Thoughts from Paperless Steve

Outstanding Enterprise Capture Solution For Your Paperless Office

The 2012 Pick Award for Buyers Lab in in and the winner is PaperVision Capture R73.

www.buyerslab.com/Solutions/Pick-Awards/Winter-2012/Digitech-PaperVision-Capture-R73

Email archiving is one of the most common applications within email management. It is probably known as the least threatening, too. The basics of email archiving include copying or removing messages from the email application in order to store the messages in another location. This process can either be done manually or through various types of automation.

Automating Email Archiving

Here is an example of one rule that could be set up within your email management properties.

• Archive all messages that are older than 30 days, or move messages from the system once the mailbox reaches 90%, stopping only when the mailbox dips below 50% of capacity.

The problem with this scenario is that the email system doesn’t know which messages are more important than others. Important messages could be archived too soon. It is important to consider these types of draw backs when implementing archive rules.

Storage, Backup and Archiving Importance

Message storage, backups and archives are so important because of their impact on how we find and share information that we send and receive through emails. Just like document management, emails should be kept in organized locations that are easily searchable so that information can found without an extensive amount of searching.
 

In our last blog entry, we talked about a type of email security that stands within an organization. Beyond internal email policies, it is also important to keep email safe from outsiders who may have immoral actions in mind.

Email management tools can be put into place so that messages will be automatically encrypted based on specific sets of rules such as financial information, health information, legal agreements or any other forms of private or sensitive content. These rules can and should be stated in an internal email policy.

Attachments and how they are handled are also a major part of email security. Strong email policies will address which files can pass through the mail client, and if they can, which file types, files sizes and pre-authorized addresses are accepted.

One restriction to consider so that you can keep your paperless office is to only permit the sending of links to files. The links can be secured by controlling access to them through usernames/passwords or other devices. Another in-between is to apply content filtering, which checks certain keywords, addressees, etc. to determine whether or not the attachment is trusted. Both of these options give the ability to allow attachments, but do give organizations a handle on what passes through.
 

Since its inception, electronic messages (also known as email), has been running lives on a daily basis. It has supported paperless offices all around the world. Because of the vast amount of data that is sent via email, it is important that organizations have strong email policies in place.

Although it often isn’t considered or treated like a record management type, email should be treated as such. Here are just a few reasons:

• Volume: the number of messages involved is massive, and much larger than any other document type we work with on a daily basis.
• Creation: Sending, forwarding and replying is informal and easy, and can be done at the click of a button.
• Attachments: How easy is it to attach a quick PDF, image file or other electronic documents?

Image: http://fulltiltwebdesign.com/email-management.php

Due to email management being such a large and difficult task, organizations often default to one or more of the following unacceptable options:

• Saving all email messages forever
• Saving all email messages in the messaging application
• Setting arbitrary time limits for all messages
• Setting arbitrary mailbox sizes for all users
• Declaring “email” as a record series
• Don’t forget about the ever popular – “doing nothing” approach.

Governing email usage and creating guidelines is crucial for organizations of all sizes. Start by determining when to declare a copy of a message as a record. This might be based on the sender, receiver, type of content, attachments included or the actual text within the message. These types of record-keeping is a given in other parts of business, but often forgotten in terms of email.

Something else to take into account? A usage policy. Email usage policies are becoming more common for new hires and students. These policies are often dominated by things not to do.

For example, message cannot contain:

• Obscene language or otherwise inappropriate content
• Jokes or chain letters
• Racial, ethnic, religious, or other slurs
• And sometimes non-standard signature blocks and confidentiality statements

Security, attachments, and archiving emails are also an important part of email management. More information on these three areas will be coming soon.
 

Social media has grown tremendously since its start in the early 2000s. Between Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google + and even MySpace, there has been an outlet that almost everyone has found their niche on. Why has this caught on so quickly? The reasons are endless.

Social media outlets are known for being easy-to-use and well labeled so that even the most computer-illiterate are able to jump on and find their way around. Being completely web based, it is easy for anyone with an internet connection to create an account and get started. Another plus, most mediums are free.

The web based foundation provides comfort to many users, as it has become common with different systems. Email, banking, Craigslist, eBay and so many others are easily accessible at the click of a button or tap of a finger. These online services can be picked up on fairly easy as long as the interface remains easy to use.

As smartphones progress, mobility has played a key role with social media. Cell phones, pads and tablets have given us the ability to put the whole internet at our fingertips. The general public can now generate and consume information very easily. People can share their thoughts and opinions about anything going on in the world around them, while also getting access to large amounts of data through a quick search.

So getting users to actually participate in social media has been relatively easy. What about the back end build and infrastructure? IT professionals have become familiar with social media programming, so the technology barrier for organizations wanting to create or start something new is low.

Data management and online file usage continues to grow in internet sharing. As the tools progress watch for ways to promote your brand and information that you may want to share. The audience you could potentially be sharing with is huge.