A New Online Innovation Boasts Prince George Connections
September 21, 2004 for immediate release
A Prince George lawyer has seen his vision for an online legal service grow from an idea to a product with global applications, thanks in part to UNBC's Computer Science program and RemoteLaw Online Systems, a company based in Vancouver.
In 1999, Dan Marcotte had the idea of an internet-based system that would connect all parties involved in real estate transactions, thus avoiding duplication between lawyers, realtors, notaries, etc. Working with Dan and other Prince George-based entrepreneurs, RemoteLaw developed the "eConveyance" program and made the product widely available throughout BC. eConveyance is delivered exclusively through BC Online with a direct window to the Land Titles Office, and therefore provides for automatic billing, title searches and electronic filing. The web system allows parties involved in land transactions to share information and literally complete online conveyance forms, including accounting, at the touch of a button.
"Unfortunately, we may have let our excitement for the product get the better of us and we launched eConveyance without going through all the procedures that would make the software stable and effective," says Jeff Paquin, a former Prince George lawyer who is head of business development for Remotelaw. "That's where UNBC came in. Faculty and students in the Computer Science program documented the structure of the system, developed internal maintenance documentation, suggested improvements, conducted stress testing of the system by simulating the load of multiple users, rebuilt the server, and even implemented a disaster recovery plan. We were so impressed that we've even hired full-time one of the students who worked on this project."
Three faculty and three students were involved in the project. "As a collaborative research project with industry, this is the biggest project this program has ever done," says Dr Waqar Haque, Chair of the Computer Science program who was also the Principal Investigator of the entire project. "This has been an excellent example of collaboration with industry that has provided our students with knowledge that they can only obtain through 'real-world' software development. RemoteLaw has since referred to us another company that is interested in developing software related to security of banking transactions."
RemoteLaw has recently launched the second version of its eConveyance software. Development of the software was initially supported by a grant from the Prince George office of Industry Canada and the eConveyance website was designed by SmashLab, also of Prince George.
A Prince George lawyer has seen his vision for an online legal service grow from an idea to a product with global applications, thanks in part to UNBC's Computer Science program and RemoteLaw Online Systems, a company based in Vancouver.
In 1999, Dan Marcotte had the idea of an internet-based system that would connect all parties involved in real estate transactions, thus avoiding duplication between lawyers, realtors, notaries, etc. Working with Dan and other Prince George-based entrepreneurs, RemoteLaw developed the "eConveyance" program and made the product widely available throughout BC. eConveyance is delivered exclusively through BC Online with a direct window to the Land Titles Office, and therefore provides for automatic billing, title searches and electronic filing. The web system allows parties involved in land transactions to share information and literally complete online conveyance forms, including accounting, at the touch of a button.
"Unfortunately, we may have let our excitement for the product get the better of us and we launched eConveyance without going through all the procedures that would make the software stable and effective," says Jeff Paquin, a former Prince George lawyer who is head of business development for Remotelaw. "That's where UNBC came in. Faculty and students in the Computer Science program documented the structure of the system, developed internal maintenance documentation, suggested improvements, conducted stress testing of the system by simulating the load of multiple users, rebuilt the server, and even implemented a disaster recovery plan. We were so impressed that we've even hired full-time one of the students who worked on this project."
Three faculty and three students were involved in the project. "As a collaborative research project with industry, this is the biggest project this program has ever done," says Dr Waqar Haque, Chair of the Computer Science program who was also the Principal Investigator of the entire project. "This has been an excellent example of collaboration with industry that has provided our students with knowledge that they can only obtain through 'real-world' software development. RemoteLaw has since referred to us another company that is interested in developing software related to security of banking transactions."
RemoteLaw has recently launched the second version of its eConveyance software. Development of the software was initially supported by a grant from the Prince George office of Industry Canada and the eConveyance website was designed by SmashLab, also of Prince George.
