Copper Conferencing will be in Boston on December 1, 2011, exhibiting and learning at the Firm Future Practice Management and Legal Technology Show.

We will  join our friends from the ALA (Association of Legal Administrators) and LMA(Legal Marketing Association)  at this event, and will be  showcasing Copper’s expertise in communications solutions for the legal industry. Find out more about Conduct, Copper Conferencing’s Webinar and Event Management tool, here.  Convey, Copper’s Business Knowledgebase, launches soon.  To post your business content, or find out more about becoming a provider, click here.

If you are to be in Boston on Dec 1 for this show, please be sure to stop by booth 131 to say hello.

To meet with Copper at the Show, email dmckerrow@copperconferencing.com or call 866.903.7521.

Join us in recognizing all tireless legal professionals during International PLMW 2011  October 3-7.  Having had the opportunity this year to get to know so many of these men and women in law firms across the country, we celebrate the work ethic, professionalism, and dedication they display each day.  You are APPRECIATED!!!!!

Copper Conferencing is a proud supporter of the ALA (Association of Legal Administrators).  Find out more at www.copperlegal.com or at 866-903-7521.

Copper Conferencing recently introduced Conduct to the marketplace, a comprehensive, simple and affordable event management tool. Enthusiastically received by the legal community, Conduct is the right solution to create and manage webinars. Soon-to-be-released is Connect, our Business Content Platform. Learn more at www.conductnow.com

Be sure to stop by Booth 807 to find out more and talk with the Copper team!

To schedule an appointment at the show, email bjbates@copperconferencing.com or reach him at 303.951.4177.

Arriving in Orlando on various flights from Denver and Atlanta, BJ, Sara, Kathleen, Donna and Walter will all be together beginning Monday morning at Booth #410 at the Orlando World Center Marriott and Convention Center to greet ALA attendees, hand out Copper collectible pins, magic wands, and lanyards.

There will be many chances to win prizes from Copper this year, celebrating our second year supporting the ALA, and second time exhibiting at the Annual conference.  Register at our booth to win Brighton jewelry, Brighton sunglasses, a Cisco HD flip cam  or a Pink iPod Nano !!!  We love to see  ALAers WIN prizes!!!!!!

To schedule a meeting with Copper at or before the show, please contact us here.

Even though most of us may not consider ourselves as environmentalists, as consumers and business people we need to start thinking about those “just one thing” commitments we can make to cut our consumption of environmental impacting activities. Most of us generally don’t make changes unless there is either a “carrot” or a “stick” that motivates us to do so. It’s generally the “stick” or a significant enough pain point that is the better catalyst for change.

Here is the stick right now. Although there is plenty of oil being produced in the Middle East, there is a significant amount of conflict in oil-producing countries. Egypt changed hands; Libya is in the middle of a civil war and the unrest of suppressed populations has spilled over into countries that had experienced little historic conflict. Oil speculators have driven up the cost of a barrel of oil to sustained, record heights.

How does this affect us? For every penny that the price of a gallon of fuel rises, the airline industry loses $175M a year. How are we all going to feel when gasoline is at $5 a gallon or over or an average airline ticket is over $500? Dependence on oil has become America’s new crack cocaine habit and it’s going to be painful to make some changes. However, I think that the stick is now big enough to make us pay attention.

Here are some “just one thing” ideas that I think we can execute today to help us get “off the crack”:
• Change the work schedule of your commuters and let them work from home one or more days a week. Monitor their productivity electronically. In today’s world, you don’t have to see someone to know they are working, given all the ways we have to keep track of people.
• Meet virtually. Do we really need to drive all over town for a meeting that lasts an hour. Web conferencing is easy to use, inexpensive and very effective.
• Reconsider your travel strategy. Do you really need to drive to the airport, squeeze in that crowded airplane seat and spend that amount of money on hotels, rental cars and meals? Can you use other ways to attend to business virtually and save travel for when it’s really needed?
• Look around your office and think about what you consume that is oil based. At Copper, we stopped buying bottled water (bottles made of petroleum products) and switched to a water cooler with reusable containers.

Of course, if you want to take it further, there are a number of other things you can do. Here is what I plan to change:
• I’m purchasing a “street-legal” electric golf cart to run my errands. I figured that quite a few trips are within 5 miles of my house.

About Copper Conferencing

Headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, Copper Conferencing provides audio conferencing and web conferencing services to businesses in all industries. Copper’s Conference Coaches™ provide expert guidance in audio and web conferencing services and online account management. From On Demand reservationless audio conference calls to highly interactive webinars and special event calls, Copper Conferencing helps businesses save time and money while improving productivity. Copper’s audio and web conferencing services are backed by fully managed, carrier-class platforms to power communication for thousands of customers. For more information about Copper Conferencing, visitwww.copperconferencing.com or call a Conference Coach at 866-903-7521.

Carolyn Bradfield, CEO, Copper Conferencing

The USF fee for Q2, 2011 is 14.0%.  More information may be located at http://www.copperconferencing.com/go/05817

Be sure to stop by and say hello!  We will be at Booth 404 (note booth # change)and would love to meet you!!

To set up a meeting with Copper, before or during the show, contact Carolyn Bradfield cbradfield@copperconferencing.com or 877-761-5700.

Web conferencing has become a widely accepted technology in most businesses yet many law firms find themselves late to introduce web meetings and webinars to their user community.  With a wide variety of options available and a user community that can be resistant to adopting new technology, selecting a web conferencing service that is easy to use, affordable and supportable can be a daunting task for many information technology professionals in law firms.

Although it is tempting to compare web conferencing services side by side by looking at available feature sets, there are some key decision filters that will increase the satisfaction level and adoption of web conferencing in the firm.

Get past the firewall

Marketing departments in a firm use web conferencing to highlight the expertise of their attorneys, to offer CLE classes, or to hold virtual events.  Any web conferencing service that requires a download to attend the event limits the ability for certain participants to join because of firewall restrictions.  Select a web conferencing service where there is no requirement for a participant download to minimize issues joining the web call.

Works with Mac or PC

Although Macs are not the most prevalent technology in firms, many marketing departments use them consistently.  Select a service that will work with a Mac or PC to create flexibility so that any call leader or participant can access web conferencing regardless of the operating system.

Integrate with audio

Many audio conferencing vendors integrate with market leading web services versus offering their own in-house web conferencing technology.  Web and audio integration allow synchronized meetings and recordings and web conferencing help if the user selects *0 on the audio conference call.  Web and audio integration offers the user a seamless conferencing experience.

Avoid feature creep

Survey web conferencing users and you will find that the vast majority of them use only a few features, especially for meetings, status conferences or document collaboration.  Web conferencing can become quite complex and expensive if you purchase a service for the most sophisticated of your user community.  Consider getting the standard version of a service for most of your meeting users and the event or professional version for those key users who will host events vs. meetings.

Offer multiple layers of support

Support for web conferencing should be a key consideration and should go well beyond the firm’s IT department.  If web conferencing is purchased from an audio conferencing provider, users generally have access to multiple levels of support.  The audio vendor will offer training on the service as well as help while on the audio conference call.  Additionally, the major players such as Adobe, WebEx and Microsoft offer 24 X 7 online and live support at no additional charge.

Pricing Flexibility

Do not purchase any service unless you are allowed at least 30 days to “test drive” it.  Consider services that offer both per minute pricing along with a subscription for unlimited usage.  You can mix both pricing models within the firm avoiding an annual commitment until you have an established pattern of usage.

Web conferencing allow users to collaborate on documents, share information, execute depositions, train remote office personnel and promote the firm.  Unlike most video conferencing solutions, web calls are executed right from the desktop on a PC or Mac at a fraction of the cost.  Considering participant access, ease of use, support and flexibility will help ease the firm’s user community into a comfort level that can make the web conferencing experience an integral part of the firm’s communication strategy.

About Copper Conferencing
Headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, Copper Conferencing provides audio conferencing and web conferencing services to businesses in all industries. Copper’s Conference Coaches™ provide expert guidance in audio and web conferencing services and online account management. From On Demand reservationless audio conference calls to highly interactive webinars and special event calls, Copper Conferencing helps businesses save time and money while improving productivity. Copper’s audio and web conferencing services are backed by fully managed, carrier-class platforms to power communication for thousands of customers. For more information about Copper Conferencing, visit www.copperconferencing.com or call a Conference Coach at 866-903-7521.

pr@copperconferencing.com

Date:  Friday, February 17, 2011
Time:  12:00 noon to 6:00 pm
Location:  Washington Athletic Club, 1325 Sixth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101

BJ will be at the Copper Conferencing booth to meet with PSALA members.  Discuss your audio conferencing and webinar needs with BJ Bates during lunch or swing by for a cocktail after the keynote.

Copper Conferencing is a proud sponsor of the Puget Sound Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators (PSALA).

To schedule a meeting with BJ or to learn more about audio conferencing and webinar solutions, call 303-951-4177 or email bjbates@copperconferencing.com.

Copper Conferencing is sponsoring the ILTA Denver City Group’s upcoming February 10, 2011 monthly meeting.   You can meet with Lauren Brady to discuss audio conferencing and webinar solutions, learn more about how to use conferencing in your firm’s business or sign up for a free trial.

Topic: Web Conferencing by Copper Conferencing
Time:  11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Location:
Sherman & Howard LLC
633 17th St.  Suite 1990
Denver, CO  80202

Register for the event today!

To schedule a meeting with Lauren, call 303-951-4171 or email lbrady@copperconferencing.com.