Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a secure internal messaging service that organizes your discussions and shared documents and tasks by matter (see article below), and three password managers that work on computers, tablets, and smartphones. Don't miss the next issue.
AN EMAIL REPLACEMENT FOR INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
Thanks to the app explosion of the past few years, enterprise software companies have adopted some consumer software trends — most notably messaging apps for internal communication and collaboration. This started with Yammer, which HipChat and Slack have since surpassed by offering a better user experience. But none of these tools are designed for law firms. A new product seeks to change this state of affairs.
ThreadKM … in One Sentence
Launched today, ThreadKM is a secure internal messaging and collaboration service that integrates with legal software.
The Killer Feature
ThreadKM works via native apps for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. You start by creating a "Workspace" for each matter. You can limit access to specific colleagues. Each Workspace can have an unlimited number of topic-specific "Threads" for group discussion (e.g., create a Thread to discuss a deposition).
In addition to text messages, you can share data such as web addresses. ThreadKM automatically displays a live hyperlink for web addresses and displays a snippet from that web page. ThreadKM stamps every message with a time stamp, and groups messages by day. You can search a specific Thread or the entire Workspace.
"Most lawyers who are overwhelmed with email have found instant messaging isn't a solution because information becomes so scattered quickly," ThreadKM CEO Dan Hauck tells us. "ThreadKM solves this problem by organizing and saving conversations in searchable, matter-centric spaces."
Other Notable Features
ThreadKM enables you to share documents (including photos) within Threads. Each Workspace contains a special area called Files where you can find all shared documents. Integrations with Clio and iManage enable you to share documents directly from those apps. ThreadKM indexes all shared documents to make them searchable — including scanned documents thanks to built-in OCR.
Each Workspace also contains an area for Tasks. ThreadKM offers a Kanban-Style task management system. This "lean" approach uses a series of columns such as "To Do," "Doing," and "Completed." Every task appears on a card within a column. The card also lists the person assigned to the task, the due date, and notes with status updates and roadblocks. This system enables you to visualize the status of a matter you're managing.
What Else Should You Know?
ThreadKM offers two configurations. Law firms with fewer than 50 users use the hosted version at $29 per month per user ($24 if paid annually). This version provides you with unlimited Workspaces, 10 GB of storage per user, and email support. Larger firms with more than 50 users must use the Enterprise version, which you can host in the cloud or on your own server. This version includes integrations with Active Directory, IntegrationBuilder, and WallBuilder as well as priority email and telephone support. You can try ThreadKM for free. Learn more about ThreadKM.
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