Support : Publications : Chronolog Archives : Jan/Feb 2003

Within the Law — Dialog Works with Major Firm to Provide Information Solutions for Corporate Web Site and Intranet

The information requirements of professional service companies such as law firms are numerous. Finding a service that provides current-awareness and relevant, focused industry news is paramount to the success of any firm striving to maintain a high level of service and professionalism for their clients.

One large law firm, headquartered in the southeastern United States — Powell, Goldstein, Fraser & Murphy LLP — relies on the Dialog NewsEdge current awareness, business information and news to provide industry and world news to power its external corporate Web site. Dialog NewsEdge also provides targeted news for the firm's intranet to keep partners and associates aware of events that may impact their clients and the industries in which they compete.

"Previously, PGF&M used the resources of another service to provide needed information to its partners, associates and clients. The firm's Librarian and its Director of Knowledge Management realized that, without granularity and relevancy, the results given by this former source for news were often too general to provide any meaningful insight and knowledge for use in protecting their clients' interests," notes Sales Representative Miguel Restrepo. The solution for these two key power users is the Dialog NewsEdge service. It offers several solutions to provide timely and authoritative news that can shape their business. In addition, they have access to the unmatched searchable archival resources of Dialog through Dialog NewsEdge. Finally, as a Web-based application hosted by Dialog, Dialog NewsEdge eases the burden of hosting and maintenance by the firm's IT department.

"PGF&M became familiar with the Dialog NewsEdge service through their longstanding relationship with another member of the Thomson Legal and Regulatory family: West," states Restrepo. "PGF&M realized that the capabilities of Thomson Legal and Regulatory are extensive and saw an immediate benefit in using a 'one-stop shop' approach to gathering not only the key legal, regulatory and business information legal professionals demand but also current-awareness and industry-focused news that gives their people an advantage."

Dialog NewsEdge provides an overview of the general news the firm makes available on its public Web site through a package of editor-reviewed news on broad legal issues. As a full-service law firm, PGF&M felt their public Web site should present useful legal and regulatory information to those who visit the site. Dialog also delivers content via the firm's intranet that features focused, industry-oriented news further customized to provide the utmost in relevancy. In fact, PGF&M personnel use the content on their intranet to monitor news on actual client companies including a leading Fortune 500 retailer.

"The collective intelligence of Dialog products including highly focused content on internal and external Web portals is shared with and utilized every day by more than 600 employees and the international client base of PGF&M," notes Restrepo. "This is a true case where our customer understands the value of current awareness and relevant business information and is using this knowledge to benefit not only themselves, but their clients as well."

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