eDocFile offers electronic filing systems for state court judges. The US court system handles approximately 90 million cases each year and 1 billion legal documents. The flow of civil and criminal filings is too much for the states. Year after year, the number of federal court cases keeps rising dramatically. Courts keep adding judges and judicial officers to handle this work.
Surprisingly, a large portion of the judicial system is not automated. It is urgent that a cost-effective and integrated digital solution be developed using available technology. eDocFile is an online solution that can transform the practice of law. It’s cost-effective and simple to use. eDocFile goes beyond simply sending documents back to the other side. It acts as a digital bridge between the electronic worlds of the court and the law firm’s electronic world. It allows law offices and courts to share and access all case details, not just the documents.
E-Filing makes it possible for courts to immediately access court documents. Instead of having to call the archives and request that a document be located, copied, and then delivered, E-Filing allows courts to instantly access court documents. Judges can simply pull up documents on their PCs. Court documents can be archived electronically, making them easily accessible and saving millions of dollars in the process. Attorneys can look up docket information and schedules over the Internet, pay filing fees, instantly download documents filed with the court, view case documents and exhibits, and even track the work of opposing counsel.
Both courts and law firms have the greatest benefit of efficiency. The efficiency that comes with being able access information instantly, communicate and transact business on any device from any location is undoubtedly a huge advantage. eDocFile offers a simple to use yet comprehensive system that facilitates the flow of information from one party to another in an efficient, cost-effective and seamless manner.
Why aren’t we all using electronic filing? The answer is that many small projects have been initiated in the United States. Many have failed, been terminated, or are’requirements” projects for future systems. None of them have provided enough bottom-line gains to court efficiency to warrant support for funding infrastructure.
The technology is the problem. While many of the components of electronic filing have been available for some time, the lack of standards, difficulty of integration, insufficient training and customer support, and equipment and software costs have been limiting factors. Over the last few decades, personal computer technology has become more powerful and the costs of storage have dropped. Storage costs for data have fallen from over $1,000 per gigabyte on early PCs to less than five cents each megabyte today. The average price drops by 50 percent per year. It was only a few years back that there was no universal network of communications with standard protocols and interfaces available to link all our systems.
Security and scaling issues in the Internet are still a problem. eDocFile is able to solve these issues and provide a unified e-filing/document management system for both national and state courts. As we transform from a small player to the most prominent legal Internet portal, we will gain brand recognition and market share. We also generate sustainable revenue streams that will finance growth and the development of new products.
1.1 Mission
Our mission is listen to our customers’ requirements in order to fulfill their individual needs. We will use Web technology to be the best provider of electronic filing systems that are secure and easy to use for courts and judicial administrations.
eDocFile aims at providing small and mid-sized court systems with the tools to automate document management and filing through the use a Web-based extranet. In these jurisdictions, lawyers can electronically file documents with courts from the comfort of their private workspace. This allows courts and judges to manage cases and dockets more efficiently as well as reduce costs. eDocFile combines document management and electronic filing in one Web-based extranet system. Clients, as well as lawyers, have access to the best litigation management software with minimal restrictions on software or hardware and the greatest individual choice of technological capabilities.
1.2 Objectives
eDocFile’s objectives will change in a concurrent three-phase development cycle.
Knowing and understanding the customers, their products and competitors is essential for your success. This cycle requires planning, research, and development. These are the goals for this phase.
- Before extranet beta is launched, become an expert in the legal market.
- Beta version should be completed within three months from capital formation.
- Establish good working relationships with court systems by meeting with their decision-makers and plotting a mutual plan for success based on trust, reliability and service.
- For the August 1 launch of EDocFile, get commitments to support, services, and products by May Year 1.
Earning
eDocFile will be a market leader in sales, marketing, customer support, execution and continuous learning. This will help to generate new customers and encourage growth.
- eDocFile’s brand awareness and brand recognition positions it as the market leader in electronic filing between lawyers, courts, and other legal professionals.
- Many target courts are without a comprehensive computer management system; our easy to use Web based extranet system allows our customers to manage filings and internal document management.
- Market metrics for evaluating market penetration success include, a market presence in the top 15 legal markets in the country, market share, customer satisfaction ratings and click through traffic. eDocFile will double these metrics semi-annually to reach market dominance.
- Begin generating positive cash flow by the middle of Year 2.
Returning
Many Internet companies’ Achilles heel is balancing long term sustainability and profitability with the short-term requirements and change. We believe that eDocFile can ensure equitable distribution of resources by adopting a policy of giving back to the community (employees and customers) without over-spending or redundancy. This cycle has these objectives:
- Develop a mission that reflects the founders’ values, while giving a mandate for culture creation. This will help attract and retain top talent.
- Develop a comprehensive holistic internal structure that is responsive to market demands and rapid change. This model is based on the concept of “a continuous learning organization” with training and marketing functions binding the entire organisation.
- Develop value-added components that will take eDocFile beyond a niche player and make it the most popular legal portal on Internet by 2006. This means that you need to create features that are action-oriented.
eDocFile is a company that believes in a customer-centric approach. We are committed to ensuring the success of our products and the satisfaction of our shareholders.
1.3 Keys to Success
The keys to success are:
Marketing:
- Establishing brand name.
- Competitors can create barriers to entry by building trust-based relationships between courts and the eDocFile.
- Building credibility
Simplicity:
- Make it easy to use.