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One major London firm has installed wi-fi 'hotspots' in its front-of-house to allow clients the freedom of internet access from their laptops. Ken Young reports;
 
Gone are the days of sitting on comfy chairs while leafing through the latest copy of Legal Week in the foyer of your relationship adviser.

Nowadays, clients and visitors are more likely to open their laptops and make use of the available wireless internet connections to get down to a spot of research, check a few e-mails or connect back to the office extranet.

Technology pioneers
Linklaters’ Silk Street London office has become possibly the first law firm premises in the UK to take advantage of wi-fi technology to offer ‘hotspot’ services to all areas of the building used by visitors.

The process began six months ago when the firm began reviewing the service it was offering to clients.

As a result, Linklaters realised that some kind of wireless offering would be of significant benefit if it could be installed and maintained at a reasonable cost.

The firm was also responding to the requests of clients, increasingly asking if such a service was available.

The firm looked at a handful of offerings available, notably those from the leading mobile and fixed operators, but in the end opted for a company that has focused its business solely on delivering wi-fi services to professional services firms.

Dean Terrell, IT manager at Linklaters,explains how the magic circle firm came to choose its preferred partner: "We looked at a range of offerings but in the end opted for the visitorxs system because the firm — of the same name — was focused on our kind of business.

"Many of the other offerings wanted to exploit our ability to offer a hotspot and wanted to brand it more strongly. With the visitorxs system we were able to maintain our own branding and choose not to opt for a revenue-sharing scheme of usage-charging."

As a result, Linklaters was able to get a more service-oriented offering based on vouchers controlling access to the system that could be managed from the reception area.

Tech specs
The system is based on the PatronSoft FirstSpot windows-based WLAN server system, which sits outside the internal network to ensure complete security and integrity of the firm’s IT systems.

There are 26 access points housed in small white enclosures on three floors covering the reception area, 71 meeting rooms, an auditorium, the restaurant and training rooms.

A central authentication server is located at the suppliers’ site and linked via a broadband connection.

When a laptop user connects to the system through an access point and the user opens a web browser, the visitorxs access server sends a secure web page to the browser for the user to enter their details and submit this to the authentication server.

If successful, the access server routes data packets between the wireless device and the internet.

For guests and clients, a voucher scheme is operated.

When checking in at the reception desk they are asked if they would like to have access to the network.

If needed they are provided with a card that allows connection for as many hours as they specify.

The system was installed and is maintained by wireless specialist visitorxs. It is managed and supported by the front of house technical department.

"Uptake has been high, particularly among clients engaged in transactions, as the service enables them to access documentation from their work computers," Terrell says.

"The service is extremely beneficial to clients while they are working by easing the access and movement of current data and information.

It is all part of the commitment to providing the highest quality service and support to our clients."

Feel the benefits
Linklaters says there are numerous benefits being enjoyed as a result. These include:

• access points are small and discreet;
• clients enjoy the freedom to use their laptops as they wish to retrieve e-mail, search the internet, or access extranets;
• connectivity continues to meeting rooms and around the building;
• connectivity is free to clients; and
• the network is available during all hours the offices are open.

Client services manager Colette Soloman insists that implementation of the system has been straightforward.

Soloman says: "When clients come in we ask if they want to use the service and if so we issue them with a voucher that has the password details. The main benefit is that it is a really simple solution from our perspective, and only occasionally have we needed technical support to help a client gain access."

Terrell speaks of a ‘feel-good factor’ that comes from knowing that, while the system is much appreciated by clients, there are numerous indirect benefits for the firm.

He comments: "Now we spend less time prestaging equipment for clients in meeting rooms and the auditorium. We find they bring their own equipment and we do not even have to think about whether there is adequate connectivity in the room they are using."

Coping with demand
Currently, the system gets approximately five users per day, totalling up to around 30 in an average week.

However, Terrell says that the system has already had to cope with much larger numbers of simultaneous users, suggesting that the system could cater for as many as 100 users at the same time if necessary.

Since launching in March the system has had some 600 users. Users can contact reception to have their time limit extended if they find they have underestimated their requirements.

Terrell adds: "My advice to [law] firms considering doing this kind of thing is to keep it simple.

It is very easy to specify a complex system but our experience shows that the key is having a straightforward installation provided by specialists in wi-fi.

"We considered doing it ourselves but we found that visitorxs has a far simpler solution which did not compromise our security."

The firm ensured that clients were aware of the service by placing discreet posters in the reception area and in meeting rooms.

Clients are also asked if they wish to take a token when entering the building.

"Awareness has grown pretty quickly and [clients] seem pleasantly surprised that we have found such a simple solution that is free at the point of contact," says Terrell.

"It is easier to use than services they come across in public places and we are even finding that clients are now asking for this kind of provision in bid documents, so it is now a key selling point for Linklaters."

Wi-fi may be a way of selling more coffee for the likes of Starbucks and Cafe Nero, but for Linklaters it appears to have become an essential service offering that is a major bonus to clients visiting their London office.

The firm now plans to install similar services in other Linklaters offices as need dictates.

Author: Ken Young
Source: Legal Week
Start Date: 08/09/2005
End Date: 15/09/2005