eDiscovery Tools: Opportunity for Providers?

The 451 Group has released its “eDiscovery and eDisclosure: Bringing it all Back Home” survey report, and the results are insightful – particularly for companies who tried, and are failing, to handle things “in-house.”

Key Findings

• Some degree of eDiscovery in-sourcing continues, as companies try and build systems and competence from within.

• With the above point being made, companies continue to lack efficient, repeatable business processes to handle litigation – which means they’re trying (badly) to handle requests and requirements on an ad hoc basis.

• Half of the respondents said they’d be buying eDiscovery products and services in 2010.

• Real, “on the ground” eDiscovery practices are well ahead of judicial guidelines, regulations and protocols – which are lagging and creating confusion.

• More companies are seeking to take a proactive approach by preparing for future eDiscovery litigation issues, instead of reacting to them. Both information governance systems and eDiscovery-enabled archives have helped in his regard.

• Enterprises are, unsurprisingly, struggling with the massive growth of data, and the just as massive challenge of managing the fragmentation of that data.

The Bottom Line

The 451 Group bottom-lined their influential survey by noting that, despite 2009s economic horror story, eDiscovery vendors continue to enjoy growth – provided they’re at the right price position and deliver the functionality, tools and information systems that companies can use.

This opportunity is especially attractive since, as noted above, many companies are struggling with eDiscovery issues in-house and haven’t committed to either a vendor or product strategy.

Read an Executive Summary of the 451 Group’s survey here.