Glossary

Message Archiving

As organizations look for new ways to embrace technology and reduce risks, secure message archiving has grown popular. Small businesses, large corporations, and government agencies rely on this storage solution to document communication across various platforms. So, what exactly is message archiving? How does it work, and is it a good fit for your business?

What Is Message Archiving?

Message archiving refers to the process of storing electronic communications. These include emails, instant messages, social media posts, and web chat content. The goal is to create a secure, searchable archive that organizations can use for compliance or business continuity, and customer service purposes.

How Does Message Archiving Work?

There are two main types of archiving solutions: on-premises and cloud-based. On-premises message archiving involves installing software on your servers. In contrast, cloud-based message archiving stores data in a secure off-site location.

On-premises archiving is typically more expensive than cloud-based solutions. However, it gives you more control over your data. Cloud-based solutions are often less costly and easier to set up, but you must trust another company to protect the data.

What Are the Benefits of Message Archiving?

Reviewing the benefits can help you determine whether archiving is worth investing in for your organization. Consider the following:

  • Help you comply with regulations: If your business is subject to specific regulations message archiving can help you meet their requirements.
  • Improve communication: Storing messages in an archive allows you to search through past conversations and quickly find the information you need.
  • Preserve data: In a disaster, message archives can provide a way to recover lost data.
  • Save money: By storing messages in an archive, you can free up space on your email servers and reduce the need for expensive storage solutions.

What Are Some Challenges of Message Archiving?

While message archiving offers many benefits, some challenges do exist. Discuss potential solutions for these with your IT team to ensure a smooth transition:

  • Message archiving can be costly depending on your organization’s size and the message volume.
  • Setting up a message archive can take time, especially when using an on-premises solution.
  • It won’t be effective if you don’t have enough storage for your message archive.

What Are Some Message Archiving Best Practices?

If you’re considering message archiving for your organization, there are some best practices to keep in mind. Consider the following:

  • Define your goals. What do you hope to accomplish with archiving messages? Identifying your goals will help you pinpoint the right solution for your needs.
  • Choose the right solution. Many message archiving solutions are on the market. Make sure you choose one that meets your specific requirements.
  • Implement a retention policy. Once you have a message archive in place, it’s essential to implement a retention policy. This will ensure you only store messages for as long as necessary and that you purge old messages from the system.
  • Train your users. Message archiving can be a valuable tool, but only if your users know how to use it. Ensure you provide adequate training to reduce the learning curve and potential frustration.

Is Message Archiving Right for You?

The answer to this question depends on your specific needs. Message archiving is a must if you’re required to comply with regulations like HIPAA or Sarbanes-Oxley. Even if you’re not subject to these regulations, archiving can be a valuable tool for your business. It can help you improve customer service, resolve disputes, and protect your data in the event of a disaster.

How Can You Find the Right Message Archiving Service?

There are a few important factors to keep in mind before settling on the right archiving service for your organization. First, consider your budget and the message volume of your organization. You’ll also want to think about whether you want an on-premises or cloud-based solution. Once you have a general idea of what you’re looking for, you can compare message archiving services.

When evaluating services, pay attention to features like these:

  • Ease of use: The service should be easy to set up and intuitive to use.
  • Storage capacity: Ensure the service can accommodate your message volume and growth over time.
  • Compliance: If you’re subject to regulations like HIPAA or Sarbanes-Oxley, look for a message archiving service that can help you meet compliance requirements.
  • Customer support: Choose a service that offers excellent customer support.
  • Industry experience: Look for a provider that has experience working with businesses in your industry.
  • Pricing: Compare the costs of different services to find the most affordable option.

The Bottom Line

If you’re considering implementing a message archiving solution, carefully weigh the pros and cons. Be sure to consider your budget, security needs, and compliance requirements before deciding. Despite a wealth of archiving solutions on the market, LeapXpert stands out from the rest of the pack. It provides secure archiving solutions while also helping organizations communicate with their customers via their preferred methods. Contact us to learn more.