Glossary

Signal Archiving

Signal has become an increasingly popular alternative to WhatsApp. It offers many of the same features and allows users to break away from Meta-owned services. In 2021, it earned the coveted title of the most popular app in the world. Even more impressive, it seemed to happen overnight. Companies, workers, and customer preferences have contributed to this continued growth. When used for business purposes, companies must make provisions for Signal archiving.

What Is Signal Archiving?

Signal offers end-to-end encryption for all communications on the app. This means that only the sender and recipient can read the messages. Not even Signal can access or share them. However, this doesn’t mean that businesses can’t archive Signal conversations.

Like other messaging apps, businesses have a few options for Signal archiving. They can either use an automatic archiving service or archive Signal conversations manually. Automating the process can save the business time and money while ensuring consistency and objectivity.

How Does Signal Archiving Work?

There are a few different ways to archive Signal conversations. The most common is to use an automatic Signal archiving service. These services work by taking a snapshot of all Signal conversations at set intervals. Managers can determine the frequency of these snapshots. This way, businesses can ensure they have a complete record of Signal conversations.

Snapshots do not necessarily refer to literal screenshots or photos. Instead, they may refer to records that reflect accurate and updated conversations at a specific time. The format these archived conversations get stored in depends on the chosen solutions.

What Are the Benefits of Signal Archiving?

Companies primarily archive Signal messages for compliance reasons. Failure to do so could lead to hefty fines and public scandals that erode customer and public trust. However, there are some additional reasons to invest in this service.

Detailed Records

The most obvious is that it gives businesses a complete record of Signal conversations. This can be useful for compliance purposes or troubleshooting issues. It can also provide helpful information during investigations or when resolving internal disputes.

Time Management

Signal archiving can also save businesses time. Automating the process can free up employees to focus on other tasks. Archives also save businesses time when fulfilling eDiscovery requests.

Opportunities for Analysis

Signal chats primarily generate qualitative data, but there are some quantitative conclusions companies can draw. For example, it could show when customers are more active so that companies can optimize staffing. It can also show how many messages it takes to resolve complaints or close deals, on average.

What Are Some Challenges of Signal Archiving?

There are a few challenges that businesses may face when Signal archiving. The most common is that Signal conversations are encrypted end-to-end. Businesses cannot read Signal messages when archived via the usual means. Consequently, companies must use archiving solutions created explicitly to archive Signal messages. This generally requires activating specific permissions.

Another challenge businesses may face with archiving messages from Signal, and any chat or SMS service is the sheer quantity of data. Signal conversations can take up a lot of space, especially if users share PDFs, audio files, videos, and images. The need for more storage can sometimes increase the cost.

What Are Some Signal Archiving Best Practices?

Signal archiving only works as well as the process’s design, implementation, and follow-up. Consider the following best practices for a smooth transition:

  • Secure employee buy-in to reduce the risk of using other apps to circumvent supervision.
  • Secure permissions from all relevant parties before archiving conversations to ensure data privacy.
  • Invest in an automated service that facilitates restricted access to records and does not disrupt the flow of work processes.

Is Signal Archiving Right for You?

Whether or not to archive Signal messages will depend on the nature and needs of the business. Businesses that communicate sensitive information may want to consider Signal archiving to ensure compliance. That is especially the case for enterprises governed by the SEC and FINRA.

In some cases, companies might not need to archive all Signal conversations. For example, conversations between graphic designers at a creative agency might not need to be archived. However, the company might choose to archive Signal conversations on company devices used by the HRM and accounting teams.

How Can You Find the Right Signal Archiving Service?

Businesses should consider a few different factors when choosing a Signal archiving service. Consider the following:

  • Years in business and experience with compliance issues in your industry
  • Whether the company offers encryption
  • Reputation in its local area or the global market
  • Compatibility with existing infrastructure
  • Cost of the system
  • Level of automation
  • Type and level of customer support

The Bottom Line

Signal archiving can be a valuable tool for businesses. For some companies, it plays an indispensable role in ensuring compliance. Consequently, choosing a reliable and effective service is crucial. Corporations worldwide trust LeapXpert with the task of capturing, archiving, and securing the data from Signal chats. Will you? Book a demo to put our software to the test.