Time & Billing

DTE 2001

Advanced Productivity Software Inc. has released two timekeeping software products to help attorneys track, monitor, and report time, DTE 2001 Enterprise and DTE 2001 Professional.

Both editions include:

"ReportBuilder" to create and distribute reports to track productivity; an improved calendar view with weekly totals;

"TimeSaver" interface with greater control and convenience for improved accuracy; and

"Goal Tracking," with color-coded tools to track billable hours against goals.

Information: Reader Response no. 252.

Carpe Diem

Carpe Diem Electronic Time Sheet 4.0, is the latest version of the time and expense tracking software from Sage U.S. Hold-ings Inc. Now available in Web-based and Windows-based versions, the upgrade offers two-way mobile synchronization.

It automatically lists recently used validation records, and its "SmarTimers" function shows accumulated totals of billable and non-billable time. The Web version offers a redesigned interface, but does not include the custom report designer.

Information: Reader Response no. 254.

PFM 6.0

PeerPoint Technologies Inc. has debuted Professional Fee Manager 6.0,task-based billing management and analysis software that provides enhanced electronic workflow tools to move invoices through the approval hierarchy. The new edition includes automatic read-and-response tools for e-mails, reports the Texas-based company.

Information: Reader Response no. 253.

Elite & Oracle

Elite Information Group Inc. says its enterprise time-and-billing and practice management systems will support Oracle databases by the end of 2001.

The move to support Oracle will allow Elite to serve a wider array of professional services firms, it explains.

Elite currently supports several versions of Informix and Microsoft SQL Server, including SQL Server 2000, and will support Oracle 8i, and Oracle 9i upon its release.

Information: Reader Response no. 255.

Puzzle Solved!

Running: Microsoft Outlook (Office XP), on an IBM ThinkPad 600E, Windows 2000.

The problem: When trying to address e-mails, and clicking on the "to" button to create an e-mail, names from Contacts would not sort Last Name/First Name (or First Name/Last Name), making it incredibly annoying to try to address e-mail.

The answer: From the desktop, with Outlook closed, right click on the Outlook icon. From there, select "Properties," then select "E-mail Accounts," and then "View or change existing address book." Find your address book, and select "Change." You can then choose to list contacts by First Name/Last Name or vice-versa.

Note: To set LN/FN or FN/LN in main Contacts, go to Outlook Toolbar: Hit "Tools," then "Preferences," then "Contacts," then "Contacts Options."

Answer Man: David Jaffe, of Microsoft Corp.

Do you have a tech mystery you can't solve? Describe it (very briefly) and we'll try to find the answer for you. E-mail: lawtech@amlaw.com.