Imagine if you will, logging into a virtual desktop via your browser. Viewing all your favorite RSS feeds, todays weather, news, your kids soccer schedule, a bunch of stickies (post-its) you added to your primary workspace. You see Jim from accounting has left you a post-it. Expense reimbursement check is approved.
You click your second workspace and you are greeted with the document you were working on last night from home. Again, you have stickies everywhere. >Bling!< You recognize the new eMail bell. You click the eMail fly menu and immediately you see Sue has sent you a Thank You for your help on that deposition last week. You reply and close your eMail. You begin to scan your RSS feeds >Wonk!< only to be interrupted. A Event Alert appears. You have a meeting in 15 Minutes to discuss the Miller case with the client and several Staff members. You open the Matter dashboard and see that Miller is already highlighted because there is a Event for it today. You quickly scan the dashboard and see that there is a To do you assigned as a task for Doug down the hall relating to this meeting.
You click the Roster fly menu and see Doug is online. You select Doug's name and click IM. The chat window appears. A few seconds pass and Doug's name appears in the chat window alongside yours. Doug has accepted your invite to chat. "Hey" says Doug. Hey, we have that meeting regarding Miller in a few minutes. You reply. I can see on my To do list that you completed the Case Law review I assigned you. What were your findings? In particular, issue number 4. "Sue, I created a Word spread sheet outlining all the details. Sorry I didn't mention that in the To do notes. The document is checked in. Search for 'Miller findings'" Doug replies. Oh, Ok, great. You click the document repository fly menu and type "Miller f". >strum< 13 Documents a Matter and two To do's instantly appear. You select Doug's document and it begins to download. You switch over to chat again and type "Thanks Doug, see you in a few" and you click Exit Room. Chat closes and you select the document you just downloaded and send it to the printer near the conference room.
You click your Calendar fly menu and quickly view everything you have going on today. It looks like you have several events scheduled for you later this morning by your secretary.
You click your Matter fly menu and can see that you have two Matters with Events occurring this morning. >Wonk!<" an Alert appears. You have a Meeting in 5 minutes" Oh you think to yourself. Better get going to that meeting. You click your user profile and send a Twitter Tweet "In meeting but I have golf on my mind" you click send.
You close your laptop and take it with you. Stopping by the copier you grab Doug's Miller Findings document you just printed. You head into the conference room where 4 other Staff members have already gathered. After a smile and a nod or two you take your seat open your laptop and get back to what you were doing.
Looking at your Matter Dash board you select Miller vs JJ Hewitt and select the client under Contacts. You select the client and quickly type a reminder eMail about the meeting. You provide the conference room number and click send.
Hmm, I wonder if I can get 9 holes in this afternoon. You click your Calendar and schedule a tee time. You check Private so only you can see the appointment details. Your secretary won't be scheduling anything for you this afternoon, you think to yourself. The conference room phone rings, you lean back in your chair and think, It has to be the client. A voice crackles over the speaker Dan Miller here. Sweet, your think to yourself. its going to be a great day.
>Bling< One of your RSS feeds refreshes. Oh shoot. Obama is speaking at the college 4 miles from here. I better find an alternate route. You open the Yahoo map gadget you downloaded last week and check for an alternate route. You remember that the wife will have to pick up the kids and will probably hit that traffic. You click eMail on the map widget, select your Wife's name, type a few loving words and click send.
Glancing at your desktop you see you have $6,339 unbilled and $12,345 billed. Not bad for the beginning of the month.
The senior partner walks into the conference room eventually taking his seat beside you. He turns to you and says, I got you virtual post-it "2 pm tee off is perfect".
Rayan Ali (unauthenticated)
Jul 29, 2009 7:33 PM
It would be heaven on earth, if it really worked that well. I'm concerned about the slowness of a SaaS system. I love the freedom but loathe the lack of pep as compared to a piece of software loaded onto your computer. SaaS is extremely important to me, as we collaborate with clients and other lawyers outside our firm.
Chris Burns (unauthenticated)
Mar 10, 2010 8:12 PM
I have been using Houdini for almost 3 months now and I have to say that what you describe above is pretty much my experience with Houdini. You guys really did a great job. The video on the website just don't do Houdini justice. The depth and breadth of Houdini is amazing.