The Macrosite for News, Analysis and Opinion about the Future of the Internet
Alison Diana

E-Discovery Bumpily Enters the Cloud

Written by Alison Diana
1/9/2013 4 comments
no ratings
DISCUSS     Email This

Attorneys and service providers that use specialized tools to quickly collect and compile tens of thousands of social media records for e-discovery will eventually be storing -- and searching -- these records in the cloud.

It makes sense. The original records -- the tweets, Facebook posts, YouTube videos, Pinterest pictures, and other social media permanent records of potential interest to either or both parties -- already swirl around the cloud. And, with solutions like X1 Discovery capturing an unlimited number of social media data, it's easy to see why firms' IT departments wouldn't want to pay for more and more on-site storage devices (and the related management, backup, and security associated with them).

Cloud also means e-discovery professionals will increasingly need to search cloud-based data for busy law firms, according to Nextpoint's DiscoveryCloud blog:

Because more data lives entirely on cloud servers, corporations continue to embrace social media, and companies continue to move to cloud-based email and Google Docs, eDiscovery will increasingly be a cloud-based affair.

When it comes to storage for e-discovery, scalability is crucial, according to eDiscovery Journal. Experts in this field never know how much data they'll unearth; it's vital, then, to have a storage system that can grow (or shrink) quickly. I can't think of anything that does that better or more affordably than a hosted model.

That's not to say the path to e-discovery in the cloud will be far from tumultuous. There have been some headline-making side trips: In June 2011, the city of Los Angeles revised its contract with Google to migrate the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to its cloud applications after the LAPD was dissatisfied with the software's ability to deal with e-discovery.

It's also vital that cloud management is centralized, not only for IT and cost-savings, but also for the legal team that has to defend (or possibly attack for) your company. As writers James Berriman, CEO of Evidox, and Jack Notarangelo, director of information management at RSM McGladrey, describe in a website for their book, eDiscovery in the Cloud: A Nightmare Scenario, the ability of departments or teams to wander off and ink their own cloud deals could be catastrophic if a company is sued and e-discovery begins.

And all too often, at least according to a 2011 Forbes report, organizations implement cloud without considering e-discovery at all -- or thinking about it it far too late in the implementation for them to do anything about it. Now, 2011 may as well be 1989 in technology years, so I'm sure a lot of enterprises have wised up already. But unfortunately, many more probably haven't.

On the other hand, lawsuits continue. So does cloud adoption. And so does e-discovery. And that's why it's critical that all departments are involved before a cloud implementation, and that organizations figure out how they're going to deal with this issue before they start moving more information into the cloud.

Related posts:

DISCUSS     Email This
Current display:       newest comments first       display in chronological order
kq4ym
IQ Crew
Monday January 28, 2013 7:54:31 AM
no ratings

Cloud discovery reminds me that I've always advocated storing "everything." I've seen the growth of online video, both live streaming and recorded ala YouTube types and wonder why those online live streaming sites don't archive literally everything uploaded.

At some point in history, someone somewhere is going to find that, what seems now useless, bit of video extremely valuable. Not only will attorneys want to seek out every last bit of info available but historians, statisticians and more will certainly find use for what seems useless now.

Kim Davis
Thinkernetter
Thursday January 10, 2013 4:21:59 PM
no ratings

eDiscovery is still in its early days in earth bound form.  Many organizations are unclear on their document retention responsibilities, when it comes to electronic drafts and copies of documents.  With paper documents, "the original copy" was at least something people understood.

Cloud deployment is bound to exacerbate the problems. 

Alison Diana
Thinkernetter
Thursday January 10, 2013 9:21:55 AM
no ratings

Reading the example I cited here, you could almost feel the panic levels rising in the voices and minds of the imaginary company the authors created. Having spoken with enough real businesses that have implemented these rogue cloud implementations, it's easy to see how next-to-impossible - and how thoroughly expensive and time-consuming - a regular old lawsuit would become due to decentralized cloud adoption. Any and all savings these departments had enjoyed from these cloud setups would be lost almost immediately -- and then some -- as internal or on-call attorneys struggled to locate the documentation the courts and the lawsuit demanded they accumulate. 

Talk about career-ending moves.

Mitch Wagner
Thinkernetter
Wednesday January 9, 2013 5:52:18 PM
no ratings

Yet another example of why cloud deployments need to be controlled centralized by IT, and not handled on a rogue basis by departments or individual employees.

The ThinkerNet does not reflect the views of TechWeb. The ThinkerNet is an informal means of communication to members and visitors of the Internet Evolution site. Individual authors are chosen by Internet Evolution to blog. Neither Internet Evolution nor TechWeb assume responsibility for comments, claims, or opinions made by authors and ThinkerNet bloggers. They are no substitute for your own research and should not be relied upon for trading or any other purpose.
previous posts from Executive Clan Editor's Blog
Alison Diana
Alison Diana   5/22/2013   1 comment
Almost everyone agrees that data analytics, digital marketing, apps, and APIs will greatly affect their enterprise's results in the next 12 months. But a report suggests that not all large corporations are moving quickly to adopt these enabling technologies -- and that could seriously harm their profitability, customer satisfaction, and chances for ongoing success.
Alison Diana
Alison Diana   5/15/2013   5 comments
Enterprises are embracing open-source to avoid vendor lock-in, get better-quality software, and gain access to larger libraries of applications. In return, they may be putting themselves at risk for higher, more complex support costs.
Alison Diana
Alison Diana   5/8/2013   7 comments
Although hiring a specialized marketing professional may be out of most IT departments' financial reach, it can be money well spent.
Alison Diana
Alison Diana   5/1/2013   8 comments
Whereas some businesses search externally when they need a CIO, Choice Hotels had to look only at its CTO for someone with the necessary expertise, industry knowledge, and technological know-how to continue leading the company's embrace of enabling technologies.
Mitch Wagner
Mitch Wagner   4/24/2013   9 comments
Local social media can be powerful marketing tools, but they can't just be add-ons. They need to be tightly integrated into the corporate culture, according to Whole Foods social marketers.
5
of
Mary Maida
How Medtronic Overcomes Social Business Resistance

1|31|13   |   1:23   |   No comments


Showing results is the best way to win over social business doubters, according to Mary Maida, Medtronic lead information solutions manager. Internet Evolution's Mitch Wagner interviewed Maida at the E2 Innovate conference.
Mary Maida
Medtronic Quantifies Social Business

1|9|13   |   1:15   |   No comments


The medical instruments manufacturer looks to metrics to quantify its social business engagement, according to Mary Maida, Medtronic lead information solutions manager. Internet Evolution editor in chief Mitch Wagner interviewed Maida at the E2 Innovate conference.
Mitch Wagner
TweetDeck Gets a Second Life

11|5|12   |   9:54   |   13 comments


A recent release of the popular TweetDeck app for Twitter power-users gives new life to software that had previously taken a wrong turn. Here's a quick walk-through of the new TweetDeck, to show you why it should be at the top of your Twitter toolkit.
Tony Kontzer
Salesforce.com Trumpets the 'Social Enterprise'

9|25|12   |   1:45   |   2 comments


"Social Enterprise" is an increasingly trendy term, and Salesforce.com has been leading the way. At its Dreamforce conference last week, the theme was clear: From here on, enterprise applications must have social capabilities built in.
Mary E. Shacklett
Enterprises Like SaaS for Social Networking

9|6|12   |   2:04   |   8 comments


Enterprises are discovering that using social networking within the secure setting of a SaaS provider's network gives them an unusual opportunity to freely collaborate with partners, suppliers, and even competitors.
Mary E. Shacklett
Scrum Brings Social MediaThinking to Projects

7|30|12   |   2:12   |   8 comments


The very low-tech "scrum" project technique introduces "crowd talking" to projects and also sets the entire crowd to problem solving. So far, these new social-media-style meetings appear to have supercharged project execution.
The Incredible Hultquist
Web 2.0 – Just Being There Isn't Enough

11|3|09   |   2:15   |   9 comments


As enterprises leap into the Web 2.0 world of blogging, commenting, and social networking, just 'being there' won't deliver ROI. You may want a 'Web Evangelist' to systematically harvest the feedback in order to polish your product or service.
Mitch Wagner
'Digital Nomads' Work From Anywhere & Everywhere

2|14|13   |   2:35   |   20 comments


New tools like laptops, tablets, smartphone, and wireless connectivity let us work from San Diego to Katmandu, and anywhere in between. But time management remains a problem.
Kelli Carlson-Jagersma
Wells Fargo Sales Get Social Business Boost

1|16|13   |   2:30   |   2 comments


Wells Fargo uses social software to replace email chains and help its sales team collaborate more effectively to land deals, according to Kelli Carlson-Jagersma, VP Collaboration Strategy for Wells Fargo. Mitch Wagner spoke with Carlson-Jagersma at the E2Innovate conference
Mary E. Shacklett
Watch Your Business Secrets on Multi-Tenant Clouds

11|26|12   |   1:56   |   1 comment


Multi-tenant clouds assure security for clients, but not necessarily for their ideas. Here's one thing you should discuss with your cloud provider before you sign on.
IETV: the thinkerNet on film
5
of
Kim Davis
Big-Data Can’t Always Sell Wine

5|21|13   |   2:23   |   3 comments


Whole Foods Global Wine Purchaser Doug Bell told me about some of the constraints on using analytics in the US wine market.
Paul J. Fleuranges
Digital Signage Keeps NYC Subway Straphangers on Track

5|6|13   |   3:51   |   No comments


New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority is conducting a pilot test of digital kiosks to guide subway users to where they want to go more efficiently and at lower cost.
Kim Davis
Fast Forward to the Future

4|23|13   |   2:29   |   20 comments


A look back at tech writing in the 90s makes us wonder where enterprise IT will be 20 years from now.
Mitch Wagner
Google Launches Its Most Depressing Service Yet

4|15|13   |   2:59   |   10 comments


Google's new Inactive Account Manager lets you control how Google disposes of your accounts when you die.
Second Shooter
Argument Over Top-Level Domains Is 'Stupid'

4|11|13   |   2:07   |   3 comments


The whole Amazon.reader debate is a double-stupid. It's stupid to think that there's any e-book buyer who doesn't know Amazon's URL, and it was stupider to let ICANN launch the whole free-form TLD initiative to start with.
Kim Davis
Ladies, Your Tablet Awaits

3|21|13   |   2:22   |   37 comments


ePad Femme is the world’s first tablet “made exclusively for women.”
Wisdom of the Big Chair
NFC Moves Into the Mainstream

3|20|13   |   2:16   |   No comments


While NFC's original goal was to enhance mobile commerce applications, it is finding its way into a number of other uses, which is creating both opportunity as well as challenges for IT departments.
Wisdom of the Big Chair
Integrating Security Into Your Cloud Contract

3|19|13   |   3:35   |   No comments


Enterprises would like to move to cloud computing but are hesitant because they are concerned about providers’ ability to secure company data. Here are some tips that help to ensure that if breaches occur, the business is not left holding the bag.
Brian Baron
How Edmunds.com Collects Customer Information

3|18|13   |   1:15   |   No comments


Edmunds separates customers into segments based on the info it collects on its site and from partners, and uses that to push out custom content, said Brian Baron, director of business analytics for Edmunds.com, at Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit.
Brian Baron
How Edmunds.com Uses Analytics to Customize Site

3|14|13   |   0:47   |   No comments


The automotive website uses propensity modeling to target ads and customer registration forms, said Brian Baron, director of business analytics for Edmunds.com, at Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit.
an IBM information resource
sponsored content
big blue blog
an IBM information resource
sponsored content
Expert Integrated Systems: Changing the Experience & Economics of IT
In this e-book, we take an in-depth look at these expert integrated systems -- what they are, how they work, and how they have the potential to help CIOs achieve dramatic savings while restoring IT's role as business innovator.

READ THIS eBOOK
your weekly update of news, analysis, and
opinion from Internet Evolution - FREE!

REGISTER HERE
Wanted! Site Moderators
Internet Evolution is looking for a handful of readers to help moderate the message boards on our site – as well as engaging in high-IQ conversation with the industry mavens on our thinkerNet blogosphere. The job comes with various perks, bags of kudos, and GIANT bragging rights. Interested?

Please email: moderators@internetevolution.com
Internet Evolution – not for thickies
Keep Critical Data With a Knowledge Management System
Taimoor Zubair
Fortune 500 companies lose at least
$31.5 billion a year by failing to share knowledge. A Knowledge Management System (KMS) can help companies significantly reduce these costs.

CLICK FOR MORE
M2M: Rise of the Machines? Not Yet
David Weldon
In the 1970 science fiction thriller
Colossus: The Forbin Project, two giant supercomputers from the United States and Soviet Union secretly join forces to take control of the collective nuclear might of the two countries. In the film, the two machines discover each other's existence, communicate back-and-forth, share their collective data, and cut their human creators out of the process. It is the ultimate example of machine-to-machine communications, or M2M.

CLICK FOR MORE
M2M: Rise of the Machines? Not Yet
David Weldon
In the 1970 science fiction thriller
Colossus: The Forbin Project, two giant supercomputers from the United States and Soviet Union secretly join forces to take control of the collective nuclear might of the two countries. In the film, the two machines discover each other's existence, communicate back-and-forth, share their collective data, and cut their human creators out of the process. It is the ultimate example of machine-to-machine communications, or M2M.

CLICK FOR MORE
M2M: Rise of the Machines? Not Yet
David Weldon
In the 1970 science fiction thriller
Colossus: The Forbin Project, two giant supercomputers from the United States and Soviet Union secretly join forces to take control of the collective nuclear might of the two countries. In the film, the two machines discover each other's existence, communicate back-and-forth, share their collective data, and cut their human creators out of the process. It is the ultimate example of machine-to-machine communications, or M2M.

CLICK FOR MORE
M2M: Rise of the Machines? Not Yet
David Weldon
In the 1970 science fiction thriller
Colossus: The Forbin Project, two giant supercomputers from the United States and Soviet Union secretly join forces to take control of the collective nuclear might of the two countries. In the film, the two machines discover each other's existence, communicate back-and-forth, share their collective data, and cut their human creators out of the process. It is the ultimate example of machine-to-machine communications, or M2M.

CLICK FOR MORE
Yahoo Needs to Break Tumblr in Order to Fix It
Joe Stanganelli
As
Mitch Wagner discussed today, Yahoo is acquiring Tumblr. The big Internet debate at the moment is whether Tumblr will be good or bad for Yahoo. Regardless of their stances on the future of Yahoo itself, many claim that Yahoo will somehow ruin Tumblr.

CLICK FOR MORE