September 21, 2004 for immediate release
A Prince George lawyer has seen his vision for an online legal servicegrow from an idea to a product with global applications, thanks in partto UNBC's Computer Science program and RemoteLaw Online Systems, acompany based in Vancouver.
In 1999, Dan Marcotte had the idea of an internet-based system thatwould connect all parties involved in real estate transactions, thusavoiding duplication between lawyers, realtors, notaries, etc. Workingwith Dan and other Prince George-based entrepreneurs, RemoteLawdeveloped the "eConveyance" program and made the product widelyavailable throughout BC. eConveyance is delivered exclusively throughBC Online with a direct window to the Land Titles Office, and thereforeprovides for automatic billing, title searches and electronic filing.The web system allows parties involved in land transactions to shareinformation and literally complete online conveyance forms, includingaccounting, at the touch of a button.
"Unfortunately, we may have let our excitement for the product get thebetter of us and we launched eConveyance without going through all theprocedures that would make the software stable and effective," saysJeff Paquin, a former Prince George lawyer who is head of businessdevelopment for Remotelaw. "That's where UNBC came in. Faculty andstudents in the Computer Science program documented the structure ofthe system, developed internal maintenance documentation, suggestedimprovements, conducted stress testing of the system by simulating theload of multiple users, rebuilt the server, and even implemented adisaster recovery plan. We were so impressed that we've even hiredfull-time one of the students who worked on this project."
Three faculty and three students were involved in the project. "As acollaborative research project with industry, this is the biggestproject this program has ever done," says Dr Waqar Haque, Chair of theComputer Science program who was also the Principal Investigator of theentire project. "This has been an excellent example of collaborationwith industry that has provided our students with knowledge that theycan only obtain through 'real-world' software development. RemoteLawhas since referred to us another company that is interested indeveloping software related to security of banking transactions."
RemoteLaw has recently launched the second version of its eConveyancesoftware. Development of the software was initially supported by agrant from the Prince George office of Industry Canada and theeConveyance website was designed by SmashLab, also of Prince George.