State Courts Adopt Electronic Filing Solution

Microsoft and BearingPoint Team to Launch Innovative Electronic Filing Solution to State Courts Nationwide

Solution Uses Microsoft .NET Software to Ensure Efficient Exchange of Information Among Attorneys and State Courts

McLean, VA, USA; Redmond, WA, USA. April 8, 2003.

BearingPoint, Inc., one of the world's largest business consulting and systems integration firms, and Microsoft Corp. today introduced an innovative electronic filing solution to state courts nationwide. "eFiling for Courts powered by BearingPoint and Microsoft" takes advantage of the companies' leadership positions in government consulting services and Web services technologies to streamline the process for filing and managing court documents, enabling courts and attorneys to increase efficiencies and improve customer service.

"We're thrilled to team with Microsoft to provide this new eFiling offering, which speeds up the process of filing cases and will help improve the efficiency of state court systems," said Gary Miglicco, BearingPoint's National Director for eGovernment Services. "The development of this solution on Microsoft .NET and open Web services standards significantly benefits our customers by ensuring a simplified, secure, and cost-effective information flow between filers and court clerks."

"The benefits of this solution will accelerate the adoption of electronic filing services by courts and by attorneys across the country," Miglicco added.

A Managed Service Based on .NET

BearingPoint will offer the solution as a managed service, allowing a state court to participate without incurring the cost of acquiring, building, and operating an e-filing system of its own and allowing smaller county courts to easily adopt the solution. The company also plans to offer a revenue sharing option to help states meet the demand for additional online services while increasing their revenue. BearingPoint and Microsoft will jointly market and sell the eFiling solution initially to state and local governments.

"Courts and law firms are demanding sophisticated but easy-to-use electronic filing systems to handle a variety of scenarios -- from complex litigation to simple cases," said Frank Giebutowski, General Manager for Microsoft's state and local government business. "By collaborating with BearingPoint we have developed a comprehensive system built on Microsoft .NET that can adapt to the needs of the entire filing community and courts everywhere."

Using the LegalXML standard schema and Web services standards like Simple Object Access Protocol. (SOAP), eFiling for Courts powered by BearingPoint and Microsoft integrates easily with existing front-end and back-end technology systems and applications, making it straightforward for state courts to adopt the solution and exchange data with attorneys throughout the state, regardless of the systems they are using. Attorneys using e-filing can file documents and make payments to multiple courts through one standard interface accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, enabling them to improve operations and reduce courier and personnel costs.

eFiling for Courts powered by BearingPoint and Microsoft is based on Microsoft technologies, including Windows Server 2000, BizTalk Server, SQL Server database, Internet Security and Acceleration Server, and Visual Studio .NET, Microsoft's rapid application development tool for building next-generation Web applications and XML Web services.

State of Texas Adopts Solution

BearingPoint and Microsoft will take a statewide approach to marketing and selling the eFiling for Courts solution. The two companies have teamed in Texas, where the system is currently in pilot in two counties.

"The TexasOnline Authority, the governing body of Texas' state portal (www.TexasOnline.com), has worked in tandem with BearingPoint and Microsoft to develop a convenient web-based filing capability for the legal community in the State of Texas," said Carolyn Purcell, Chief Information Officer, State of Texas. "Use of the service by our courts can save attorneys time, reduce total-filing costs, and assist courts in becoming more efficient -- this is especially critical in these challenging economic times."

LexisNexis to Bring eFiling to Legal Community

To further accelerate the adoption of eFiling for Courts powered by BearingPoint and Microsoft in the legal community, BearingPoint has also signed a teaming agreement with LexisNexis, the global leader in comprehensive and authoritative legal, news and business information and tailored applications. LexisNexis offers the nation's leading Web-based e-filing solution for law firms, which it will integrate with eFiling for Courts powered by BearingPoint and Microsoft.

"The goal of our joint activities is to enable attorneys to electronically file into any case and court in the nation," said Michele Vivona, Chief Operating Officer, LexisNexis CourtLink. "LexisNexis is eager to combine our legal and e-filing development expertise with the demonstrated experience that BearingPoint delivers in providing government services."

About Microsoft Corp.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software -- any time, any place and on any device.

About BearingPoint, Inc.

BearingPoint, Inc. (NYSE:BE), formerly KPMG Consulting, Inc., is one of the world's largest business consulting, systems integration and managed services firms serving Global 2000 companies, medium-sized businesses, government agencies and other organizations. We provide business and technology strategy, systems design, architecture, applications implementation, network, systems integration and managed services. Our service offerings are designed to help our clients generate revenue, reduce costs and access the information necessary to operate their business on a timely basis. Based in McLean, Va., BearingPoint has been named by Fortune as one of America's Most Admired Companies in the computer and data services sector. For more information, visit the Company's website at www.BearingPoint.com.

A graphic (screen capture) is available upon request. Please contact Angelique Rewers at mangeliquerewers@bearingpoint.net.

About LexisNexis

LexisNexis (http://www.lexisnexis.com) is a global leader in comprehensive and authoritative legal, news and business information and tailored applications. A member of Reed Elsevier Group plc (http://www.reedelsevier.com), the company does business in 100 countries with 13,000 employees worldwide. In addition to its flagship Web-based research service, LexisNexis, the company includes some of the world's most respected legal publishers such as Martindale-Hubbell, Matthew Bender, Butterworths, Les Editions du Juris-Classeur, Abeledo-Perrot and Orac.

In the US, LexisNexis (http://www.lexisnexis.com) offers an extensive range of products and services that guide professionals and businesses in making confident decisions. This includes online and print legal and regulatory research products, customized Web applications and critical e-filing services for legal professionals. In addition, the company provides products and customized tools that address job-specific and organization-wide information needs for corporations, information professionals, government agencies and libraries.

[Source: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2003/apr03/04-08eFilingPR.asp
Source: http://www.bearingpoint.com/news/press_releases/2003/pr_04-08-2003.html]

Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive. General references in LegalXML Electronic Court Filing TC.

SEARCH Advanced Search ABOUT Site Map CP RSS Channel Contact Us Sponsoring CP About Our Sponsors NEWS Cover Stories Articles & Papers Press Releases CORE STANDARDS XML SGML Schemas XSL/XSLT/XPath XLink XML Query CSS SVG TECHNOLOGY REPORTS XML Applications General Apps Government Apps Academic Apps EVENTS LIBRARY Introductions FAQs Bibliography Technology and Society Semantics Tech Topics Software Related Standards Historic	State Courts Adopt Electronic Filing Solution Microsoft and BearingPoint Team to Launch Innovative Electronic Filing Solution to State Courts Nationwide Solution Uses Microsoft .NET Software to Ensure Efficient Exchange of Information Among Attorneys and State Courts McLean, VA, USA; Redmond, WA, USA. April 8, 2003. BearingPoint, Inc., one of the world's largest business consulting and systems integration firms, and Microsoft Corp. today introduced an innovative electronic filing solution to state courts nationwide. "eFiling for Courts powered by BearingPoint and Microsoft" takes advantage of the companies' leadership positions in government consulting services and Web services technologies to streamline the process for filing and managing court documents, enabling courts and attorneys to increase efficiencies and improve customer service. "We're thrilled to team with Microsoft to provide this new eFiling offering, which speeds up the process of filing cases and will help improve the efficiency of state court systems," said Gary Miglicco, BearingPoint's National Director for eGovernment Services. "The development of this solution on Microsoft .NET and open Web services standards significantly benefits our customers by ensuring a simplified, secure, and cost-effective information flow between filers and court clerks." "The benefits of this solution will accelerate the adoption of electronic filing services by courts and by attorneys across the country," Miglicco added. A Managed Service Based on .NET BearingPoint will offer the solution as a managed service, allowing a state court to participate without incurring the cost of acquiring, building, and operating an e-filing system of its own and allowing smaller county courts to easily adopt the solution. The company also plans to offer a revenue sharing option to help states meet the demand for additional online services while increasing their revenue. BearingPoint and Microsoft will jointly market and sell the eFiling solution initially to state and local governments. "Courts and law firms are demanding sophisticated but easy-to-use electronic filing systems to handle a variety of scenarios -- from complex litigation to simple cases," said Frank Giebutowski, General Manager for Microsoft's state and local government business. "By collaborating with BearingPoint we have developed a comprehensive system built on Microsoft .NET that can adapt to the needs of the entire filing community and courts everywhere." Using the LegalXML standard schema and Web services standards like Simple Object Access Protocol. (SOAP), eFiling for Courts powered by BearingPoint and Microsoft integrates easily with existing front-end and back-end technology systems and applications, making it straightforward for state courts to adopt the solution and exchange data with attorneys throughout the state, regardless of the systems they are using. Attorneys using e-filing can file documents and make payments to multiple courts through one standard interface accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, enabling them to improve operations and reduce courier and personnel costs. eFiling for Courts powered by BearingPoint and Microsoft is based on Microsoft technologies, including Windows Server 2000, BizTalk Server, SQL Server database, Internet Security and Acceleration Server, and Visual Studio .NET, Microsoft's rapid application development tool for building next-generation Web applications and XML Web services. State of Texas Adopts Solution BearingPoint and Microsoft will take a statewide approach to marketing and selling the eFiling for Courts solution. The two companies have teamed in Texas, where the system is currently in pilot in two counties. "The TexasOnline Authority, the governing body of Texas' state portal (www.TexasOnline.com), has worked in tandem with BearingPoint and Microsoft to develop a convenient web-based filing capability for the legal community in the State of Texas," said Carolyn Purcell, Chief Information Officer, State of Texas. "Use of the service by our courts can save attorneys time, reduce total-filing costs, and assist courts in becoming more efficient -- this is especially critical in these challenging economic times." LexisNexis to Bring eFiling to Legal Community To further accelerate the adoption of eFiling for Courts powered by BearingPoint and Microsoft in the legal community, BearingPoint has also signed a teaming agreement with LexisNexis, the global leader in comprehensive and authoritative legal, news and business information and tailored applications. LexisNexis offers the nation's leading Web-based e-filing solution for law firms, which it will integrate with eFiling for Courts powered by BearingPoint and Microsoft. "The goal of our joint activities is to enable attorneys to electronically file into any case and court in the nation," said Michele Vivona, Chief Operating Officer, LexisNexis CourtLink. "LexisNexis is eager to combine our legal and e-filing development expertise with the demonstrated experience that BearingPoint delivers in providing government services." About Microsoft Corp. Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software -- any time, any place and on any device. About BearingPoint, Inc. BearingPoint, Inc. (NYSE:BE), formerly KPMG Consulting, Inc., is one of the world's largest business consulting, systems integration and managed services firms serving Global 2000 companies, medium-sized businesses, government agencies and other organizations. We provide business and technology strategy, systems design, architecture, applications implementation, network, systems integration and managed services. Our service offerings are designed to help our clients generate revenue, reduce costs and access the information necessary to operate their business on a timely basis. Based in McLean, Va., BearingPoint has been named by Fortune as one of America's Most Admired Companies in the computer and data services sector. For more information, visit the Company's website at www.BearingPoint.com. A graphic (screen capture) is available upon request. Please contact Angelique Rewers at mangeliquerewers@bearingpoint.net. About LexisNexis LexisNexis (http://www.lexisnexis.com) is a global leader in comprehensive and authoritative legal, news and business information and tailored applications. A member of Reed Elsevier Group plc (http://www.reedelsevier.com), the company does business in 100 countries with 13,000 employees worldwide. In addition to its flagship Web-based research service, LexisNexis, the company includes some of the world's most respected legal publishers such as Martindale-Hubbell, Matthew Bender, Butterworths, Les Editions du Juris-Classeur, Abeledo-Perrot and Orac. In the US, LexisNexis (http://www.lexisnexis.com) offers an extensive range of products and services that guide professionals and businesses in making confident decisions. This includes online and print legal and regulatory research products, customized Web applications and critical e-filing services for legal professionals. In addition, the company provides products and customized tools that address job-specific and organization-wide information needs for corporations, information professionals, government agencies and libraries. [Source: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2003/apr03/04-08eFilingPR.asp Source: http://www.bearingpoint.com/news/press_releases/2003/pr_04-08-2003.html] Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive. General references in LegalXML Electronic Court Filing TC.