iManage is to end of life DeskSite, FileSite and Work Indexer (powered by IDOL) in a move that will see those core legacy products no longer supported after December 2023.
iManage says that its desktop applications are being retired following the introduction and successful adoption of iManage Work 10. It is retiring all 9.x versions of the iManage classic clients and add-ons, including:
iManage DeskSiteiManage FileSiteiManage OffSiteEmail management for Outlook and the Outlook ModuleiManage Express SearchiManage MineriManage DealBinder Add-On
These applications, add-ons and modules are now in maintenance mode, meaning there will be no new enhancements – albeit in reality there haven’t been any enhancements for some time. Support comes to an end on 30 June, and their end of life is December 29 2023. Customers using 9.x versions of those applications are being advised that they now need to start planning a transition to iManage Work 10.
iManage says that the decision was driven by the fact that the majority of iManage customers have upgraded to Work 10, and that all iManage technology partners have updated their integrations to support the Work 10 interface with the Universal API.
Meanwhile the IDOL Indexer is also in maintenance mode. Support will be provided until 30 June 2023 and its end of life date is December 29 2023. Customers are being advised to plan their upgrade to the RAVN Indexer now.
Speaking to Legal IT Insider, iManage’s chief marketing officer Dan Carmel said that a minority of customers will be affected, commenting: “Work 10 as the primary desktop has been taking off and large firms like Clifford Chance and Baker McKenzie went live over the weekend.
“By 2023 the products will be 25 years old and not too much technology is supported at that age. If you want modern integration with Microsoft Teams and co-authoring need you be on Work 10. Search is enhanced and the stories we hear from new clients is phenomenal.”
Asked how palatable any upgrade deals will be, Carmel said: “There are a lot of benefits to the IT organisation of moving to Work 10. We can do updates automatically and integration is easier.” Firms will be able to continue to use iManage Work 10 on premises. Carmel said: “Our commitment to on premises remains but cloud is where we’re headed and we’re saying ‘Let’s get modern. You have two and a half years, let’s all raise a glass, it’s been 25 years.’”
Carmel notes that none of its recent corporate implementations have been on-premises.
While in many ways this decision has been a long time coming, it comes at a time when many firms are already inundated with critical IT projects, not least the migration away from Thomson Reuters Elite Enterprise and Envision.
Commenting on the move, Derek Southall, one of the founders of the Legal IT Innovators Group and CEO of Hyperscale Group said: “Whenever a supplier announces they are “end of lifing/transitioning” products the key issues clients need to understand are: 1) Does the supplier/their implementation partners have enough resource to manage the process in the proposed timeframes? Can you access this resource when you need it?; 2) Are the proposed financial deal and licencing terms for the new product palatable and what effect does it have on your budget now and in the future?; and 3) Does your firm/its lawyers buy into the new product and its overall vision and roadmap? If not, what alternatives are there? Another strategic question given the ever-growing capability and dominance of MS365 is how does this fit alongside your MS365 plans.”
However, Roy Russell, managing director and CEO of iManage partner Ascertus, told us that he thinks resource will not be an issue, commenting: “Most of our clients have moved or are planning to move to Work 10. We have 300+ clients and probably less than 10% of those are not already on Work 10. None are on 8.5 and a few are on 9, so from our client perspective, I don’t think it’s going to be an issue at all.”
You can read the announcements in full below.
Caroline.hill@legalitlexicon.com