e-Discovery Evolved: 2011 DIY Discovery Trends

By now, most corporations and law firms understand the complexities and realities of eDiscovery, and many organizations are re-examining their e-discovery processes and tools to gain efficiencies and reduce costs across the Electronic Data Reference Model (EDRM). With more options than ever before, litigation support professionals, lawyers and IT staff are grappling with these questions:

• Can my organization better manage costs and increase control over discovery by bringing e-discovery tools in-house or in-firm?
• Which components of the EDRM are best insourced or outsourced?
• Under what circumstances should my organization avoid insourcing e-discovery?
• What are the risks and benefits of cloud-based e-discovery?

e-Discovery is constantly evolving, and if organizations are standing still, they are losing ground. To take the pulse of the market, Kroll Ontrack collaborated with an independent company to conduct a survey of 100 Fortune 1000 corporations and 100 medium- to large-sized firms in September 2011. Nine findings emerged, providing insight into what aspects of discovery organizations are conducting themselves; what factors are weighed when making this decision; when organizations opt to enlist help from an outsider provider; and where companies stand with respect to joining the cloud movement.