Quick and effective access to a complete archive of an organizations' digital content is crucial for e-discovery. Many companies are proactively archiving email, preserving messages and indexing them in an intelligent way so they are search-ready. Fewer, however, have yet to deploy similar solutions for new digital communications channels, such as the popular social media outlets Facebook and LinkedIn.

As organizations look to implement a system to archive this new breed of digital content, using an existing email-centric system may seem like an obvious choice. It's important to note however, that these systems simply convert non-email content into the body of an email, so that all electronic communications can be searched and produced in one place, and in one format. This solution appears to be a logical path to save time and simplify proactive e-discovery initiatives. Well, not quite in reality.

An archive demonstrates its true value when the occasion arises to search and produce specific, relevant content, typically during a time of maximum need (such as during litigation). Unfortunately, this is where the implications of using an email-centric archive will manifest and could end up costing more in time and frustration when they can least be afforded.