Verdict is in:Hosted apps rule.

Piper Rudnick LLP, one of the nation's largest law firms, has built an airtight case for hosted applications. Over the past five years, the Baltimore-based firm has increasingly outsourced its online systems to Hubbard One, a Chicago solutions provider that specializes in hosted applications for the legal industry. Through the relationship, Piper Rudnick has gained secure extranets that enhance communications with its clients. Over the next few weeks, Hubbard One will extend those extranets to support former Piper Rudnick employees and potential clients- two prime audiences for revenue growth. Like many modern solutions providers, Hubbard One is more than a Web integrator, site designer or traditional consulting firm. Since its founding in 1997, the company has developed its own software platform, known as FirmConnect, for its clients. The article concludes by stating in the words of Kent Zimmerman, vice president of Hubbard One "General business knowledge is a great base to build on, but what our clients value most is our combination of technology and specific legal industry domain expertise."