Unified Archive^®

Unified means a long-term solution that can leverage internal data for strategic advantage. By combining ALL unstructured data within the organization into a massively scalable repository, the needs of related critical functions (eDiscovery, compliance, records management, and storage) can be met from a single portal, without the risk of inaccessible data. The ability to ingest a vast array of file types, work in mixed email environments, and accommodate deployments both on-premise and in the cloud mean that the Unified Archive® system can easily adapt as technology needs evolve over time.

A unified data approach is critical to the future of business analytics, which are beginning to unlock the competitive value of unstructured data. As text analysis and natural language processing technologies rapidly improve, there is massive potential for communications data created within the enterprise to be used for insight to the business process and efficiency, and to show “trending” issues within the company. Unified architecture is essential to this opportunity, because it is the only method that can provide a single aggregated pool of this information across the enterprise. With unstructured data taking so many forms, a single repository that can amass all file types is the only way enterprises can formulate comprehensive analysis of their business activities. The Unified Archive® provides this via a comprehensive Corporate eMemory™ of archived communication and documents, setting the foundation for interactive analysis and mapping of human-generated data. Rather than just fulfilling the needs of information storage for defensive purposes, ZL provides the next generation of unstructured data control by harnessing “Big Data” and converting it to a strategic asset that reflects the human-driven activities of the business process.

Unified means secure, granular control. With the definition of “records” evolving, all enterprise electronically-stored information (ESI) needs to be archived. The Unified Archive^®, with only one data copy per unique document, fulfills this need and allows the centralized control impossible with “siloed” solutions such as ECMs. One dashboard with access to all unstructured data in the enterprise allows records to be managed with efficiency and uniformity. And because all unstructured information is stored in one repository, actions taken for other functions (such as legal holds) are automatically applied to the appropriate document without additional effort. With DoD 5015.2, the world’s highest certification in records security, ZL also ensures that all records types including Google Mail are managed at a level that exceeds most business needs.

Having a unified solution gives unique benefits to lifecycle management of documents, allowing a single data copy to have different retention policies defined based on the specific audience that needs to view it. This gives the exclusive ability for a single data copy to be available to a certain group (such as a department) only for the lifespan defined by their needs, while the same data copy can remain accessible by other groups that require a longer retention period. This feature minimizes risk and reduces the amount of storage required, while maximizing the specificity in control that is needed by large companies. Unified Archive^® puts records managers in control to organize information from a single point of access, while simultaneously allowing the needs of eDiscovery and compliance to be fulfilled within the same system.

Unified means 100% defensibility and less dependence on IT staff. Since the Unified Archive has eDiscovery functionality spanning the full EDRM from information management to production, it puts legal teams in the driver’s seat to do what they need, when they need it, from ONE intuitive dashboard. No transfer of data between point solutions means minimal dependence on IT staff and zero loss or corruption of data, since data exports between separate platforms are not necessary. Technology assisted review (TAR) further slashes document review time by intelligently learning to tag and categorize similar material in real time, as you work.

Total defensibility is certain; because only one unique data copy is ever kept, there will never be overlooked lingering copies of information sitting somewhere else in the enterprise. Global searches over billions of documents take seconds instead of days, providing world-class early case assessment. The axiom “garbage in, garbage out” is true both for statistics as well as EDRM point solutions: they’re only as good as the information you give them. The Unified Archive^® remedies this by providing a repository of enterprise unstructured data that is absolutely complete and in one location. Rather than searching the “sandbox” of information stored or exported into a point solution, ZL lets you search the entire “beach” of unstructured data in the whole enterprise, unearthing all information and persons of relevance quickly so that the right course of action can be determined.

Unified means one code base and technical superiority. The Unified Archive^® was built from the ground up to do exactly what it does: offer scalable, comprehensive capture and management of unstructured data that doesn’t use data silos. Unlike many “integrated” solutions, it was not assembled via acquisitions of other software systems or connection of existing silos. This purity of code and data schema allows for the top-quality degree of support that enterprises demand: letting ZL engineers easily pinpoint and resolve issues quickly in the event that they do arise. And with platform agnosticism, ZL is able to offer the flexibility and compatibility to support legacy data, support current systems, and to adapt to any new data needs as they evolve.

ZL Unified Archive is a platform for ALL enterprise unstructured data, ingesting and indexing a vast array of file types as they are created into one elastic, GRID architecture repository. Global single-instance storage (SIS) ensures that each unique document is only stored once, meaning that actions taken for different purposes (compliance, eDiscovery, records management) are still only linked to one digital copy. This absence of redundant material and elimination of silos means that there are no lingering/duplicate copies, no inconsistent search results, and no disjointed retention policies to cause risk. A single solution for all related data and efficient storage means search times that take only seconds across the entire enterprise, offering a highly comprehensive and accessible view of all unstructured data.

As a solution catering to large businesses with specific needs, ZL Unified Archive is equipped for the cloud and is capable of 100% virtualization. Multiple deployment options are available including full-cloud, on-premise, and mixed (hybrid) configurations. With the flexibility to fulfill highly specific security needs in multiple environments, ZL offers support that is designed for the future of data, rather than just the present.

Unified means exceeding regulatory requirements rather than just meeting them. The Unified Archive^® acts as a central repository for all enterprise digital communications including Exchange, Lotus Notes, Google Mail, IMs, social media, Bloomberg, Blackberry, and others. The power of ZL’s Compliance Manager is twofold; first allowing all communications data to be captured and reviewed in a single platform, as well as providing advanced rules-based architecture that allows compliance departments to set flags and lexicons based on extremely specific needs. The result is a completely comprehensive, highly flexible approach to compliance that can exceed nearly two dozen US and international regulations, as well as keep up with requirements and rules as they evolve.

A unified approach ensures that that each unique piece of information stored only once, and in only one place. While having the auxiliary benefit of reducing needed storage space, this system is unique in ensuring 100% capture of unstructured data in the enterprise and allowing for much faster, much more accurate search capabilities. The compliance inbox offers a centralized dashboard for data review, and offers easy access to the advanced settings and lexicons which allow ZL to exceed industry standard regulations by offering extremely granular control. Content-based analysis of language, expanding far beyond keywords, helps vastly reduce false positives in compliance monitoring, saving time and unnecessary effort. The result is a compliance platform that is extremely efficient and accurate, and allows compliance efforts to be focused on reviewing material that is truly relevant.