COURT REPORTERS BLAZE NEW TRAIL USING JUST-RELEASED CLOUD TECHNOLOGY

Over a two-week period last month, Doris O. Wong Associates, Inc., a court reporting firm in Boston since 1967, provided its clients with almost 3,000 pages of daily copy transcripts for an arbitration.  But what made this assignment extraordinary is that it showcased the value of interactive realtime (IR) over the internet to a degree not seen before. 

Beyond text streaming, Cloud allowed the 40 attorneys in the room, the three arbitrators, and dozens of people offsite and around the country to receive a continuous realtime feed of the live testimony using CVNet Cloud, a product that was just released by Stenograph.  While reading the testimony, counsel and support staff were able to search, mark, annotate, copy and paste, and print desired testimony.  Using the live IR testimony and the thousands of documents on- and off-site, counsel and support staff were able to immediately react and respond to developments as they happened.

Anyone with a laptop or iPad could participate.  They just needed to download the free CaseViewNet software or iCVNet APP, and they were ready to go.  The court reporter used her laptop to serve as the hub.  Testimony was encrypted and sent securely over the Internet which transmitted the live feed onsite and remotely over the Cloud.  Wong’s clients were able to log onto the session with a simple Product Key and password provided by the court reporter.  Anyone logging in late would have the benefit of the full testimony along with the edited corrections thanks to the Instant Refresh feature.

Distance and travel time are no longer considerations when attendance at a meeting is a must.  Thanks to talented court reporters using the latest state-of-the-art technology, attorneys can conduct their business, serve their clients, and make the most efficient use of their valuable time without being physically present in the deposition or hearing room. 

Three court reporters covered this assignment:  Carol Kusinitz, RPR; Jane Williamson, RMR, CRR; and Anne Bohan, RDR, CRR.  Together they have over 100 years of collective experience with Doris O. Wong Associates, Inc.

Customer service at its best

As I was sitting in my office, I heard our scheduler, Donna Kerble, take a phone call for an evening deposition and video conference here in Boston on Wednesday night.  Please note that President Obama is giving a speech at Faneuil Hall Marketplace at 4:00 pm and then Game 6 of the World Series will be played at Fenway Park.  Game time 8:07 pm.  Talk about a logistical nightmare trying to navigate through the streets of Boston on this eventful night.

The client decides coming to Boston would be difficult for his clients, so he requests we move off-site to Framingham.  He still needs video conferencing and a reporter.  He is going to book a room at a hotel.

Donna, knowing that “booking a room” might not be enough, took the initiative and made quite a few phone calls on behalf of our client.  Did the hotel have Internet and/or video conferencing?  Would counsel agree to a Cameo hookup?  Were there other facilities in the Framingham area that could host a video conference for counsel on-site? Donna gave counsel many options to choose from.  He was so thankful for Donna’s effort in helping him set up this important deposition.  

Thanks, Donna, for always giving 110%.  Your “Can Do” attitude is simply contagious!

Secure your iPad in four easy steps

Your iPad and iPhone store quite a bit of personal information.  What happens if one is lost or stolen?  There are four easy things you can do right now to secure your smart devices from unwanted eyes.

1)  Password protect your iPad and iPhone

• Go into Settings, General, Passcode Lock
• Select a four-digit passcode
• Once you’ve selected a passcode, select “Immediately” so that anyone who picks up your iPad will have to enter a passcode before they can do/change anything

2)  Use the Auto-Lock feature

• Go to Settings, General, Auto-Lock
• The iPad will turn off in 1-5 minutes if the iPad is unattended.  This is a good security feature.  Once the iPad shuts off, you need a passcode to unlock the device

3)  Set the Auto-Wipe feature to ON

• Go to Settings, General, Passcode Lock
• Turn Erase Data ON
• This will erase all data on the iPad after 10 failed passcode attempts.  Just make sure you have backed up your device so that when you find your device you can reload your important information

4)  “Find My Phone” App

• https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/find-my-iphone/id376101648
• Download the free APP and register your device using your Apple ID in the Cloud.  It will locate your iPad/iPhone.  From there, you can “Play Sound” to alert someone that the iPad is there, put it in “Lost Mode” which locks and tracks the iPad and lets you put in contact info if found, or “Erase iPad.”  The only bad thing about erasing an iPad is that it cannot be located or tracked but at least your personal information is deleted.

5)  I know I said “four easy steps” but I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you how to back up your information NOW.

• Go to Settings, iCloud, Storage & Backup
• Turn iCloud Backup ON
• Your device will automatically backup your pictures, accounts, documents and settings when the iPhone is connected to WiFi, is plugged in and the screen is locked.   You can also force your device to “Back Up Now.”   I highly recommend you force the “Back Up Now” when you first get your phone to save all of your contact information.

Your clients deserve “Impeccable” service

Words like “quality,” “superior” and “excellence” are adjectives commonly used to describe one’s business.

I recently attended a STAR convention in Washington, DC, where I had an opportunity to listen to Steve Dorfman’s seminar on giving your client an “Impeccable Client Experience.”  Why impeccability?

When a client hires you, they expect:

•          Accuracy of the transcript
•          Availability to be at their deposition/hearing whenever or wherever you’re needed
•          A partnership where you recommend services that they may need to make their job easier, and
•          Advice/learning opportunities regarding products and services they may need above and beyond the “traditional” services provided by your profession.  

So how do you become “impeccable”?  Get deliberate about engineering a remarkable experience. Build trust with your “can do” attitude.  Follow through by being a master of your craft. That means sitting for new court reporter certifications, write realtime, and embrace new technology like iCVNet Cloud and remote video conference services.  Be consistent, credible, and aware of the situation at hand.  Be a good listener.  Give your client unprecedented service that goes beyond the written page.

Doris O. Wong Associates, Inc., is dedicated to giving our clients “impeccable” service.