User:W.Sumners/CE TEST

ContractExpress is a Document Automation program designed and produced by Business Integrity, a company focussed on contract automation based in the UK and US. There are server based editions as well as being available in a Software as a service format. The software is used by leading law firms and corporations, such as Clifford Chance and Microsoft, on a global scale to allow lawyers and non-lawyers alike a way to create legally compliant documents on a reduced timescale.

ContractExpress template creation is conducted entirely within the Microsoft Word interface. The add-on for Word 2007 installs a custom ribbon tab to utilise .NET functionality, the button controls variables, optional text and questionnaire editting amongst other options. Utilising bracket-based mark-up to specify conditional text and variable fields, the author creates a template for a contract. Once published, other users can then manipulate the document using a pre-defined questionnaire to apply client specific details and preferences. Accordingly, the need for programming skills is mitigated entirely; a basic knowledge of document mark-up is all that is required, making document automation more easily accessible. . It is notable that the field control used is derived from the conventions of traditional legal document mark-up, i.e. use of square brackets to indicate areas for document specific information.

ContractExpress for SharePoint
Built around Microsoft SharePoint this enterprise edition is designed to encompass full contract lifecycle management including contract creation, execution and archiving. The system encompasses entire customisable (and preset) workflow systems, allowing for out-of-the-box control of the entire document lifecycle.

ContractExpress for SharePoint can be deployed within an existing SharePoint environment or as a standalone application running on Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) which is a free component of Windows Server. Documents are output in editable and non-editable formats, for example pdf form to ensure no changes are made to the document post generation. This feature is designed prevent situations, for example, wehre "sales people adapt old documents without legal department review, they may insert unapproved language or delete important language, changes that can cause legal issues later".

ContractExpress.com
Based on DealBuilder technology utilising a cloud delivery system. As per the above versions, document mark-up takes place in a normal Microsoft Word document however cloud delivery allows for remote access from any web browser.

Use of cloud technology allows for setting up of advanced systems without the associated infrastructure costs and is an increasingly popular tool for deployment of software solutions. Some companies do not require all the features of server based document automation and so functioning in the cloud reduces potentially unnecessary infrastructure spend and technological expertise requirements. This broadens the potential market for document automation to smaller and solo firms as well as larger companies.

ContractExpress DealBuilder
The original product, designed for enterprise usage to output tailored documents on large scales.

The ContractExpress DealBuilder system is built on technology standards: Microsoft .Net 3.5; Microsoft Office 2007; Open XML and Windows Communication Foundation. ContractExpress DealBuilder supports the generation of Word 2007 OpenXML (.docx), Word 97-2003 (.doc), Word-RTF, PDF and XPS.