LexisNexis® South Africa (www.lexisnexis.co.za), a leading provider of content and technology solutions, in partnership with Law Credit this week launched a Wi-Fi facility in both the Johannesburg and Pretoria High Courts following the successful uptake in the Cape High Court last year. Equipping the courts with Wi-Fi internet connectivity, the installation will allow visitors to access the internet via a wireless connection, and legal professionals will now be able to access their subscribed My LexisNexis research platform accounts, free of charge.
The launch of the Wi-Fi facility in the Cape High Court last August has been deemed a success, with professionals and visitors able to connect via laptops, tablets, cellular telephones and all other electronic devices with wireless connectivity features. The Wi-Fi facility allows access to any internet site. Visitors simply need to purchase data bundles and follow the step by step instructional material, visible throughout the corridors of the court, which explains the connectivity process to users.
Increasing productivity in the High Courts around South Africa, Johannesburg and Pretoria form part of the second round of implementation of the Wi-Fi facility. Continuing to provide world-class content LexisNexis met the need of legal professionals who found it time consuming to have to do research away from the High Courts, with the majority of their time spent there. Providing significant value to all visitors, the Wi-Fi facility will in particular benefit legal professionals who can now access their My LexisNexis accounts, an online research platform for the legal industry, to view law reports and statutes whilst at court.
Above: Judge Mojapelo, Deputy Judge President at South Gauteng High Court with LexisNexis CEO Billy Last.
“Significant usage of our online research products via this network is a good indication that our subscribers are making use of this service and that it is beneficial to them. The launch at the Cape High Court last year was met with great enthusiasm, and as such we are able to continue our intention of delivering this much-needed service across the country,” says Billy Last, CEO of LexisNexis South Africa.
An international workplace productivity survey conducted by LexisNexis in June and July 2010 found that 90 percent of legal professionals in South Africa said that not being able to access the right information at the right time was wasteful and impeded productivity. The survey revealed the majority of legal professionals do not bill the time spent on research as it would amount to too many billable hours and is therefore time not effectively used. With the need for legal professionals to work more efficiently identified, LexisNexis ensured they kept abreast of the latest online technology and developed the Wi-Fi facility to meet the needs of the transforming workplace.
“Stakeholders at the Johannesburg and Pretoria High Courts have long seen the need to assist in developing the legal industry as a whole, and in this case through online connectivity. Working with the Department of Justice over the past year, we have been able to acquire the necessary permission to deliver these facilities to two more courts across the country. We look forward to continuing to support the needs of legal professionals by remaining committed as the leading content provider,” says Last.
The LexisNexis Wi-Fi at Court facility is currently available at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria; South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg; Western Cape High Court; KwaZulu-Natal High Courts in Pietermaritzburg and Durban; and the Durban Magistrates’ Court.
For more information on LexisNexis online and other products, please contact their call centre on 0860 765 432 or email customercare@lexisnexis.co.za.
About LexisNexis Legal & Professional
LexisNexis Legal & Professional (www.lexisnexis.com) is a leading global provider of content and technology solutions that enable professionals in legal, corporate, tax, government, academic and non-profit organizations to make informed decisions and achieve better business outcomes. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis® and Nexis® services. Today, LexisNexis Legal & Professional harnesses leading-edge technology and world-class content, to help professionals work in faster, easier and more effective ways. Through close collaboration with its customers, the company ensures organizations can leverage its solutions to reduce risk, improve productivity, increase profitability and grow their business. Part of Reed Elsevier, LexisNexis Legal & Professional serves customers in more than 100 countries with 10,000 employees worldwide.In South Africa, LexisNexis’s (www.lexisnexis.co.za) unique combination of Butterworths authoritative content and powerful online research offers an extensive range of print and online research solutions for professionals, government, business and students. In addition, with professional seminars, practical training, safety, health and environment compliance and online access to public record information, LexisNexis helps customers reach decisions confidently
