IDC forecasts that the total number of e-mails sent daily worldwide is growing from 9.7 billion in 2000, to 35 billion in 2005. According to this research, the increasing growth of unstructured content - including e-mail, instant messages, documents and images - will soon outstrip the storage requirements of traditional structured data.
The requirements for managing these content types differ from structured data, where increased demand can be addressed by simply adding more storage capacity to existing data centres. By contrast, managing unstructured content requires a new, solutions-based approach that addresses the regulatory compliance challenges facing customers.
This is according to Fanie van Rensburg, MD of local HDS distributor, Shoden Data Systems, who says HDS has announced software solutions aimed at assisting companies to store and manage e-mail and other unstructured content.
"The two new e-mail archiving solutions enable companies to retain an unalterable archive of e-mail and instant messages for the fixed period of time (mandated by SEC 17a4, Sarbanes-Oxley, Basel II and other regulatory requirements) and also remove size-limits from e-mail boxes."
The solutions are the result of a global software development and distribution agreement between HDS and IXOS Software AG. The storage vendor also announced an Archival Policy Design Service to help customers institute policies that remove the challenge of administering burgeoning e-mail infrastructures and satisfy e-mail-specific regulations.
The Message Archive for Compliance solution enables companies to retain an unalterable archive of e-mail and instant messages for the fixed period of time mandated by key regulatory requirements. This solution is fully indexed and searchable, allowing companies to more efficiently respond to audits, discovery requests or other situations where prompt delivery of unaltered email is critical.
The Message Archive for E-mail removes e-mail inbox size limits. Users can establish archival rules that move messages from primary to secondary storage, yet preserve the client interface - making archived e-mail readily accessible, searchable and retrievable.
Both e-mail archive solutions are built on the Hitachi Lightning 9900 V and Thunder 9500 V Series storage systems and the IXOS-eCONserver software for message archiving.
The Message Archive for Compliance solution is integrated with the recently announced Hitachi Open LDEV Guard data retention manager software that provides disk-based WORM (Write Once Read Many) capabilities, and enables immutable record retention and the creation of compliant storage environments.
Once data has been written, it can be retrieved and read by authorised applications, but not altered or deleted, for the mandated retention period - a function that is believed to be unique to this offering.
"We've seen an increase in the need to store, index, preserve and retrieve unstructured content," comments Van Rensburg. "This has been especially true as new regulatory requirements are mandating that companies preserve and have access to records that cannot be altered. Besides the risk of incurring fines for non-compliance, the potential cost of legal discovery involving e-mail has been a primary concern given recent high-profile litigation."
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With offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town, Shoden Data Systems (Pty) Ltd is the sole distributor for Hitachi Data Systems in SA. In addition, Shoden Data Systems is the sole distributor of INRANGE Technologies Corporation, the world's leading manufacturer of channel extenders, fibre channel and ESCON/FICON directors.
Shoden Data Systems is also a Veritas Premier Partner, providing integrated, managed, best-of-breed storage area network solutions to the marketplace, as well as a distributor of VMware, virtual machine software for Intel-based systems. Based on more than 200 collective years of experience in the service, support and marketing of Hitachi products, Shoden Data Systems uses its intellectual capital and industry leading products to provide customers with total solutions in the storage, enterprise servers and connectivity arenas. The following offerings are available:
1. Storage - the HDS Freedom storage range, including Lightning 9900 and 9500.
2. Connectivity - the Inrange FC/9000 Fibre Channel/ FICON Director, ESCON Directors and Channel Extenders.
3. Servers - Fujitsu Siemens PrimePower range of servers.
Hitachi Data Systems
Hitachi Data Systems leverages global R&D resources to develop storage solutions built on industry-leading technology with the performance, availability and scalability to maximise customers' ROI and minimise their risk. By focusing on the customer's perspective as we apply the best hardware, software and services from Hitachi and our partners, we uniquely satisfy our customers' business needs.
With 2 700 employees, Hitachi Data Systems conducts business through direct and indirect channels in the public, government and private sectors in over 170 countries. Its customers include more than 50% of Fortune 100 companies. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.eu.hds.com.
Hitachi, Ltd
Hitachi, Ltd (NYSE: HIT), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company, with approximately 340 000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2002 (ended 31 March 2003) consolidated sales totalled 8 191.7 billion yen ($68.3 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors, including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.hitachi.com.
IXOS
IXOS SOFTWARE AG is a leading provider of enterprise content management (ECM) solutions. The IXOS offering ranges from solutions for the efficient management and display of web information, to optimisation of business processes, to the secure, long-term archiving of all business documents in a dependable document repository. A global team of highly qualified consultants, combined with 24/7 support, complements the broad solution portfolio. Through its partnerships with leading international hardware and software providers and system integrators, IXOS ensures the implementation of innovative technologies and the availability of comprehensive industry-specific expertise. Its financial stability makes IXOS a dependable partner both now and in the distant future.
In more than 3 000 installations spanning diverse industries, IXOS has helped companies reduce expenses, improve productivity, and enhance their competitiveness. More than 2 million users around the world enjoy the benefits of IXOS ECM solutions. IXOS SOFTWARE shares are traded in the TecDAX 30 Index of the Frankfurt, Germany stock exchange using the ticker symbol "XOS" (WKN 506150; ISIN: DE0005061501). In the US, American Depository Shares (ADSs) are traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange using the ticker symbol "XOSY".
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