Choosing Court Reporting Software

In the event you’re in the market for new court reporting software, we compiled this handy checklist for you to rate the importance of various features.  Once you’ve determined which attributes are paramount, pinpointing the right software should be a “piece of cake.”

__Steno key “mapping” (changing the output of each key).
__Simultaneous multiple edit/proof capability
__Steno writer compatibility
__Easy editing from writer
__Multiple backup (steno/voice)
__Automatic backup interval adjustment
__Case status color-coding
__Quick keys/Keyboard shortcuts
__Spell- and punctuation-check
__Automatic translation on/off
__Transcript exportability (iPad, iPhone, Android, Tablet, and Kindle)
__Realtime  compatible (CaseViewNet, Bridge, and LiveNote Stream)
__Convert-ability to PDF/A, RTF, CRE, ASCII, Summation, CondenseIt, Concordance, and Word
__Keyless accessibility versus hardware/product key required
__Automatic download-ability of appearances into fields
__Exhibit import/viewing
__ “By” line missing searchability
__Track changes
__Steno/audio synchronization/timecoding
__Intelligent alphabet handling
__Multilingual output capability
__Ease of use
__ Training timeline
­__ Training sites/fees
__Customer support fees/contracts/hours
__Customer reviews

Once you’ve determined which software best matches your needs, remember to factor in how much time you’ll need to master the program.  Court reporting software may well be the most important investment in future-proofing your business.