383 / 482
GAZETTE
OCTOBER 1989
Solicitors Computer Systems
What Next?
Unix -v- Networking
The following is the text of an address given at the Solicitors Financial
Controllers Association Seminar, Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny on 15th
September, 1989.
Recent developments of Computer Systems for Solicitors Offices
have gone badly awry. Considering the present level of automation
in Irish solicitors practices, it is surprising that the new standards
have been set for those who wish to acquire computer systems. We
can take some consolation from the knowledge that the situation
in Britain and America is, if anything, worse.
Hereunder, I describe the Solicitors' Computer System of the
future and debate the methods likely to be used in the Office of the
1990s.
STANDARDS
In 1985 the Technology Committee
of the Law Society set a code of
standards, which were, in effect,
minimum contractual requirements
for those supplying the profession.
In the early days these standards
protected the legal profession from
unscrupulous computer salesmen
and led to a successful implementa-
tion of basic computer systems in
solicitors offices. However, despite
massive changes in the market in
the last t wo years, no clear
standards have been set for the new
systems of the 90s.
Solicitors have now become quite
dependent on computers but find it
hard to trust them. As neither the
Law Society nor the industry has
established any new standards, the
busy solicitor's firm, without clear
guidance, is afraid to invest heavily
in new technology, while other pro-
fessions, particularly the Account-
ants, are marching ahead. Many
solicitors have turned to their
accountants to advise them on
computer acquisition. I believe this
to be a serious mistake. So, what
next?
WHAT NEXT?
The Flexible Computer System
• The flexible computer system
will be a tool for producing docu-
ments or accounts as heretofore,
but it will also be a storage
method for the legal information
which passes through the office,
which the Solicitor needs for the
conduct of his affairs.
By
Frank Lan i gan
So l i c i t o r*
It will be less obsolescent. The
Solicitors office will not have a
computer system which will go
out of date over-night.
It will be able to cope with the
changes required by 1992, the
restriction of traditional methods
of fee creation and the extension
of areas of work available to the
Solicitors profession in informa-
tion technology and financial
and property Services.
It will not be tied down to any
single computer vendor or
proprietary operating system
and will not be restricted in
terms of expansion.
Information gathered elsewhere
on other computer systems will
be capable of being transferred
to it.
It will be able to carry out word
processing, accounts, time re-
cording and costing, payroll,
internal data base, client
information, archive and library
facilities, communications to
data bases such as the Land
Registry, the Companies Office,
financial and property services,
online banking etc.
It will be capable of performing
a substantial number of tasks all
at the one time.
As new services become avail-
able it will be able to take them
on board without fuss or great
expense.
DO FLEXIBLE SYSTEMS EXIST?
YES! Some years ago such a multi
purpose computer system would
have been a mainframe computer
with data processing and word
processing facilities, an administra-
tion manager, a huge maintenance
contract and rigid operating
procedures.
This is no longer the case. The
advent of multi-user systems, with
the capacity to carry out this work
has reduced the cost and brought
this type of flexible system to reality
and within the budget of most
firms.
WHAT ARE MULTI-USER AND
NETWORK SYSTEMS?
Multi-User Systems
A Multi-User System is one where-
by there is a Central Computer/
Processor and a series of non-
Frank Lanigan.
361