Time for Everyone to Board the Rocket
Yesterday, an exciting new product was formally announced, and it could change the way you practice law. Rocket Matter has now been launched and is available for you to come aboard. This product is a Web 2.0 case management and time/billing program, and it looks fantastic.
Because it is web-based, there is no software to install or load, and it is accessible from anywhere -- including your iPhone. In my discussions with the developers over the past several months, it is clear to me that (a) they intend to cater to the legal community, (b) they aim to offer the premier legal software possible, and (c) they love the Mac.
I urge you to visit their website at RocketMatter.com, where you can see a preview of their product, or their new blog, where you can monitor the updates to it. You can also click HERE to view their press release, which contains more details and specifics. I welcome your feedback about Rocket Matter after you've had a chance to view it.
Can I get my data out? Is there an API (like Basecamp/Backpack) that I can hook up to my favorite scripting language?
You definitely can get your data out in standard formats other applications can read.
Regarding the API, that is something we have an eye towards. I would love to have the chance to speak with you about what kind of things you'd like to see. Drop me a line!
I'm certainly excited about this. While I never actually wondered why nobody had created a web 2.0 tool aimed at lawyers, it seems like a good time to do it.
I'm eager to see how this all works out.
I have been using another web based solution Bill4Time.com for a month and a half. I have been fairly happy with the site, but my associate and I have experienced some odd glitches. Today, i had a tour of Rocket Matter and was, generally speaking, very impressed. It is a much more fully thought out practice management system (as opposed to simply time and billing) However, it is lacking two important features that Bill4Time.com has. 1-A sortable list of all matters and 2-User generated reports of individual and firm activities (ie. Total Billing for the month, week, day, etc.) While I was told that many other users had requested similar functionality, that no imminent roll-out of these additions was contemplated. Had they given me a free 30 day license, I might have found some work-around until they add the features I am looking for. While they do offer a 60 day money-back guarantee, I am still mulling over whether I want to devote the time and energy into helping Rocket Matter improve its' offering. Bill4Time.com, while not a perfect option, did allow free access to their site without any commitment on my part. My associate and I started by entering a few new matters into the system and shortly were placing all our open matters onto the system. While the calendering and time capture features of Rocket Matter are clearly superior, I just don't think it is enough of a hook at this time.
I have used EsquireBilling for a few months as well...it is more affordable than the rest, and is designed for small firms. It is easy to use, has great looking invoices, and I like the ledger-based look and feel, particularly with the Operating and Trust management. I've sent them a few feature requests and they've always honored them. esquirebilling.com is the site