Toronto's Aird & Berlis is a full-service law firm, with 120 lawyers and 200
support staff. As with any law firm today, the need to maintain constant
communications is an ongoing concern — especially because a number of our legal
professionals frequently travel to destinations outside North America.
Traveling internationally can be problematic for heavy users of BlackBerrys,
Treos and cell phones. Often North America-based professionals find that travel
overseas can create havoc on connectivity. But the cost of replacing all
devices to ensure global coverage for a handful of lawyers is far from
practical, for a number of reasons. For one, most firms have already invested
significantly in PDAs and cell phones, so a wholesale replacement of units to
cover occasional needs is impractical. In the fall of 2004, we invested $23,000
to provide all of our lawyers with new BlackBerrys, from Research In Motion
Ltd.
We provide 50 percent of the cost of the units to a maximum of $220, the balance
is paid by the user. We also provide a $45 a month credit to apply to their
BlackBerry bills. At the time, the units were sourced through our two Canadian
telecommunications services suppliers. In addition, the frequency of
international travel is sporadic. Perhaps only 20 percent of our professionals
travel outside Canada, with a majority of that being within North America.
However, our Asian and European travel is definitely on the rise.
When we provided the BlackBerrys, we accepted that there was a coverage gap that
would need to be filled. Of course, firms with heavy international travel will
find subscription services viable and practical. But in our case however, the
infrequency of usage could not sustain that type of investment. For those
lawyers traveling to locations not serviced — or inadequately serviced — by our
telecommunications partners, we needed to find a way to guarantee coverage at
all times.
We turned to Roadpost for assistance. The company, founded in 1991, provides
customized global communications systems, and has alliances with a number of
vendors, including Bell Mobility, Telus Mobility, Sprint, Research In Motion,
and Nokia. It operates out of two venues: Roadpost Canada in Mississauga,
Ontario; and Roadpost U.S., in New York City. It offers rental and/or
subscription-based voice and data communications products for international
travelers (e.g. BlackBerry units, international cell phones, broadband and
portable satellite services).
We were able to contract BlackBerry device rental services on a short-term, as
needed basis, to ensure coverage for practitioners traveling to areas not
covered by traditional services — or even as an insurance measure where the
possibility of problems exist.
Rentals of BlackBerrys range from a week to a year, and cost $99 for one week to
$25 per month (with a one-year subscription) only $4 for unlimited data per
active day.
We contact Roadpost prior to the departure date and a BlackBerry unit is shipped
within hours. When it arrives, we set up the international unit on the
BlackBerry server and forward the person's cell number to the unit so it can
receive calls from the lawyer's known cell phone number – a process that takes
less than half an hour.
Once completed, the BlackBerry device is provided to the lawyer that contains
all the same information (including contact details) and can receive calls
using the same phone number as their original unit. When the person returns
from their trip, they simply return the device for synchronization of any new
information with their original BlackBerry and to cancel call forwarding.
While there are some cost savings to be realized versus purchasing units, that
is far from being the driving factor. Today's lawyers have become so attached
to their BlackBerry devices, they simply cannot function without them — even
for a few days. Having the ability to continue usage anywhere in the world
without sacrificing any functionality is a major advantage.
The versatility and reliability of BlackBerry devices has made them the standard
communications devices of choice for practitioners today. But even at that,
there is never a guarantee they will function in unfamiliar territories — which
is a risk that most are unwilling to take. Investing in a stopgap measure —
whether through a rental or subscription program — that provides access to
voice and data services from anywhere in the world, is a wise investment.
Paul Knapp is the IT director at Aird & Berlis, based in Toronto.