eDiscovery in a Pandemic (Part 3): Finding Low-Maintenance Software for Working Remotely

30 April 2020 by Anith eDiscovery GDPR attorneys

Takeaway: In a post-pandemic world, you don’t want the hassle of coordinating with technicians for annoying maintenance issues. So, look for these key features when shopping around for eDiscovery software: (1) Cloud-based service, (2) Quick signup, (3) Simple & intuitive to use, (4) Easy to collaborate with your team, (5) Minimal technical support required.

Working remotely makes it harder to troubleshoot technical issues with your eDiscovery software.

And it’s definitely a problem if you need someone to physically come and install, service or upgrade hardware and software. So, it’s worth investing in an eDiscovery application that takes care of itself.

5 essential features your eDiscovery software should have.

These are the features that make it low maintenance – ideal for a post-pandemic work life.

1. It should run in the Cloud, so you won’t have to install anything.

Many eDiscovery applications are custom-designed for larger law firms. You’d need to invest in expensive servers and networks, and you’d need a dedicated IT team to handle technical issues. Instead, find software that runs in the Cloud. The Cloud is a vast network of high-powered servers (advanced computers), owned by software giants like Amazon and Google. With regular eDiscovery applications, you own the software, and it runs on your computer. Instead, with Cloud eDiscovery applications, you use a service – which is run by someone else, in the Cloud network. So, there’s nothing to install.

2. Signing up should take minutes, not days.

With earlier generations of eDiscovery software, getting started took a long time. Pricing plans weren’t on providers’ websites. And if they were, they were hard to understand. So you’d have to email (or call) back-and-forth with the provider to sort out the details. Worse, you’d then have to deal with annoying sales calls. Now, with the best software, you just got to their pricing page, choose a storage plan, and you’re in. It takes just minutes. No back-and-forths, and you won’t even need to add a credit card.

3. Basic tasks should be simple and intuitive features.

Look for software that’s easy to use. You don’t want to spend hours with a technical manual or keep calling understaffed customer support. With the best eDiscovery applications, you’ll:

Log in as you do with email, through your web browser.
Move files around like in Windows. You’ll drag-and-drop them into your browser. The software handles all the complicated processing that follows.
Search as you do with Google. You’ll enter keywords into a search bar and the software will pull up files with that keyword. Learn more about advanced searches.
Access files like you do with Dropbox. Since your files are in the Cloud, you can get at them from anywhere — you’ll only need a laptop and an internet connection. This is perfect for working remotely.

4. Your entire team should be able to work on a case for free.

The best Cloud eDiscovery services charge only for storage space. You’ll choose a case plan (e.g., 3 GB of storage space) and then get to invite as many people as you want to work on the case. Only the case owner (i.e., you) has to pay anything. So your team uses the software for free. This is crucial when you have to coordinate with a team spread out across the city. And conveniently, this storage-only pricing makes your eDiscovery bill predictable.

5. You shouldn’t need much technical support. And it should be prompt if you ever do need it.

With Cloud eDiscovery, you’re ‘renting’ software that runs in the Cloud (it’s called Software as a Service, or SaaS). This means you get comprehensive technical support.

Your eDiscovery provider handles any software issues. They’ll run the software, troubleshoot technical holdups like installing updates, troubleshooting errors and keeping the software secure.
Your Cloud provider handles any Cloud-server issues. And these providers are usually software giants like Google, so you know they’re using only the best engineers.

Are you looking for low-maintenance eDiscovery software? Try GoldFynch.

It’s part of a new generation of eDiscovery applications tailored for small and midsize law firms.

It costs just $27 a month for a 3 GB case: That’s significantly less than most comparable software. With GoldFynch, you know what you’re paying for exactly – its pricing is simple and readily available on the website.
It’s easy to budget for. GoldFynch charges only for storage (processing is free). So, choose from a range of plans (3 GB to 150+ GB) and know up front how much you’ll be paying. It takes just a few clicks to move from one plan to another, and billing is prorated – so you’ll pay only for the time you spend on any given plan. With legacy software, pricing is much less predictable.
It’s safe. Your data is protected by bank-grade security. Perfect for small and midsize firms.
It’s quick to get started. GoldFynch runs in the Cloud, so you use it through your web browser (Google Chrome recommended). No installation. No sales calls or emails. Plus, you get a free trial case (0.5 GB of data and processing cap of 1 GB), without adding a credit card.
It’s simple to use. Many eDiscovery applications take hours to master. GoldFynch takes minutes. It handles a lot of complex processing in the background, but what you see is minimal and intuitive. Just drag-and-drop your files into GoldFynch and you’re good to go. Also, you get prompt and reliable tech support.
It keeps you flexible. To build a defensible case, you need to be able to add and delete files freely. Many applications charge to process each file you upload, so you’ll be reluctant to let your case organically shrink and grow. And this stifles you. With GoldFynch, you get unlimited processing for free.
Access it from anywhere. And 24/7. All your files are backed up and secure in the Cloud, so it’s perfect for when you have to work from home.