How to Select a Text Message Archiving Solution

Email will likely remain a leader in business communications for the foreseeable future. Even so, SMS and instant messaging have transformed the way colleagues seek better collaboration and faster responses. The use of SMS has also prompted the need for companies to archive text messages for mobile compliance, research, or customer support reasons. So, how do you choose the right archived text messages solution for you?

Identify the Main Purpose of Capturing Text Messages

There are a myriad of good reasons a company might decide to capture SMS message conversations. Determining which matters most to your business can ensure you choose an app that prioritizes those needs with the right features. Here are some common reasons companies look into text message archives:

• Mobile compliance: In many industries, SMS messages are considered business records that managers must preserve. For example, FINRA compliance in the financial sector requires that organizations secure and store the information in a searchable format.
• Litigation support: If your company is involved in a lawsuit, you may be required to produce relevant SMS messages as part of the discovery process. It takes a proactive approach to have this information already when you need it, so start early.
• Research and analytics: Some businesses want to capture text messages for research purposes or to gain insights into customer behavior. This is especially helpful if customers tend to provide feedback via SMS.
• Customer support: Organizations that use SMS for customer communication may want to archive messages for training or quality control purposes. Managers often review the information to check service levels and see how customers respond to specific scripts.

Choose the Devices You Intend To Use

App choices and compatibility can vary across operating systems. How the apps work also differs across various operating systems. Currently, there are two leading players in the smartphone arena.

Archive Text Message iPhone

The iPhone offers many features that are attractive to businesses. One such feature is the ability to delete messages after a certain amount of time automatically. You can set it for anywhere from 30 days to never. You can also back up and encrypt your iPhone text messages, which is a critical data security measure.

Archive Text Messages Android

Android offers a different set of features and app choices than the iPhone. Users have more control over security and can leave their devices vulnerable and open or lock them down like Fort Knox. The mobile devices built by Google itself tend to offer the best built-in protection and most high-end features. Google One customers have even more options, such as built-in VPNs.

Set a Budget for Your Archiving Solution

Before setting a budget, do some quick research to see the general prices for your needs and business size. Doing this will help you develop a realistic budget. In some cases, you might need to return to the drawing board and see how you can reallocate funds from other aspects of the business.

When looking at prices for archiving solutions, be sure to consider the following:

• The number of endpoints covered
• The communications methods covered
• How labor-intensive vs. automated the solution is
• Whether the company has a reputation for strong data security

Compare Apps to Find the Best Features for Your Business

There are several apps on the market that capture text messages. The most challenging part can be narrowing them down to find the best one for your business. When you are ready to buy, read reviews from other customers to get an idea of what they liked and didn’t like about the app. No app is perfect, so getting a well-rounded view is vital before making your decision.

When you have a shortlist of contenders, compare them side-by-side to see which app has the features that matter most to you. Here are some key features you might want to look for:

• The ability to cover multiple devices and operating systems
• Scheduled backups and automated retention policies
• An intuitive user interface to reduce training needs
• Advanced search capabilities
• 24/7 customer support
• Ease of implementation and use

Try Before You Buy

The last thing you want is to find out after you have already paid for a text message archiving solution that it doesn’t fit your needs or budget. To avoid this, always request a demo or free trial before committing to a purchase. Test the app and ensure it meets your expectations. It is a serious red flag if a company does not offer a testing option.

The Bottom Line

With these tips in mind, you should be well on your way to choosing the best text message archiving solution for your business. That could bring you right to our virtual doorstep at LeapXpert. We are market leaders in capturing conversations over instant messaging apps and SMS, and serve corporations in various industries worldwide. Book your demo to see how well our software meets and exceeds your business needs.