Time Matters 11 with its new mobility features are right around the corner.  Is your network ready for the upgrade?

Make sure to check out the latest system requirements and compatibility list.  http://support.lexisnexis.com/iTimeMatters/record.asp?articleid=9243

** Special note to those Wordpefect Users who hold on to their old versions, its time to update only versions newer than version 12 will be supported

There are some great new features in Time Matters 11.0 including the fantastic new mobility mobile application which gives you access securely using the Windows Azure cloud to your TM information.  ITP personally tested the product pre-release and it is a fantastic window into the future of what Lexis is bringing to the platform.  Time Matters 11 will also have increased links to other accounting programs such as PCLaw and Quickbooks.

Contact ITP for an upgrade readiness questionnaire and get o the calendar to get upgraded!

We work with large firms running TM on SQL servers doing replication to ensure consistency across the U.S. but we also work with solo’s and small firms running TM on desktops.  Keep in mind that Time Matters does need SQL server which will utilize about 1.5GB of RAM at almost all times.  So having a desktop with a minimum of 4GB of RAM is advisable in a peer to peer environment.

When setting up the desktops make sure you have the Windows firewall and any anti virus set to allow both SQL and the Time Matters program files through on both PC’s.  Also make sure you set both desktops to be a part of the same HOMEGROUP and the same WORKGROUP.  This will ensure you have correct permissions when the install is done.

Pick one PC to be the “Server” and install TM and the database.  Then located the data folder and share that folder in the workgroup and homegroup.  Then go to the 2nd PC and map that shared folder as a network drive and make sure you can copy a file to it and delete it.  This is just a test for permissions settings.  Then install TM on the 2nd machine.

You should be all set.  A few things to remember in a peer to peer network.  The “Server” machine must be on for the 2nd machine to work.  Changing the Server machine’s name or other network settings may cause disruption for the 2nd computer.  Be careful of Windows updates on the “Server” machine as they can often make changes or reset settings necessary for the peer to peer connection to continue to work.

Good Luck!

Today I was showing customers how you can run Time Matters in your Ipad.  That is right your practice management while your on the go on an instant-on device from anywhere in the world.

What tools do you need?

1.  An Apple Ipad or HP Slate

2.  A Remote Desktop App like “Mocha Remote Desktop” from the Apple App Store

3.  RDP access to your machine or terminal server

4.  Dropbox.com Account

With Dropbox setup on your desktop or server syncing your files you can view your files in the RDP session or open them directly from a number of Document apps to even be able to edit your Word docs on the go!

Share your stories of your remote access or contact us to find out how you can leverage these new technologies.

If you get something like the below error in Time Matters:

DOCNAME.docx is a mail merge main document.  Word cannot find its data source.”  Then it gives me two buttons: Find Data Source or Options.  If I push Options, it gives me a message that says, “If the mail merge data/header source no longer exists, choose Remove Data/Header Source to remove its association with DOCNAME.docx or choose Remove All Merge Info to make DOCNAME.docx a normal Word document.

This is an indication of a corrupt merge data file.

1.  To solve it open a blank word doc and copy the the entire template into it then save it over the old template
2.  To prevent it- work on template changes in a separate folder and when ready do step 1 to copy them clean into the live directory.

Thanks to all over 600 of you who joined us on the mobility webinar. If you would like more information a consultation, training or turnkey server solution to support your mobile goals feel free to contact us (1.877.539.7274). We also have the Whitepaper available in advance right here: Mobile Devices Whitepaper. Excerpt below:
The Rise in Mobile Devices

The rise of mobile devices has been exponential over the past 5 years. There are many reasons for this, but the most prevalent is that they allow people to communicate faster and more effectively than ever before. The ability to have access to e-mail, contacts, calendar, and other data has made them an extremely valuable tool for today’s legal professional. Hence the rise of the mobile device as today’s “always-on” business tool. Yet, there are downsides to all technologies and mobile devices are not without their share. Beginning with the multitude of devices available today to the changing landscape services, features, and functions available on each device, finding a the right device can be a challenge. Additionally, matching a device to your personal needs, technical requirements of your network, and your practice management tool can be next to impossible without assistance from an IT professional. Often finding the right device is a matter of breaking down the different features it provides.

Contact Joe Ulm at Information Technology Professionals today to setup a consultation on your next mobile office deployment or about ITP’s mobile device network review and training packages. Paul Hager and other ITP engineers are available to travel to your organization and provide a complete training and setup packages for your mobile workforce. 1.877.539.7274

We continue to get calls from excited offices that have just deployed new desktops and servers from their IT company and are confused why TM 9 and older are not up and running. Time Matters 10 is the only version which works on Windows 7. It also works with SBS 2008 and Exchange 2007. We believe Exchange 2010 support will be coming in the next service release or the final release of Time Matters 10 into Time Matters 11. Remember that companies are constantly required to update their entire programs for new OS releases and thus its impossible for Time Matters 7 to have predicted the changes in data execution or the kernal took in Vista/Windows 7 releases.

We tell firms all the time they certainly can stay on older versions but keep in mind that OS’s, mobile devices, office versions, word perfect versions will continue to advance to a point where old programs cannot keep up. If you have programs like Quickbooks you understand eventually you have to upgrade….

No way around this one if you want the latest tech and TM… its time to upgrade.

Another Time Matters Professional Version 7 rescue story last week for a firm in South LA. We get calls all the time across the country with people on old versions of TM which they have run on for years. I don’t blame you a few months ago the Department of Defense called and they are on Version 3.0! They have some hoops to jump through before letting people in the doors for upgrades.

Lexis Nexis AMP policy is changing. Right now if you are on version 7 or older EVEN IF you have a support plan their tech support won’t let us CIC’s access some restricted tools that are critical to fixing major problems.

What happened in Sunny CA? IT firm put in new servers with latest operating systems and TM stopped working. Why? Because when TM 7 was made Server 2008, 64bit and even Vista did not exist.

We understand the desire to keep costs down but we see week after week firm’s pay much MORE because they waited and now work must be done rapidly to convert/salvage data reimport and fix databases.

Contact us today for a free quote and DB analysis and make 2010 the year you reinvest in practice management. We can train your company on how to get the most from these fantastic programs!

On Tuesday of this week Lexis announced a change in its Annual Maintenance Plan (AMP) policy. If you have a current AMP with Lexis this change won’t immediately affect you, however, it will likely make a difference in the way you evaluate your AMP when your current one expires. If you don’t have a current AMP, it is critically important to be aware of this change because there is a “grace” period extending through April 30^th where there will be no fee to reinstate your AMP.

AMP Policy Change

In short, Lexis has changed their AMP policy so that if you are without an AMP for a period of time, you will be subject to a reinstatement fee in order to acquire another AMP. In essence, what this means is that if your AMP expires and a month goes by before you renew your AMP, you will be charged a reinstatement fee equal to 1/12 of the total cost of your AMP. Lexis has created a FAQ page that explains the policy change along with more specifics about the reinstatement fee. You can find that information here. 

Ultimately this model for maintenance is common throughout the software industry, and I’m surprised Lexis didn’t go to it a while ago.  Some firms will be annoyed with the change and I suppose that’s only to be expected.  I can see their point of view: they don’t want to be forced into paying for their software unless they decide they want to pay for it.  However, from a technology managment standpoint it is always a quality business decision to keep your practice management software current on maintenance.  Too much risk of downtime and, consequently, loss of productivity should it go down if you don’t.  Anyhow, I know that opinion won’t ring true for everyone.  Nonetheless the question now is whether to AMP or not to AMP (yeah, bad joke, I know).  Still, I believe with all the benefits that come with an AMP most firms will find it to be a good business investment.

Last week Lexis released Service Pack 1 for Time Matters 10.  What does this mean to you?  It means:

• If you have a current Annual Maintenance Plan (AMP) with Lexis and you’ve been waiting to upgrade, you can have confidence that the initial issues have been worked out of the product. 
• If you don’t have an AMP and you’re on an earlier version, you may want to consider purchasing one.  With the initial issues addressed and Lexis providing some deep discounts through December, this is one of the best times to consider an upgrade (see my blog post about how to decide whether an AMP is right for your firm).
• If you have TM 10 and you’re on a current AMP, installing the service pack is a pretty painless process.  Contact us at your convenience for more details.

For the service release notes, click here

Since Lexis changed its support model for Time Matters and Billing Matters, I have discussed the value of an Annual Maintenance Plan (AMP) with dozens of firms.  Consequently, I thought it might be valuable to provide some information on the criteria many firms use to make this decision.  Granted, this single post isn’t necessarily a comprehensive guide to deciding whether an AMP is right for your firm, but it should at least provide a structure for seeing how other firms have navigated through the same decision making process.

Ultimately, the question is whether purchasing maintenance on your Time Matters software would be a quality business decision for your  firm.  First, however, it is important to define exactly what you’re purchasing when you buy an AMP:

Time Matters AMP – Pricing Model & Structure:

There is no longer an option to upgrade to the newest version of TM. Instead, Lexis has lowered their prices significantly and changed to a “maintenance” similar to what you find with your antivirus software.  In this model, your are either in maintenance or out of maintenance. When you are in maintenance you get:

• The newest version of the software (in this case TM 10)
• Unlimited technical support from Lexis (telephonic)
• Access to their TM “university” (knowledge base, how-to videos, etc.)

Once you know what you get with an AMP, you can begin to apply “value” to the plan.  Usually, this entails 3 components: technical considerations, business considerations, and purchase price.

Technical  Considerations:

• Time Matters 10 includes additional functionality over previous versions (especially if you are on TM8 or earlier)
• Time Matters 10 is more stable than previous versions, operates on a better database, and it integrates with most of the newest smart phones and other peripherals
• Time Matters 10 is compatible with new software (Windows 7) and will maintain compatibility with newly released software  like MS Office 2010 (anticipated release early next year).
• When your TM program has supported compatibility with other programs, it is running on a quality database, and you have access to TM support, your costs for maintaining the program decrease significantly (administrative time a consultant would need to assist you with its operation).

Business Considerations:

• Although a quality CIC can support almost all your Time Matters needs, there will inevitably be a time when the CIC needs to contact TM support for assistance (there are areas of the program that are locked down, secured from all but Lexis personnel, for instance). Without an AMP, support directly from Lexis is unavailable.
• Lexis no longer provides an option for “pay-per-incident” support. So if, for example, the program is unavailable at some time (goes down) and your CIC needs Lexis’ support, you will get hit with a much larger bill for getting on their maintenance program at that time (assuming a well planned decision to be on support will cost less than a panicked, I’m-down-I-need-support-now decision.  I’ve found this phenomenon to be entirely true – every time).
• So much of your firm’s data is in Time Matters. The risk this poses to the firm is significant because if the program fails, productivity drops drastically. Without being on maintenance getting support from Lexis will take much longer.   Consequently, you will have more downtime which equals a greater loss of productivity/profitability. 
• Lexis is working hard to move firms into an environment where their software can thrive and the recipe is quite simple: engage a CIC for service and stay current on your AMP.  This “push” has encouraged them to be very aggressive when it comes to pricing.

There are even more reasons really, but ultimately, it all comes down to risk and cost. Almost all the firms we work with find the cost of the maintenance is now at a rate that makes it enviable to purchase (i.e. the cost is worth it for the reduced risk, greater uptime, greater functionality, etc.).  However, we still work with a few firms that are comfortable with the risk.  Either way, almost all firms consider the criteria above when making a decision.