In this roundup: enterprise relationship discovery software gains ground in AmLaw 100 firms, document assembly updates, an e-discovery caution, and “cool stuff: Google voice queries.” 

Enterprise Relationship Management – Discovery
Legal Technology Insider (UK, #197, April 2007) reports that large Spanish firm Cuatrecasas has purchased ContactNet software. ContactNet identifies connections among people, automatically, by analyzing e-mail traffic and contact lists. Unlike CRM, enterprise relationship management (ERM) is passive. You don’t have to enter information; the software mines existing data. It is useful for marketing, business development, and cross selling. LTI reports ContactNet has “won business from 15 AmLaw top 100 firms, including Wilson Sonsini, Skadden Arps, Mintz Levin, Duane Morris and Sheppard Mullin.”

Document Assembly
Rees Morrison reports in two blog posts on document assembly. Law firms help law departments develop rule-based drafting systems notes that three large law firms (2 in the UK) are using Deal Builder to automate documents for clients, including Microsoft, Cisco, and Amazon. I suppose it’s no surprise that tech companies would lead in using document assembly.

Separately, Additional resources for law departments interested in document assembly reports on 4 new Australian document assembly software products (courtesy of Simon Lewis of Sinch).

E-Discovery
Craig Ball explains the potential e-discovery perils of Vista in Microsoft Brings an Altered Vista to EDD (Law Tech News, 3/14/07). In it, he explains that Microsoft Vista (the latest operating system, intended to replace XP) maintains multiple versions of files, logs user activity, can strongly encrypt files, and makes other changes with potential major implication for e-discovery. He concludes: “For lawyers and litigants who feel like EDD has crept up and kicked them, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Vista et al. paint a broad new horizon over rough seas.”

Cool Stuff
Bob Ambrogi posted Search Google – By Phone. He explains “dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) and a voice takes your query and reports the results [by voice].” I’ve tried it a couple of times and it’s pretty cool. I’ve already put it in my cell phone speed dial and can see using this. How long before Google adds the ability to get directions from where you’re calling?