Smith and Ebanks were especially interested in the productivity advantages delivered by IP Communications technologies, particularly IP telephony's ability to:

1. Integrate with document management and billing programs

2. Organize and store phone messages in client folders

3. Allow staff to work remotely

What really convinced Smith and Ebanks to go with the IP Communications solution was its remote functionality. The IP Communications system allows attorneys to:

1. Connect to the Internet from wherever they are located

2. Create a Cisco VPN tunnel back to their office

3. Use Cisco SoftPhone or IP Communicator to make calls directly from their laptops, check messages, and access the firm's database.