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GAZETTE
DECEMBER 1989
This operating system is a single-
user based system. As a result it
carries inherent problems from an
organisational point of view. While
these may not be apparent to a
network user initially, the limitations
of such a system become apparent
with use and when the question of
development or expansion comes
up. As the system was designed for
single users, a network is therefore
a collection of single-users with all
the problems that this entails.
I believe that Network systems as
recommended to the legal pro-
fession by consultants have serious
design, specification and organisa-
tional limitations because:-
• The single-user, single function
design of the terminals is not
suitable to the multiple functions
required in a solicitor's practice.
The technology, being single-
user in concept, is generally
unproven in the legal market.
• There is no easy access to the
code with which the component
programs are written.
• The latest network word pro-
cessing systems are standard-
ised for general use but cannot
easily be geared towards the
Solicitor's specific requirements.
• If the network is based on a
particular word processing
system such as WordPerfect,
Multimate, Wordstar etc. it is tied
into it. Unlike Unix, no special
software such as accounts or
data base can be readily
integrated w i th the word
processing software provided.
This restricts development.
• It lacks a windowing facility to
enable multi-tasking to be done
at any given time, e.g. accounts,
word processing, data base, all
on line. Therefore, moving
between functions is laborious
and time consuming. The
organisation required by the
central administration is quite
complex. This means that an
office administrator is required,
who must be highly trained in
the use of a network system,
with consequent rigidity in its
use and expansion. This is hardly
labour-saving. If you do not have
an administrator, one amateur
operator could undo months of
work.
• In a network, each person is
totally independent from the
other. There is no uniformity in
the information and no super-
visory access by the system
administrator or the Solicitors
using the system. It is hard to
set standards as between
different users.
• Networking systems have been
very uneven in their application.
Some have been disastrous. In
the absence of guidance, the
legal profession is at sea in
practical terms.
• The principle of the network
requires that, if you need a
precedent document from the
system, you must first find it! If
this is successful, you then copy
it over from the P.C. or file server
onto your own P.C. If a number
of users attempt to copy a
particular document at a given
time this can lead to problems.
There is also a heavy use of the
computer system leading to
slow-down or blockage.
• In a network some of the users
do not use up the available space
on their P.C.'s, while others over-
use, w i t h consequent de-
gradation in the network.
• If the network consists of disk-
less workstations then there is
the ultimate degradation result-
ing from a multi-user concept in
a single-user environment . . . a
computer with nowhere to go.
Because each user in a network
tends to develop his own pre-
cedent bank, there is no uni-
formity. This means that a lot of
material copied over on a regu-
lar back up is unnecessary and
there is a huge amount of
duplication. Housekeeping can
become an impossible problem
without severe central control.
Why then do solicitors buy
networks?
Because their accountants tell
them to do so!
Accountants have set up con-
sultancy services to advise on
computer systems. Accountants
have taken to PCs heavily and
believe in them. This is because the
accountants work suits a PC
environment, everybody doing their
own special work, low central pro-
cessing requirements and a multi-
plicity of figure-based programs off
the shelf such as Lotus 1-2-3-,
Supercalc and Dbase III. Word
processing and document product-
ion are lower in their priorities.
This suits accountants but are
wholly inappropriate for solicitors
because
accountants
process
figures but solicitors
process
words.
The sooner solicitors start
advising their own the better.
Conclusion
This paper is a debate between
multi-user and networking systems
in the solicitors office.
The writer plumps for multi-user
systems. They are now tried and
tested. They are based on the
highly successful Unix operating
system, which, like the solicitor of
the future, has the ability to be
flexible.
With the development of 80386
and 80486 technology and the
massive arrival of computer-giant
I.B.M. into the Unix arena, Unix has
a bright and established future.
My conclusion is that the legal
office system of the immediate
future will be a Unix system, be
multi functional, multi tasking,
multi-user, be capable of running a
Solicitors office in word processing,
accounts, data base, information
retrieval, external data bases,
electronic mail and external com-
munications etc. Such a computer
is and will be the main tool in the
internal organisation of the suc-
cessful Solicitors office.
'Frank Lanigan is a Solicitor practising
in Carlow. He is a former chairman of
the Law Society's Technology Com-
mittee and is Chairman of Star Com-
puters (Ireland) Ltd., and Managing
Director of QZRS Ltd.
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