Business Integrity
Encyclopedia
Business Integrity Ltd is a privately held software company headquartered in London, with offices in New York. Business Integrity develops, licenses and supports a range of Document Automation
products for the Microsoft Windows
platform. Business Integrity's flagship product is ContractExpress
, a document automation system used by law firms and corporate legal departments. ContractExpress is an on-premises solution integrated into the popular Microsoft SharePoint
platform. In February 2010, Business Integrity launched ContractExpress.com, a Cloud
based version of the document automation software. The most recent edition of the software, released in January 2011 is version 3.9.
, a software company specializing in artificial intelligence
software and Windows-based Prolog
compilers. Founders Phil Vasey and John Mawhood devised a new approach to document assembly which enabled users to create document assembly templates in Microsoft Word
using a text based mark-up language which would then be automatically compiled into a web-based questionnaire form.
In 2000, Standard Chartered Bank
became the first corporate customer to license Business Integrity's products for the generation of procurement contracts. In 2001, Linklaters
became the first law firm to license Business Integrity's document assembly products for use in their award winning Term Sheet Generator product.
as it alters the underlying processes of drafting.
One of the main formative influences for Business Integrity the has been the work of Richard Susskind, in which he argues that law firms in order to evolve and compete in the modern market need to embrace technological change. A similar theory is also expounded by Kenneth Adams who contends that the common features of legal drafting (e.g. reuse of precedent templates) and the inherent inefficiencies (e.g. ensuring compliance and certainty) lend themselves well to utilization of document automation.
Document automation
Document automation is the design of systems and workflow that assist in the creation of electronic documents. These include logic based systems that use segments of pre-existing text and/or data to assemble a new document. This process is increasingly used within certain industries to assemble...
products for the Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
platform. Business Integrity's flagship product is ContractExpress
ContractExpress
ContractExpress is a Document Automation program designed and produced by Business Integrity, a company focussed on contract automation based in the UK and US. ContractExpress is delivered in server based and Software as a service format...
, a document automation system used by law firms and corporate legal departments. ContractExpress is an on-premises solution integrated into the popular Microsoft SharePoint
Microsoft SharePoint
Microsoft SharePoint is a web application platform developed by Microsoft. First launched in 2001, SharePoint is typically associated with web content management and document management systems, but it is actually a much broader platform of web technologies, capable of being configured into a wide...
platform. In February 2010, Business Integrity launched ContractExpress.com, a Cloud
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
based version of the document automation software. The most recent edition of the software, released in January 2011 is version 3.9.
History
The company was founded in 2000 as a joint venture between Tarlo Lyons, a London based law firm and Logic Programming AssociatesLogic Programming Associates
Logic Programming Associates is a company specializing in logic and artificial intelligence software. It was founded in 1980 and is most widely known for its Prolog compilers such as WIN-PROLOG....
, a software company specializing in artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
software and Windows-based Prolog
Prolog
Prolog is a general purpose logic programming language associated with artificial intelligence and computational linguistics.Prolog has its roots in first-order logic, a formal logic, and unlike many other programming languages, Prolog is declarative: the program logic is expressed in terms of...
compilers. Founders Phil Vasey and John Mawhood devised a new approach to document assembly which enabled users to create document assembly templates in Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS , the Apple Macintosh , the AT&T Unix PC , Atari ST , SCO UNIX,...
using a text based mark-up language which would then be automatically compiled into a web-based questionnaire form.
In 2000, Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered PLC is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom with operations in more than seventy countries...
became the first corporate customer to license Business Integrity's products for the generation of procurement contracts. In 2001, Linklaters
Linklaters
Linklaters LLP is a global law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom and a member of the 'Magic Circle' of leading UK law firms. Linklaters is the world's fourth largest global law firm by revenue. In 2009/10 it received total revenues of £1.18 billion and profits per equity partner of £1.2...
became the first law firm to license Business Integrity's document assembly products for use in their award winning Term Sheet Generator product.
Legal Influence
Business Integrity was incorporated to provide document assembly solutions primarily to the legal arena. An example of this is the use of "the natural and inherent editing, styling and annotation methods that lawyers and legal personnel use to mark up contracts and other legal documents". Another feature of this is the emphasis upon legal certainty. The software developed draws upon pre-approved template precedents and administrators have the ability to 'lock' documents so that changes are not possible. Alternatively where alterations are made, the document can be automatically dispatched to the legal department for approval. The intention of these features is to reduce the opportunities for errors to enter the process, while ensuring legal departments are only required to review work when it is necessary. Some have termed this disruptive technologyDisruptive technology
A disruptive technology or disruptive innovation is an innovation that helps create a new market and value network, and eventually goes on to disrupt an existing market and value network , displacing an earlier technology there...
as it alters the underlying processes of drafting.
One of the main formative influences for Business Integrity the has been the work of Richard Susskind, in which he argues that law firms in order to evolve and compete in the modern market need to embrace technological change. A similar theory is also expounded by Kenneth Adams who contends that the common features of legal drafting (e.g. reuse of precedent templates) and the inherent inefficiencies (e.g. ensuring compliance and certainty) lend themselves well to utilization of document automation.
Awards
- Best of Show for ABA Techshow 2010 by Technolawyer
- Microsoft Gold Certified Partner
- 'Best of Breed' at Legal Technology Awards 2007
See also
- ContractExpressContractExpressContractExpress is a Document Automation program designed and produced by Business Integrity, a company focussed on contract automation based in the UK and US. ContractExpress is delivered in server based and Software as a service format...
- Document AutomationDocument automationDocument automation is the design of systems and workflow that assist in the creation of electronic documents. These include logic based systems that use segments of pre-existing text and/or data to assemble a new document. This process is increasingly used within certain industries to assemble...
- Cloud ComputingCloud computingCloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
- Intelligent DocumentIntelligent documentIntelligent document is a general term to describe electronic documents with more functionality than a page designed to emulate paper. Formats include PDF from Adobe, InfoPath from Microsoft, Cardiff Software and XForms from W3C, and the non-programming solutions DocFire, Exari and Intelledox...
- Document ModellingDocument modellingDocument Modelling looks at the inherent structure in documents. It looks not at the structure in formatting which is the classic realm of word-processing tools, but at the structure in content. Because document content is typically viewed as the ad hoc result of a creative process, the art of...
- Microsoft WordMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS , the Apple Macintosh , the AT&T Unix PC , Atari ST , SCO UNIX,...
- Microsoft SharepointMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft SharePoint is a web application platform developed by Microsoft. First launched in 2001, SharePoint is typically associated with web content management and document management systems, but it is actually a much broader platform of web technologies, capable of being configured into a wide...