Messaging system
• Not built to store massive amounts of messages– And attachments– And manage as records
• Difficult to search across
inboxes– Discovery, auditing
3
Print & file
• Common approach
• Challenges:– Loss of metadata– Attachments– Typical threaded email
message– Volume to print and to file– Authenticity (phishing)
4
Backup tapes
• Archival vs. backup
• Backups store data, not files or messages
• Multiple copies of data
• Readability of older tapes– Format, media, hardware
5
Email management applications
• Move messages out of the messaging application
• May provide simple retention management– But NOT records management solutions
• Many different capabilities available
6
Email archiving
• Copy or remove messages from messaging application store to other storage
• Enforce rules for archiving based on age, size, user, or mailbox quotas
• Enable centralized message capture and management
7
Email compliance
• Provide compliance functionality for specific requirements– HIPAA, S-OX, etc.
• Message monitoring
and notification
• Message auditing
• Incident and case
management8
Email discovery
• Provide litigation hold for email messaging system
• Message search, review, and production
• Evidence preservation
• Annotation and redaction
• Case management
9
Encryption and digital signatures
• Encryption solutions encrypt messages from - and sometimes within - the organization
• Digital signature solutions used to sign messages from the organization
• Generally managed
centrally
10
Email security
• Designed to protect the organization
from external threats
• May provide attachment
blocking and filtering
• May protect against directory
harvest attacks
• May provide spam blocking
11
Personal archive management
• Search the network to find .pst files
• Extract messages and moves them into the email archive
• May also leave .pst files in place but note location and index their contents
• Often provide single-instance storage and de-duplication
• Enforce policies for .pst files
12
Policy management
• Provide enforcement of
policies and procedures– Ethical walls– Content filtering– Attachment filtering
• May also provide audit
trails for actions taken
13
ECRM solutions
• Most systems support email management
• May run at server or client
• Many support single-instance storage
• May allow declaration, management of messages as records
• Varying support for attachment management, metadata management
14
Implementation models
• The solutions listed earlier use a number of different implementation models– Appliance– Application server– Hosted– Client/plug-in
• Some providers offer several implementation models
16
Appliance-based solutions
• The solution is pre-installed on a server
• Connected to the network and the messaging application
• Fairly common approach for email security and archiving
• Database considerations
17
Appliance considerations
Benefits:
• No need for separate hardware
• Minimal need to configure system
Drawbacks:
• May not be robust enough
• Hardware may not be upgradable
• May only work with certain platforms
18
Application server
• The solution is installed on a server on the network and connected to the messaging application
• Most common approach today
• May require RDBMS
• Solution may need to be installed on the messaging application server– BAD!
19
Application server considerations
Benefits:
• Hardware can be upgraded to meet solution requirements
• Wide choice of hardware to choose from
Drawbacks:
• Requires dedicated hardware and configuration
• May only work on certain platforms20
Hosted solutions
• Solution is provisioned by a third party
• Highly available and scalable
• Subscription-based pricing
21
Hosted solution benefits
• The organization can purchase only as much as is needed
• Someone else has responsibility for backup, configuration, security
• Generally platform-independent
• May reduce internal network traffic
22
Hosted solution drawbacks
• Cultural considerations
• Reliability issues
• Vendor stability
• Discovery issues
• Migration considerations
23
Client/plug-in
• Solution is installed on users’ machines, either as stand-alone application or plug-in
• Most solutions can be deployed using scripts or policy objects; some must be installed manually
• Client applications run
separately; plug-ins are
integrated into the client
24
Client benefits and drawbacks
Benefits:
• Only deploy to users who require it
Drawbacks:
• Decentralized deployment and usage can be difficult to manage
• May require specific configurations, clients, security settings, etc.
• Leaves it under control of the user25
Who is involved in the selection?
• IT– Own the existing messaging application– Installation and configuration of system– Support for system
• Records management– Understand recordkeeping and compliance
requirements
• Legal– Understand litigation support requirements
27
Determine the goal of the solution(s)
• What are the problems to be addressed?– Operational efficiency (user-focused)– Storage/management costs– Security/compliance
• Prioritize among the
issues to be addressed
and proposed solutions
28
Gather requirements
• Gather, identify, and validate requirements
• Business requirements– The problem(s) to be addressed
• Functional requirements– What type of functionality will solve the
problem(s)?
• Technical requirements
29
Research
• Research the available solutions– Vendor resources– Trade publications– Conferences– Associations– Consultants and
analyst firms– Standards and guidelines
30
The short list
• Determine the vendors to consider
• Narrow the list based on the messaging applications and platforms supported, key functionality, and deployment models
• Invite remaining vendors to provide demonstrations, references, and pilots
31
Select the solution
• Cost should be a factor but not the most important criteria– Pricing is not the same as cost
• Select the solution that most closely matches organization’s requirements
• Select a vendor you can work with and that is committed to the relationship
32
Summary
• Email management technologies can assist in managing email better– But they are not records management
solutions
• Requirements are a key part of the discussion
• Solution should be selected by IT, RM, legal
33
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