E-mail archiving is the process of systematically recording and saving copies of e-mail correspondence for records keeping and documentation purposes.

Rationale for E-Mail Archiving

From the legal standpoint, regulations governing records keeping and management have been around for years, with specific industries (e.g., lawyers, financial and credit institutions, medical facilities, etc.) being required to keep records for periods lasting from three to five years or more. The introduction and subsequent growth of internet-based communications has not changed the legal framework and requirements for these.

At the same time, US courts have issued guidelines on what is called ‘e-discovery’ or exchanging information using electronic means in legal proceedings. The American Bar Association has, in turn, warned lawyers that e-discovery apparently covers all means of electronic communications – including storage media, personal computers, laptops, PDAs, mobile phones, and so on.

Aside from these sources of information, companies must be prepared to show that their records have not been tampered with. In the same way, they should be able to prove – if needed – that their opponent’s records have been tampered with.

The legal requirements straddle into practical issues. Tracing an email trail (for litigation purposes, for example) often results in time spent and people ‘dedicated’ to a single task – searching through storage media, checking and counter-checking veracity and accuracy of data, and in some cases attempting recovery of information that has been deleted – all under the pressure of heavy penalties in the event of failure.

The sheer volume of data that email systems generate compounds the problem. Even removal of spam leaves a significant volume of data left over – which have to be filed, stored and maintained in a form and manner that is easy to retrieve and track.

E-Mail Archiving

Contrary to many people’s beliefs, email archiving is not a matter of turning the matter to the IT department – who will, in turn, either purchase or develop an in-house archival system for company use. Experts point out that successful email archiving involves teamwork and interaction between three departments: Legal, Human Resources Development (HRD) and IT.

The legal department’s task is to establish the framework and parameters of the archiving system – which records need to be archived and for how long, and the terms and conditions that govern the stored records (e.g., who has access, what are procedures to be followed, etc.).

The HRD department’s task, on the other hand, involves training and educating people in the needs, requirements and procedures for email archiving – what to archive, how often it should be done, the systems involved, and so on.

The IT department’s task is setting up the infrastructure (including hardware and software support), systems and procedures as well as recruiting and training personnel to oversee the system.

At the end of the line come the systems – as noted, hardware (including the appropriate storage media), software programs, backup systems and procedures, disaster management and so on.

Email archiving is an essential business practice. The legal and financial penalties in not establishing a properly functional email archiving system can be substantial.