This review first appeared in Legal Information Alert, September 2000. It is reprinted here with permission.

Depositions are an important tool in developing a case for trial and there is no substitute for a lawyer being in person at a deposition. There are times, however, when the lawyer's co-counsel or experts could assist on the deposition but cannot participate due to cost, time, or geographic limitations. I-DEP offers a tool that could solve that problem for many attorneys. The I-DEP product streams one-way video and audio to remote participants, as well as real-time transcription. Going beyond a mere broadcast, the I-DEP interface has a chat room for the deposing lawyer to interact with remote participants, including a "whisper" feature allowing the lawyer to receive a private note passed digitally via the Web.

I-DEP's product is neither for every attorney nor for every case. When multiple participants are desired or when the case has multiple parties, I-DEP can offer an alternative to the logistics and cost required to bring everyone together. Remote participants can log into the I-DEP server and, with a 56 Kbps modem connection, can watch and interact. At a cost of $2 to $5 per minute, the service can quickly pay for itself as a replacement for expenses that would normally be incurred. This is especially true if a long deposition is needed because the cost stops accruing after 4 hours even if the deposition lasts longer.

The deposition is videotaped using small digital cameras built into laptops to which the lawyer and court reporter are connected. The video and audio is streamed out over a high-speed connection to the I-DEP server and then broadcast to authorized participants. This broadband necessity has caused I-DEP to partner with a network of court reporters to give a high-speed option for lawyers who do not already have it. The deposition is held at the court reporter's office and the reporter maintains the connection, which must be a minimum of 144 Kbps. Each remote participant, given a password to login by the deposing lawyer, connects via the Web to the I-DEP server and can then interact.

The interface is clean and intuitive and loads in a standard Web browser. I-DEP currently only supports Windows-based PCs and the multimedia uses Windows Media Player. In a live demo of the product over an internal network, the video and audio was clear and synchronized, although it trailed the transcript slightly. The interface is continuously revised and, in addition to the current chat and whisper buttons, will offer buttons to transmit specific remote objections. The deposition is stored on the I-DEP server as part of the Deposition on DemandÔ service and can be accessed, with video, audio, and transcript synchronized, after the deposition is completed. Copies can be ordered on VHS, CD, and DVD and deposition scheduling can be done over I-DEP's Web site.

By using an Internet-based model for their product, I-DEP has created a tool that lawyers can use to leverage all the skills and resources available to them.