Handshake Software Continues Microsoft SharePoint Focused Growth Heading into 2015

Global News

29
Jan
2015

Editor

Handshake Software, Inc., the market leading, award-winning provider of SharePoint-based products and services to the legal market, today announced continued accelerated growth heading into 2015. Handshake Software added 25 new law firm projects within the last 60 days and 55 new technology projects since last fall.

New clients include Denver-based Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP and Sherman & Howard L.L.C., two strong regional firms, underpinning a surge in demand for SharePoint-based portal, extranet and enterprise search solutions not only by Am Law 100 firms but increasingly among competitive mid-market players. 60% of new clients have selected Handshake’s products to enhance SharePoint Enterprise Search in addition to selecting Handshake’s portal products for SharePoint 2013. Overall, Handshake Software provides SharePoint-based intranets, extranets and enterprise search solutions to 50+% of the Am Law 100, and 45+% of the Am Law 200/NLJ 350 with total users exceeding 100,000 across 10 countries.

While the adoption of SharePoint 2013 has accelerated law firm interest in Handshake Software, in particular its SP Bridge framework and newly released Expertise Locator, the Handshake client & prospecting ‘world tour’ was equally instrumental, as it connected law firms’ SharePoint needs with what Handshake delivers.  “Our 2014 world tour included 47 city stops and gave us the opportunity to engage law firm CIOs to get a better understanding of their KM, collaboration and search pain points and how Handshake and SharePoint can help address key concerns and needs,” stated Glenn LaForce, Handshake Software’s Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing.

Client connections

In terms of continued outreach to the legal community in 2015, Handshake will lead a 16 city road show sponsored by the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) focused on real ‘legal world’ SharePoint case studies. Session attendees will learn what peer law firms are doing with SharePoint in the areas of portals, extranets and enterprise search. The tour will begin in Atlanta on February 9th and conclude in October with road shows in Toronto, Denver and St. Louis.  A complete roadshow calendar can be viewed here. 2015 also marks the kick-off for the Handshake User Group (HUG), a client-driven, company supported initiative focused on increasing Handshake and SharePoint-related information sharing and collaboration among Handshake clients.  The HUG will be led by a newly formed client advisory board including law firm leaders from Cadwalader, Fasken, Ogletree Deakins and Sheppard Mullin.

Following up on last spring’s Handshake Software Release 3.7 (including major enhancements to the SP Bridge enterprise search product), the launch of Handshake Converter, and strategic integrations with Lexis Search Advantage and Manzama, 2015 began with the introduction of Expertise Locator, a product add-on to further enhance the enterprise search functionality within SharePoint 2013. New products and upgrades scheduled for Q1 2015 include Handshake Software Release 3.8, with major new HTML5 display capabilities for SharePoint. “We are thrilled to see the increased demand for Handshake’s various solutions and are very encouraged by the many conversations with law firm leaders looking to leverage Handshake and Microsoft technologies to get the most out of their investment in SharePoint 2013 and in particular Search,” noted Douglas Horton, President and CEO of Handshake Software.