Virtual BigHand Delivers Maximum Dictation Flexibility
BigHand today announced that U.K. law firm Howard Kennedy has become the first firm to implement a digital dictation workflow system using VMware’s Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). VDI is embedded within the VMware virtual computing environment, and will enable Howard Kennedy to provide all its lawyers with remote access to their desktops while out of the office. BigHand has partnered with Howard Kennedy to integrate its software with VDI, enabling lawyers to dictate at home or while travelling, and to send the dictation directly to their secretaries for typing.
BigHand digital dictation is now being used by more than 200 lawyers and secretaries across the firm. BigHand’s BlackBerry dictation application is also being used by lawyers to record, edit, and instantly send dictation to the BigHand workflow system. Lawyers who are away from their offices on client business can continue to submit dictations, just as if they were still sat at their desks. Dictation is processed by the firm’s own secretaries, or forwarded to their outsourcing partner Voicepath for typing. This ensures a rapid turnaround of all client work, regardless of when it is created, or where in the world the dictation originates.
"We were particularly attracted to the flexibility offered by BigHand, both in terms of its Blackberry remote dictation, and their commitment to developing integration with the VDI remote desktop," says John Rogers, head of information technology at Howard Kennedy. "VDI is opening up new ways of working, and BigHand’s integration means that lawyers can work just as well away from the office as when they are here. We’ve already had users working from many locations around the world, including Ireland, Malta, France and the Cayman Islands. Several of our partners work part-time from home, and VDI integration enables them to submit work from home and have it sent out to clients the same day. This, together with the Blackberry integration, frees lawyers from being tied to their desks and enables them to provide a better service to their clients."