Autonomy Corporation, a provider of infrastructure software for the enterprise, has unveiled a new Expertise Location module for its iManage Universal Search solution, the company's pan-enterprise search solution tailored for law firms.

With this new module, lawyers can connect with other subject matter experts within the law firm, enabling the firm to efficiently staff matters and match the right talent with the needs of a case. Powered by Autonomy's Meaning Based Computing platform, IDOL, the IUS Expertise Location module supports a law firm's complete practice support needs all on a single platform.

Unlike traditional approaches that rely on manually created biography databases for expertise location, IUS leverages IDOL's ability to automatically build a profile of the user in real-time based on the understanding of information. As a result, IUS can identify experts within the law firm and connect their expertise with the most relevant information from multiple content repositories around the world.

In addition, a user can find an expert even if the exact search terms are not included in the users' profile. For example, searching for an expert in 'copyright law' will also show experts in conceptually related areas, such as 'trademark'. This capability allows law firms to bring to bear the best and most experienced talent at the firm depending on the needs of the case and the client.