This ASP offers a multimedia repository for all case files, images, and transcripts, plus e-mail, BBS conferencing, customizable databases, a deposition and transcript manager, indexing, and a research section. At least for now, ASPs provide simple interfaces without bells and whistles. To use even simple word-processing programs online, you will need a lot of bandwidth connecting you to the Internet. A fast DSL or T-1 connection is preferable. Even so, if you are easily frustrated by waiting for your browser to load a Web page, the tiny time delay caused by keyboard commands being transmitted through various switching stations along the Internet to the ASP's servers before what you've typed appears on your screen may seem too bothersome.
Access is another issue.
And if the information isn't in your office but has to come over the Internet, there are more potential bumps in the road. With an ASP, instead of paying once for a software program, you pay a fee every month to use the programs. Your cost analysis should take into account how often you upgrade your software. Even if you move all your computer operations to an ASP, you cannot eliminate law firm tech support. You still have to maintain hardware and a computer network.