Migrated from eDJGroupInc.com. Author: Barry Murphy. Published: 2011-08-23 07:00:31Format, images and links may no longer function correctly. The last few posts in my information governance (IG) series have focused on the growing acceptance that IG is a defined model for managing information that companies are currently executing on, the fact that IG encompasses both structured data and unstructured content, and the state of relative immaturity in overall IG practices. The survey data is presenting a good news / bad news scenario: there is some agreement on what IG is and the component practices within it (records management, eDiscovery, archiving &storage, security, compliance, privacy, etc), but seemingly not a ton of proactive IG initiatives. This is not uncommon in emerging markets where unique challenges exists, e.g. getting huge volumes of diverse types of electronic information under control.
One thing the survey data does offer is a call to action. We asked respondents if they thought that procedural rules might be changed within the next three years in such a way that would significantly reduce the burden and expense of eDiscovery. Almost 70% do not think there will be any reduction in the burden.
Still, there is a contingent out there that believes proactive IG will put them in worse eDiscovery predicament. One is the attorney I spoke to last year who said she advised her clients not to archive email because that would mean there is no way to argue for not discovering them. If we believe that rules changes are not in the future, and we recognize that technology for managing information will continue to improve, there is no way to argue for doing nothing.
But, IG is a broad subject; getting started can be challenging, especially in a down economy. In our webinar on September 15, 2011 at 1pm ET / 10am PT, we’ll take a look at what information governance is and how to get it going in your organization. We’ll take IG from the theoretical to the actionable. And, as a thank you for attending the webinar, you’ll get a free copy of the report we’re producing – a value of $1,800. Hope to see you there.