Electronic mediums have emerged as the primary repository for business data and communications. Email has become the primary tool for business communications and applications such as Sharepoint® and Google Docs® have become popular file repository tools. Healthcare organizations are rapidly converting to Electronic Health Records. What are we doing with our Data? The Big Picture Stakeholders, IT Management, and other personnel need to understand that retaining email and other electronic content is necessary to satisfy litigation and regulatory compliance requirements. The process of retaining, storing , and managing larger and larger volumes of electronic content is not without its risks. If an organization does not manage its electronic content properly, it can waste valuable time, money and IT resources. An organization must be ready to produce digital files in a timely matter if requested by the courts or legal counsel. Depending on your company’s industry, you may have strict electronic content retention regulations that your company must follow. Benefits of Implementing Content Retention Policies and Solutions: 1. Increased Regulatory Compliance. 2. Protection of Data Integrity. 3. Reduced Litigation Risk Exposure. 4. Enhanced End User Productivity. 5. Reduced E-Discovery Costs. Where to Go From Here? 1. Research and understand your organization’s retention and regulatory compliance obligations. 2. Enlist the aid of your legal counsel to guide you on forming solid retention policies and procedures. 3. Discuss your plan with an IT professional to come up with a scalable solution that meets your companies retention policies. Be proactive! don’t wait till your company is involved in a legal matter before you start thinking about E-Discovery. The Sooner You start the more data you would have retained. Links Federal Rules of Civil Procedures – Rule 34 Financial Services Requirements – Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 17a-4 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HiPAA)