Archiving is an extremely versatile information management solution that can aid in several different business processes ranging from storage management, to electronic records management, to electronic discovery. Though more efficient, streamlined electronic discovery is just one benefit of archiving—the others include compliance, governance, and IT resource optimization—it is extremely important and still often misunderstood.

This paper attempts to identify and clarify the benefits an archive can provide in the initial phases of the electronic discovery process and look at some of the features companies should look for to ensure those benefits are maximized.