Time collection and billing is crucial to any law office. Lately, almost every crucial law office task is getting some assistance from the Internet and its user-friendly overlay, the World Wide Web, and time collection and billing is no exception. Last week we looked at the new Web-based time collection facility from Sage US, the Timeslips folks. The product was a convenient way for confirmed Timeslips users to input their time, as long as they were near a Web browser. At a cost of between $10 and $50 per year to access the separately licensed Timeslips database, the company’s Web-based feature was affordable, but require an “always-on” high speed connection to work well. Timeslips Remote, which can be used installed on a laptop or home computer costs $130 per installation, but can be used when you’re “off line” and want to enter time and expensive information. Web-based, thin client “rent-an-app” time and billing is also available from elite.com and TimeBills.com. Elite.com’s TimeSolv offers a variety of new reports and Web-based billing presentment, and lowered its cost a bit. TimeBills has changed its name to OpenAir and is in the process of adding an off line data entry application similar to TimeSolv’s TimeSync add-on. Both programs are getting better and beginning to provide a real alternative to law firms accustomed to Thick Client time and billing applications.
OPENAIR
