Three tips for ensuring a user-friendly email archiving system

The No. 1 factor in positioning an email archiving project for success is user acceptance. If your system can deliver in the following three areas, you'll have much happier users.

• Complete integration. Will the user see an unfamiliar Web link or a reassuring Microsoft Outlook or Notes window? This is the first question most users ask when they're being trained to use a new archiving system, and one that every information technology pro should keep in mind when selecting an email archiving product. The less hassle and more familiarity there is, the better the user experience will be.
• Offline access. Can a user access the archive when they're on a plane? A system that cuts users off from the bulk of their mail just because they're not on the network is bound to generate complaints. It might also lead users to start "underground archives" in PST or NSF files, undermining your record-retention policy. While administrators can disable the creation of these personal archives, this further frustrates offline users with no access to their historic messages.
• Mobile access. If you give users all of their mail no matter where they are or how they access the system, they'll love it. This is especially true when it comes to PST ingestion; the ability to access their personal historical mail from the Web on their BlackBerry is a powerful benefit that users will instantly understand and embrace.

This material originally appeared in Storage magazine.

Stephen Foskett is a frequent SearchStorage.com contributor.


Rate this Tip To rate tips, you must be a member of SearchStorage.co.UK. Register now to start rating these tips. Log in if you are already a member. Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us    RELATED CONTENT Data storage management Solid-state drives vs. hard disk drives: How to justify the cost of an SSD Data storage management strategies: Managing logical unit numbers (LUNs) Tiered storage: A look at internal and external tiered storage models How to use flash-based SSDs in your environment Choosing a NAS filer for small and medium-sized businesses Adding a NAS device to your data storage environment: A checklist for smaller businesses Developing a small business disaster recovery plan: Disaster recovery procedures for SMBs Cloud storage pricing revealed: Hidden costs include data migration and access fees Creating a data center migration plan Top 10 UK data storage tips of 2009: Data deduplication, disaster recovery and more Email archiving and compliance initiatives Mimosa NearPoint email archiving software cuts PST file sprawl at BAM Nuttall Symantec plans Data Insight software to link storage resources with data owners Data storage compliance in the UK Iron Mountain Digital spends $112 million on Mimosa Systems for on-premise data archiving Training and education key to IT compliance, says Hillingdon's Bearpark Microsoft Exchange 2010 adds email archiving and high availability features Dexrex Gear offers cloud instant messaging and social media data archiving EMC lays out data archiving and eDiscovery plans Data storage management case studies from SearchStorage.co.UK The difference between data backup and data archiving RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary Data Protection Act 1998  (SearchStorageUK.com) Freedom of Information Act 2000  (SearchStorageUK.com) Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)  (SearchStorageUK.com) MiFID  (SearchStorageUK.com) RELATED RESOURCES 2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary DISCLAIMER: Our Tips Exchange is a forum for you to share technical advice and expertise with your peers and to learn from other enterprise IT professionals. TechTarget provides the infrastructure to facilitate this sharing of information. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or validity of the material submitted. You agree that your use of the Ask The Expert services and your reliance on any questions, answers, information or other materials received through this Web site is at your own risk.