it's hard to pay your bills and meet other financial obligations. To address this problem, the SBA has a variety of loans to help see you through. For example, businesses of all types and sizes may be eligible for upwards of a $1.5 million loan to repair damaged or destroyed facilities and inventory.

If your business survives a disaster, spread the word. A business that's been damaged but remains open in some manner is just as crippled as one that is completely destroyed, if clients and customers assume it's shut down. If you've suffered some sort of problem but are keeping things going as best you can, send out e-mails or snail mail so others know that you're still open for business.

"[Your business] may not be 100 percent," Egelhoff says, "but it's important to let people know that you still have a product or service."

 

This article is from a Microsoft Newsletter I receive.
There is nothing like trying to work when your Internet connection is slow. It's tougher to send e-mail, more difficult to send files to co-workers, and it's frustrating wasting time while you wait for Web pages to appear. And even with the proliferation of broadband Internet connections, there are still times you may be working on a slow connection. You might be traveling, working out of your office, still using dial-up, or your broadband connection may be acting up. But there are things you can do.

This article will show you how to increase your productivity when your connection is slow. Many of these steps are also good tips for how to increase the speed of browsing and sending and receiving e-mail.

1. Send Multiple Files Faster by Compressing Them If you're sending multiple files-for example several files related to a project-you can reduce their combined size by using a compression utility. Compressing your files can dramatically reduce the time needed to send files online, and won't take up as much space in your (or the recipient's) e-mail Inbox. WinZip is one of the more common compression tools, but you can find more compression utilities on Windows Marketplace.

2. Speed Browsing by Turning Off Graphics in Internet Explorer Graphics are important to Web pages, but they also take time to download if you're online. You can turn them off to speed your Internet browsing.

To disable graphics in Internet Explorer:
1. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
2. In the Internet Options dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
3. In the Settings box, scroll down to the Multimedia section. Clear the following boxes.
 

• Play animations in Web pages
• Play sounds in Web pages
• Play videos in Web pages
• Show pictures

4. Click Apply.

3. Send E-Mail Using Distribution Lists If you're sending an e-mail to multiple people, create a distribution list instead of listing each recipient separately. Messages are sent faster and more efficiently when you're using a distribution list. Your company may have established procedures for creating mailing lists.

4. Work Offline Using Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook Even if you lose your network connection, you can continue to working in Outlook if you're using Cached Exchange Mode. With Cached Exchange Mode, a copy of your mailbox is stored on your computer. This copy provides quick access to your data and is frequently updated with the mail server. If you work offline, whether by choice or due to a connection problem, your data is still available to you instantly wherever you are. Cached Exchange Mode does require you to work with a Microsoft Exchange Server e-mail account.

5. Reduce E-Mail Size With Simple E-Mail Signatures E-mail signatures leave a professional stamp on your messages, but elaborate signatures that include multiple images take up a lot of unnecessary storage space in each e-mail. Ultimately, they can slow down the time needed to send each message. Instead create distinctive text signatures combining fonts, type sizes, and colors to make your e-mail signature smaller and quicker to transmit and receive.

6. Browse Offline By Saving Web Pages on Your Computer If you use reference a Web page often, save it locally to your computer. If you lose your connection or are working on a slow connection, you'll still be able to read and find the information you need.

To save a Web page on your computer:
 

1. In Internet Explorer, go to the Web page you want to save.
2. On the File menu, click Save As.
3. In the Save As type drop-down menu, select Web page, complete.
4. Click Save.

7. Open Web Pages Faster by Increasing Your Cache If you increase the size of the Temporary Internet files cache in Internet Explorer, your computer won't have to work so hard when you revisit Web pages. Many of the images will already be downloaded on your computer, decreasing the amount of time it takes to open a page.

To increase the Temporary Internet Files cache:

1. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
2. On the General tab, in the Temporary Internet Files section, click Settings.
3. In the Settings dialog box, under Check for newer versions of stored pages:, click the Automatically radio button.
4. In the Temporary Internet files folder section, set the Amount of disk space to use: to at least 250 megabytes (MB).
5. Click OK.

 

Pricing for the Amicus Attorney 2008 Premium Edition is $699 for the first license and $599 for additional licenses.

Pricing for the Amicus Attorney 2008 Small Firm Edition is $499 for the first license and $399 for additional licenses.

Pricing for Amicus Organizer shipped is $219.00.
Pricing for Amicus Organizer downloaded is $199.00.

Pricing for Amicus Accounting 2008 is $349.00 for the first license and $249.00 each additional license.

Gavel & Gown Technical Support Plans: 1st License / add'l Licenses
 

• Annual Support Plan for One Amicus Product $295 / $95
• Annual Support Plan for two Amicus Product $395 / $145
• Individual Pay-per call service $95 / call

Upgrading to Amicus Attorney 2008 Premium Edition: first license / add'l Licenses
 

• From Amicus 7 Standard Edition $249 / $199
• From Amicus 7 Premium Edition $249 / $199
• From Amicus Small Firm $349 / $299
• From Amicus Attorney V+ (Advanced or Client/Server) $349 / $299
• From Amicus Attorney V or below (Advanced of Client/Server) $499 / $399

Upgrading to Amicus Attorney 2008 Small Firm Edition: first license / add'l Licenses

• From Amicus Small Firm $249 / $199
• From Amicus Attorney V+ (Advanced or Client/Server) $249 / $199
• From Amicus Attorney V or below (Advanced of Client/Server) $299 / $249

Upgrading from Amicus Accounting to Amicus Accounting 2008 $99 / license

Please contact Carmen Relatores 513 368-0042 (crelatores@cni-incorporated.com) or Ron Carter 513 312-8381 (rcarter@cni-incorporated.com) to order new or additional Amicus licenses, product upgrades or to simply provide you with more information concerning the New Amicus 2008 Product Line and how it affects your existing installation.

 

 

Beginning with this issue of our newsletter, we are providing detailed overviews of Amicus products via links to our web site. These links go directly to pages covering the product overview and features.

Please contact Carmen Relatores 513 368-0042 (crelatores@cni-incorporated.com) or Ron Carter 513 312-8381 (rcarter@cni-incorporated.com) to provide you with more information concerning the New Amicus 2008 Product Line and how it affects your existing installation.

Amicus Accounting 2008 Product Overview
 

Amicus Attorney 2008 Small Firm Edition Product Overview

Amicus Attorney 2008 Premium Edition Product Overview

 

 

This simple list, if followed gives you the greatest chance in achieving a successful Installation or Upgrade.
 

• Fact Gathering
• Preparing the Site
• Preparing the Data
• Preparing the Staff
• Performing the Install
• Configuring for Success
• Training
• Going Live

Although, this is a simple list of bullets, much information is required. In addition, hardware requirements must be meet, network issues resolved, Data Import/Conversion Test performed, Word Processors, Document Assembly, Integrated Applications, E-Mail, User Profiles, Amicus Application Server, Firewall Issues, Links, Shared Documents, Document Templates, Custom Fields, Custom Records, Custom Pages must all be addressed.

Please give Ron a call (513 312-8381), to discuss your plans to Install or Upgrade to Amicus Attorney 2008 Premium Edition.

CNI can assist in any or all parts of your installation planing process, hardware upgrades / purchases, network issues, product purchases, the Amicus Install / Upgrade and Training.

 

 

Below is a list of the current versions of important law office software supported by Cooperative Network Integrators, Inc..

Amicus Attorney: Downloads

• Amicus Attorney 2008 Premium Edition: v 8.0.0.2
• Amicus Attorney 2008 Small Firm Edition v 8.0.0.1003
• Amicus Attorney 7: build 7.1.0.8)
• Amicus Small Firm: v. 5.9.0
• Amicus Attorney C/S V+: v. 5.8.1
• Amicus Attorney Advanced V+: v. 5.9.1
• Amicus Attorney V: v 5.1.1

Amicus Accounting:

• Amicus Accounting 2008
• Amicus Accounting v 5.9.0

Amicus Accounting 2008: Update from the Internet via the Check For Updates function available from your Help menu or Maintenance module. Please refer to your Amicus Accounting Online Help for details.

Microsoft Office:

• Click here and select Check for Updates.

Corel Word Perfect:

• Click here then select your version.

email: rcarter@cni-incorporated.com

phone: 513-755-1377

web: http://www.cni-incorporated.com