eDiscovery Daily Blog

The Fourth Generation of eDiscovery Offerings is Upon Us as Well: eDiscovery Trends

If you read this blog regularly, you know that we’re big admirers of Rob Robinson’s Complex Discovery site, from his software and services “mashup” to his running 14+ year list of mergers, acquisitions and investments in the eDiscovery industry.  Now, Rob provides a generational breakdown of eDiscovery technology offerings, giving organizations out there useful information to differentiate offerings in the eDiscovery marketplace.

Last week, we noted that the age of eDiscovery automation is upon us.  This week, Rob undertakes providing “comparison frameworks to help eDiscovery practitioners systematically evaluate the technology in available offerings” in his two part article Considering Fourth Generation eDiscovery Technology Offerings: Two Approaches.  In true Netflix binge watching style, Rob gives you part one and part two at once.  :o)

So, what are the two approaches for comparing eDiscovery offerings?  Rob lays them out at the start, as follows:

“The first approach, based on Geoffrey Moore’s whole product concept, consists of taking into account all elements of a technology offering to help create a complete offering comparison.

The second approach, based on a generational model view of eDiscovery technology, helps individuals compare offerings’ value based on their capability, flexibility, delivery method, and security.”

Rob then goes on to discuss the elements of a complete technology offering, complete with easy to understand graphics that help explain that the complete technology offering should include.  I particularly like Figure 2, which illustrates the Complete Discovery Offering as including Enabling Elements, Complimentary Elements and Complimentary Services (in my opinion, any offering without accompanying services is not a complete solution).

Having discussed the complete technology offering, Rob then provides a generational model of eDiscovery classification, keeping in mind design, integration, and automation (there’s that word again!) attributes in comparing the different generations as follows:

Rob continues by pointing out generational differences in design focus, integration approach and automation approach.  And, all of that is covered in just the first part!  In part two, Rob asks a series of questions (that organizations should be asking) about the technology offering’s capabilities in addressing planning, preservation, preparation, review and sharing requirements as well as its flexibility in integrating and automating eDiscovery tasks, its pricing model and its security approach.  Rob then ties it all together with his Generational Model of eDiscovery Technology Offerings (which we show at the top of this post).

I’ve hit the highlights, but only by reading the article can you get the details.  I recommend that you check it out.

So, what do you think?  What factors do (or did) you consider in selecting your eDiscovery technology solution?  Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views held by CloudNine. eDiscovery Daily is made available by CloudNine solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Daily should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.

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