http://www.it-observer.com/articles/1200/archiving_compliance/1

Overall, the step one listed in this article is sound advice, and steps 3,
7, 8 and 9 aren't too bad either.... but the rest of it doesn't lead to very
sound business practices when it comes to applying records management
principles to controlling e-mail.

Also, the writer misuses the "A-word" here... insisting upon the application
of the IT definition which makes it a verb and references  storing e-mail
offline or on other media for retaining it to meet requirements.  While this
may satisfy some IT desires to lower storage costs and shift the uses of
some resources for other purposes, it doesn't result in a usable store of
information that's easily accessible or searchable, and makes retention a
bit more difficult, unless items are categorized for retention by their
content PRIOR to being moved to other storage platforms.

However, I think this piece of advice in step 2 was the single WORST PIECE
OF ADVICE in the article:

"Therefore the correct archiving strategy is to identify the users who need
to adhere to data retention legislation and to archive ALL of their email
data."

EGADS!!!  Can anyone believe that anyone besides a VENDOR (or maybe a
CONSULTANT =) ) offering a product the insist on referring to as a SOLUTION
would make this recommendation???

And then there was this gem of advice in step 10:

"Once implemented, review your requirements at regular intervals (at least
every 6 months) to re-examine the requirements any new laws or regulations,
retention periods and/or archiving policies make on the existing
implementation."

HELLO!!!  The retention requirements placed on information being stored at
the time they were generated or received STAY WITH the information until
they reach that point.  You don't reschedule records during their lifecycle,
which is why you don't discard past copies of your retention schedule or the
reference materials used to establish them in the first place until all
impacted records have met their assigned retention!  Sure, you may establish
new and different periods for new materials, or you may extend or suspend
destruction due to business needs or legal matters, but you don't otherwise
change them.

OKAY... it's Friday, maybe a lot of people won't read this article, or maybe
only folks in the UK will (and they're smart enough to know better...after
all, they're soccer fans), or maybe only other IT folks will read this and
when they try to push the concept on RIM folks they'll get laughed out of
the room... we WOULD laugh them out of the room, wouldn't we?????

Larry

-- 
Larry Medina
Danville, CA
RIM Professional since 1972

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