How Many Times are You Paying to Host the Same Document?

How Many Times are You Paying to Host the Same Document?

A continuing pain point for litigious corporations is hosting, and what many corporations do not realize is just how many times they are paying to host the same sets of documents.  Vendors who have the ability to process/host a document once — regardless of how many times it is used — will diminish a corporation’s litigation spend.  Companies can greatly reduce electronic discovery hosting charges by asking their providers three simple questions:

1. Does the provider charge hosting for tiffs and natives only one time?

The answer should be yes, even if documents have been promoted to native and/or tiff in multiple matters.  Those providers with the ability to point back to the same processed/hosted document numerous times will significantly reduce a litigious corporation’s hosting footprint.

2. Are multiple databases really required?

Companies frequently reuse data for investigations and litigation.  In many instances, the same custodians are being collected again and again or perhaps just require an updated collection.  Similarly, corporations often have sets of marketing materials, publications, etc. that get produced multiple times.  The majority of the time, these companies are paying to process, review, produce, and especially host those same documents each and every time.  It may be possible instead to streamline these processes with a single database, while adjusting permissions to different documents and work product to various user groups as necessary.

Some corporations have preferred providers in place or work with a stable of law firms that may have preferred relationships.  But even for corporations or firms who work with a single provider, the same data often is sitting in multiple databases.

3. Even if multiple databases are required, how is the provider charging for it?

There can be good reasons to host data in multiple databases with a single provider; for example, some users find it would be too burdensome to try and run multiple matters out of one monstrous database.

If the provider does have a separate tool for ECA, does all data reside in an integrated platform?  If is the former, then corporations might be paying double hosting for the same document in a single matter.  If it the latter,  does the platform give the corporation the ability to just view the extracted metadata and text?  If so, the company should be able to reduce hosting costs dramatically.