The management tool allows Dickinson Wright to automatically restart a server that has shut down and send an alert to an IT worker describing what happened. The software can be set to notify IT about a particular issue, such as whether IP traffic saturation has reached a level that could cause network slowdowns. In addition to dealing with VOIP, the software has been expanded to manage Lotus Notes and the firm's document management systems, and will be used to help manage the firm's time and billing application in the next year.

Kolb said he has evaluated numerous management software products from a variety of vendors, but found Compuware's Vantage was more comprehensive and broad in scope than any single product from other companies. Compuware's major competitors include Hewlett Packard Co. OpenView, IBM Tivoli as well as products from BMC Software Corp. and CA Inc.

As for the VOIP, it is still running. Kolb declined to name the VOIP vendor, saying the company is also one of his firm's clients.