Am Law 200 firm Dickinson Wright selects NetDocuments’ cloud platform
NetDocuments, the leading secure cloud-based content services platform for law firms, corporate legal teams and compliance departments, today announced that Dickinson Wright, an Am Law 200 firm with 450 attorneys across 19 offices has selected NetDocuments as its secure cloud-based content services platform. The firm, which had been using OpenText’s on-premise eDocs document management system (DMS), selected NetDocuments in order to provide secure centralized, cloud-based document access, within a user-friendly and easy to use DMS platform. In addition, the firm selected ndMail for predictive email filing as well as ndThread for chat-based collaboration.
The firm, led by Anthony Garza, Senior Director of IT, first started looking at DMS alternatives in 2017. “We wanted more flexibility from a new system, mobile access from any device, and overall, a new approach to software design and the user interface,” stated Garza. “What really changed the game for us was NetDocuments’ commitment to security and their willingness to help the firm navigate our cloud-based security challenges. Before choosing NetDocuments, all our systems and applications were on-premise, so we needed to feel good about what the cloud would provide.”
According to Garza, the existing DMS provided technology challenges without delivering needed benefits: “All of our systems are on the premise so the switch to NetDocuments is a shift to a cloud-based approach. With the current de-centralized DMS environment, the firm was always playing catch up related to software updates and server upgrades. With NetDocuments, there will be one central document location, all managed by NetDocuments, providing unprecedented data access flexibility.”
In moving to the NetDocuments cloud platform, the firm will gain overall efficiencies, expedite and streamline workflows, and leverage third-party integrations with existing systems, all within a secure, ISO-certified environment. “User adoption and increased usage of the new DMS, especially via mobile access, will drive compliance and address security and governance concerns,” added Garza.
Compared to other existing document management technologies, NetDocuments’ sophisticated security-as-a-service model, the ease of use interface, and the integration with its AI-powered predictive email filing technology were key differentiators. “Ultimately, the confidence in NetDocuments as a safe, ready and proven native cloud solution was undeniable. In addition, the firm was very impressed with the predictive email filing capabilities of the ndMail product as well as the overall ease of the modern web user interface.”
In terms of ndMail, the integration with the DMS will be critical as well as the predictive integrated email which will make information sharing seamless. Stated Garza: “we were very impressed by the AI capabilities of ndMail and how that will help the firm better share information and increase productivity.”
While the firm anticipates to go-live on NetDocuments in the fall, the initial employee feedback has been extremely positive. “Everybody is excited about the selection. Many of our associates are already familiar with NetDocuments from other firms and their market momentum and leadership position is undeniable so the transition should be seamless,” concluded Garza.
“It is always impressive to see large, full-service firms like Dickinson Wright make the jump to the cloud and fully embrace what the NetDocuments platform has to offer,” said Alvin Tedjamulia, CTO, NetDocuments. “The gains in user adoption, the reliance on our cloud security and compliance model, as well as the ability to integrate existing applications as well as hundreds of certified partner solutions into the platform, will provide the firm with a tangible competitive edge.”
