LONDON, May 3, 2007 - Norton Rose, one of the largest law firms headquartered in the UK, is deploying a Cisco® Unified Communications system in its UK office to help improve its customer service and competitive advantage. The system is part of a Cisco Connected Workplace for Law Firms blueprint that consists of a set of network solutions, customer services and application partners that provide an integrated and collaborative way to link the firms' lawyers and support staff to important internal and external resources.
The Cisco Unified Communications system, along with a global foundation network build with Cisco equipment, connects offices in Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Asia. It is expected to help expand and increase collaborative work practices, improve communications between international offices, and improve the firm's competitiveness by helping lawyers provide a faster and more efficient service to clients.
Jeff Roberts, director of information technology at Norton Rose, said, "As a professional services organisation, communication and collaboration are an essential part of our business, and the Cisco Unified Communications system is absolutely vital to us. Our fee earners want something that is easy to use, and the Cisco Unified Communications System provides us with a simple-to-use telephone system, but it does much more than that. It integrates a whole host of other features and capabilities that can help our staff work more effectively and efficiently without increasing costs."
Services such as drafting contracts for clients are expected to be done faster because lawyers will be able to contact colleagues around the world and share knowledge more effectively. Norton Rose plans to use Cisco Unified MeetingPlace®, a component of the Cisco Unified Communications system, for activities such as online document drafting. Employee will have dedicated numbers wherever they are located, even when they move offices or work from home, allowing them to make and receive calls without a client knowing they are away from the office. The Cisco IP Communicator, a software-based application that delivers enhanced telephony support through the PC, enables the staff to receive and place calls from a laptop, even from a hotel room. The Cisco Unified Communications System will also make voice and video conferencing much easier, because staff will be able to set up and hold conferences from their desks and no longer need to prebook conference calls or use dedicated video conferencing suites.
Norton Rose also plans to extend the use of the Cisco Unified Communications system by integrating it with business applications. For example, linking with a customer database will present the person receiving the call with the client's details and relevant information about the case, facilitating an improved level of service.
Roberts said, "We were very impressed with Cisco on a number of counts. The company was in here like a shot providing a full range of products for us to trial; the demonstration showed what future solutions are in development; and we were even able to speak with the Cisco legal team to see how they use Cisco technology. For such a large company, Cisco is a very joined-up organisation - including its business partners. Both our IT and business teams felt that Cisco really seems to know what it is doing."
The Cisco Unified Communications system at Norton Rose's headquarters comprises Cisco Unified CallManager, 1,500 Cisco Unified IP Phones including Cisco IP Communicator softphone applications, 1,400 Cisco Unity messaging seats, Cisco Unified MeetingPlace and Cisco Unified Contact Centre to support an internal virtual IT helpdesk service. Norton Rose's global network comprises Cisco foundation technologies built using Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches, Cisco Catalyst 3750 Series Switches, Cisco 4400 Series Wireless LAN Controllers and Cisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances to manage and monitor network security. The Cisco Unified Communications system at Norton Rose is being implemented by Affiniti, a Cisco Gold Certified Partner.
"Legal firms are under tremendous pressure to be in the know about all matters relating to client cases, around the clock," said David Meads, director of commercial midmarket, Cisco UK. "With a connected workplace, law firms can ensure business continuity, have easy access to information, deliver a responsive client service, increase productivity, and reduce costs connecting legal teams anywhere, anytime, regardless of geography."
About Norton Rose
Norton Rose is a leading international legal practice. We offer a full business law service from our offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Knowing how our clients' businesses work and understanding what drives their industries is fundamental to us. Our lawyers share industry knowledge and sector-specific expertise across borders, enabling us to support our clients anywhere in the world. We are strong in corporate finance; financial institutions; energy and infrastructure; transport; and technology.
We have the resources to deliver 1,000 lawyers across our offices in Amsterdam, Athens, Bahrain, Bangkok, Beijing, Brussels, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Jakarta (Associate office), London, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Piraeus, Prague, Rome, Shanghai, Singapore and Warsaw. More detailed information is available on our website at: www.nortonrose.com
