That the majority of information organizations must manage is classified as an inactive record is a fact of doing business thanks to long-term retention guidelines and the vast quantity of information generated daily by technology.
Are you showing enough data backup love to your field offices? If not, you run the risk of critical corporate data falling into the abyss. A comprehensive plan can protect data out in the field.
When it comes to records management, organization, storage and retrieval are often the first things businesses think about. However, disposition of records should be a critical element of every organization's records management program.
Have you read about a recent business litigation case that depended on email correspondence to win? Probably. These stories appear with increasing regularity, yet many businesses are ignoring the messages these incidents contain.
The importance of active data cannot be understated. As a whole, it encompasses every aspect of an organization's ability to function — business systems, customer data and internal initiatives, to name a few. Vital records must be protected from the wrong hands but also completely accessible to those who need them.
Electronic records management (ERM) is a game changer in every industry it touches. Players have two choices: You can either continue to engage using moves that no longer get you to the next level, or you can change your approach and adapt to the new landscape.
Creating a data center design that is cost-efficient and capable of delivering the applications and services required of your business with reliability, robustness and high availability is a challenge in and of itself for today’s IT professionals.
Dramatic changes are taking place in IT and the implications on data center colocation promise to be significant. Experts are describing a new era in computing built around mobility, cloud services, social networking and big data.
What are you looking for from your data center colocation partner? If you’re like most businesses today, you are dealing with a wide range of challenges in building, designing and maintaining your data centers.
Business continuity and high availability are among the driving forces influencing all IT investments today. In an era of 24-x-7 global operations, any downtime can have significant repercussions in lost revenues, missed opportunities and damage to reputation.
There are very few businesses today that haven’t wrestled with the question of how to manage the risk associated with the disposal of sensitive information.
Open Assignment for "Filing systems"
Why tape backup—and why now? This format’s capacities and speed continue to increase while its total cost of ownership still beats disk-based and cloud solutions. See how tape’s LTO-6 generation improves its performance profile even more.
Email, social media, SharePoint® data, the cloud—clearly, you need to lasso information from more applications and formats under the same easily accessed umbrella. Here’s how to turn such dreams into reality.
Assigning specific data types to different storage media can hold down your total storage costs and aid your bottom line. How can you integrate this smart strategy into your overall data backup and recovery plan?
Your growing company wants to store its backup tapes at a secure third-party location? Here’s how to set your goals—and find the right offsite tape-vaulting provider.
Secure data destruction is essential to your enterprise. But are you doing it correctly? Here’s how to avoid the three most common oversights and mistakes in data destruction policies and procedures.
Old data is much like milk: It’s best to toss it on the expiration date. A lifecycle management plan determines the fate of every type of record you’re archiving—from receipts to five-year hiring projections.
Your data backup processes are working just fine, but there’s always room for improvement. Here’s how to make backup to tape, disk or hybrid environments even more efficient.
If you’ve set up a remote or collocated data center, your business faces a data management challenge. What’s the best way to ensure that your backup tapes are handled with care and kept safe and secure—no matter what?
If you already have an ironclad secure media destruction schedule in place, you’re ahead of the pack. But special events like an office move or the end of an audit may call for extra protection.
So, you’re choosing from tape, cloud and disk, or some mix of these media. Which solution offers the speediest access to stored data? The answer may surprise you.
A tape-based data archiving strategy with intelligent search can help your enterprise grapple with ever-increasing information demands. Put it to work in helping you track down urgently needed information for e-discovery and regulatory requests—and more.
Regardless of size or budget, when calamity strikes, all companies face the same disaster recovery challenges. These techniques can safeguard your data and ensure rapid recovery.
Think your records and information management program is running to its best potential? Prove it with a regular monitoring schedule that supports your organization’s cost, compliance and efficiency goals.
Are you developing a new records and information management (RIM) program to grapple with social media and the records explosion? If so, be sure it includes a data migration strategy for your existing archives. Here’s what to consider.
The Linear Tape File System makes archival tape behave more like disk-based storage. Here’s what this technology can do and how it can boost your data backup and recovery bottom line.
Whether a business sells homeowner’s insurance or the perfect coffee, its employees excel at what they do because of well-conceived processes and training. Is your RIM strategy getting the same kind of love?
Is a cloud-based solution the miracle cure for all your backup problems? Probably not. But you might find better security with a hybrid solution that brings reliable tape into the mix.
Tape may be an “old school” technology, but breakthroughs in speed and capacity are making the medium more vital than ever—not only for long-term storage, but also for more immediate backup needs.
IBM’s venerable 3480/3490 tape system endured for an impressive 28 years. But since its lifecycle has wound down, it’s now the perfect time for IT managers to consider a data migration path to the future.
It doesn't matter where you’re storing your records or in what format they reside. A unified records management strategy manages them under a single set of policies and procedures. Here’s how to start.
No matter what regulatory constraints your industry faces, you can always manage data restoration more efficiently. Here are some suggestions.
Get your staff up to speed on social policy, and monitor their posts, texts and tweets as you develop your records information management plan. You might just be protecting your company’s reputation in the process.
Big Data doesn’t have to be synonymous with “big headache,” especially if you consider these steps for managing your data more efficiently with backup tape. It’s adept at addressing critical data-protection requirements.
Your company just merged with the competition. And guess what? The transition offers a great opportunity to review the pros and cons of your data backup and recovery strategy.
In 1973, an 18-minute gap in an audiotape helped bring down a president. You can avoid a similarly fateful records management failure by using a role-based electronic records classification system.
Keeping your enterprise compliant with industry regulations takes time, resources and continual vigilance. Learn how to create a culture of compliance that keeps you on the right side of the law.
It’s inventory time—how will you access your valuable data if it’s stored in multiple formats across multiple locations? Develop a data migration strategy that provides enhanced access, security and cost savings.
As your organization transitions to electronic records, you need to consider moving from bulky legacy computers to archives built on a foundation of standardized data formats. But how can you do that without interrupting your business?
Tiered storage means matching the different kinds of data in your enterprise with the right storage solution. Here’s how to analyze the price, performance, capacity and function of each storage system to create a cost-effective and efficient multilevel solution.
It’s time to tackle your “dead equipment” room and get rid of all that old gear in a safe, secure way.
When your firm adopts new storage options, it may lose access to vital transactions, emails and other data in legacy archives. But you can avoid this by developing a flexible data migration strategy.
When it comes to optimizing e-records in an increasingly rigorous regulatory environment, you don’t need a full pit crew to get your RIM strategy purring like a kitten—just a handful of best practices.
With increasing revenues and a growing employee roster, isn’t it time to get your records out of the utility room? Here’s how to build a scalable records storage system to complement your thriving business.
Green disposal of outdated technology isn’t just about saving the planet; it’s about boosting your bottom line. Here’s how a good asset disposition plan can literally put you in the green.
How many ways could you love the best aspects of an efficient, cost-effective and compliant records and information management (RIM) program? We can help help with the answer to that.
When your firm’s rebels without a cause flout records and information management policies, you’re tempting fate—especially in this increasingly aggressive regulatory climate. Keep those renegades in line with proper RIM training and policy enforcement.
Many otherwise accomplished IT and records management professionals remain unaware of their responsibilities regarding social media—especially their colleagues’ hazily defined online activities. Here’s how to steer clear of costly mistakes.
Imagine this: A malware or virus attack compromises your live data and slips by the firewall into your cloud-based backups. What’s your last line of defense? Your offsite archives, of course.
The answer depends on your business category. Here we look at two rigorously regulated industries—financial services and healthcare—to determine their best response to data backup and recovery compliance challenges.
How can healthcare IT managers best manage the dual headaches of meeting ever-growing data storage needs and ever-changing compliance demands? Offsite tape vaulting is one very effective pain reliever.
If you’ve considered calling in a political number cruncher to slice your data, consider first converting paper records to electronic ones to gain a quantifiable business advantage.
On the popular television drama, crime fighters try to stop trouble before it happens. You can do the same – with dramatic results – by getting your records management program in audit-ready shape.
Whether it’s a union of two families or two businesses’ records archives, the merger is bound to experience some hiccups. Here’s how to turn this records management challenge into an opportunity.
Consider storing your backups in a secure offsite data facility far, far away from fault lines, hackers, hurricanes or other potential threats.
How much would an hour of downtime cost your business? How about 12 hours? Two days? Once you know the potential hour-by-hour costs of a business interruption, you can better justify an ironclad data backup and recovery program.
Data is born; it lives, it lingers, and then it’s time for it to go. The smart enterprise embraces this lifecycle and optimizes it along the way to stay efficient and compliant.
Smartphones, tablets and “bring you own device” corporate IT policies are taking vital business data to places it’s never been. Now how do you keep all of that information secure and accessible on demand?
How much more of your budget will you dump into that outdated storage system? The smarter solution: Create a media migration plan that moves your archived data onto current media for easier, more cost-effective long-term access.
It’s the nightmare you don’t even know you’re having: A rogue department’s self-styled record-keeping is creating serious legal and financial risks for your firm. Thankfully, you can return those MacGyvers to the records management fold.
No one wants to think about a fire, flood or other disaster hitting their headquarters. But given these realities, an offsite records archive makes great sense. Here are five questions to ask a potential storage partner.
Now that your thriving regional business has become a multi-location national contender, can an Information Governance Director harness records management operations under one protective roof? Here’s what such a plan can do for your organization.
Why tape-based archiving—and why now? As businesses seek to mine the seemingly endless data they’re generating through social media and other digital means, utilizing tape can be a cost-effective storage and retrieval strategy.
Don’t let ghosts of information governance strategies past compromise your archiving, retention and information management policies. Work with a trusted partner and key internal stakeholders to replace patchwork legacy systems with unified records management.
Even companies with indie-size budgets can follow these five industry best practices for records management. Their theme? Banking on the reliability of paper while building a versatile hybrid paper and digital solution.
Even the new Americanized Sherlock Holmes can’t help you find wayward records. But he’d likely embrace these tips for cutting down the clutter and getting smart about your overall records management system.
When you put metatags to work as part of your organization’s electronic records sharing, you’re protecting data that’s regulated under HIPAA, SOX and other laws. Here’s how it works.
With the risk of sudden audits or litigation, businesses of all sizes must make sure they have on-demand access to their data archives. But what if some of that data is in an outdated format? A comprehensive media-migration plan keeps your information assets current—and accessible.
E-records can boost efficiency and productivity while reducing data errors. But how close are you to seizing that brass ring? Use this six-step checklist to gauge your progress, and to help revise your approach, if necessary.
What is data lifecycle management? It’s managing information well by making sure that every piece of data flowing through your business has a predetermined fate. Well-defined data retention and secure media destruction policies make that happen.
Do your CEO and CFO really understand the value of investing in world-class backup and recovery operations? Make the business case for next-generation data backup, offsite tape vaulting and disaster recovery solutions.
Tape backup systems and archives are inexpensive, reliable and essential to a thoughtfully designed enterprise. Here’s how to decide when tape works better for your backup needs, and when the cloud storage makes more sense.
Thinking about a cloud backup plan? After some due diligence, you may find that a hybrid disk/cloud/tape approach is ultimately your best bet.
Tape backup can play a key role as more legal, financial, insurance and healthcare firms struggle to cope with ballooning regulations and compliance rules.
Is the C-suite casting dark shadows on your attempts at records management reform? Here’s how to convince higher-ups that the changes are worth the sacrifice.
Don’t wait until you’re knee-deep in legacy data—or until you’ve maxed out storage capacity for electronic records—to get these five IT initiatives for optimizing your data infrastructure on your firm’s radar screen.
A coping strategy for retooling your firm’s records and information management (RIM) policies can help you stare down the ever-growing wave of traditional and social media information.
Have you already abandoned those starry-eyed New Year resolutions? You can always hit the refresh button. These five “reresolutions” can ensure that your 2013 information management best practices are safe, compliant and cost-effective.
Entrusting records and information management, along with scanning, to a trusted partner will make more efficient use of your firm’s time and resources—and it will trim your budget, too.
You can dig out from under the paper pile in no time: Just follow the steps in this smart records storage guide to benefit from advances in image capture, coding and analytics.
As pundits debate global warming, you’ve got a more pressing issue: How can your firm properly destroy data while making sure the process is both secure and environmentally sound?
One of the more difficult aspects of maintaining HIPAA compliance is making sure that data is being properly retained and protected.
Security breaches are one of those things that no healthcare IT professional wants to think about. Even so, it is critical for healthcare organizations of all sizes to take every reasonable precaution to prevent the exposure of patient data.
Cybercrooks may be trying to mine gold from your vital business data. Will they succeed? Their chances for success decrease if you take these steps to protect your company’s data—and its reputation.
No company wants to face the nightmare of losing data or exposing it to unauthorized eyes. Guard against these security threats with a smart, responsive data protection and recovery plan.
With cybercrime and identity theft on the rise, it’s a great time to develop a plan for securing and destroying your company’s unneeded archival data.
Technology platforms alone can’t do the job of integrating multiple electronic records formats into an effective, easy-to-use HIE. Government healthcare organizations are learning that records management best practices will also figure in their ultimate success.
In today's tough regulatory environment, you may be tempted to keep every scrap of information. But blind hoarding hinders your access to vital data. Consider working with a trusted partner to develop an effective records retention plan and shredding schedule.
A records retention schedule goes far to show your company’s due diligence in the quickly changing world of social media.
Along with other digital content, social media records should be only a few mouse clicks away. But how can you define these items? Here’s how to index and access social media content.
Incorporating some basic records management practices into your move to SharePoint can help your company achieve compliance and meet operational objectives. Here’s how to get started.
You may be rolling out Microsoft® SharePoint® 2010 application as part of a records management upgrade. But is your current program supporting legacy SharePoint data? Here’s how to juggle past, present and future.
One of the most fundamental strategies for protecting an organization’s data is to store copies of the data off-site. Healthcare organizations have two main options – tape and cloud.
Iron Mountain’s benchmark report identifies five areas where improvements in your records management program can make a difference. Here’s a blueprint for using best practices in those categories.
By migrating to Microsoft® SharePoint 2010, your organization has a golden opportunity. You can implement a comprehensive unified records management plan that centralizes control of onsite and offsite data assets, both physical and digital.
A solid and sensible information management plan extends well beyond walls, borders and time zones. Whether your business spans a city, region or the globe, it needs to be secure and consistent in each location.
Once tweets, blogs and other social media content become part of your official records and information management program, you’re compelled to enact privacy and security best practices. So how is your business dealing with the legal and regulatory consequences?
Tweets, blogs, wikis and other forms of social media are spawning enormous volumes of records—and you need to retain much of it to maintain compliance. Take these steps to get a grip on your ever-growing content.
The goals of federal records management reform initiatives are clear. However, government healthcare organizations, like other agencies, face significant hurdles as they set their sights on meeting these objectives.
How close are healthcare providers to achieving Meaningful Use? Use this guide to assess where you are and how you can stay on track.
In 2012, pathology storage management best practices faced some serious challenges, including a trend toward more rigorous storage best practices and record-high temperatures. Are your delicate slides and blocks ready for what the skies—or winds of change—may serve up next year?
If pathology storage management means your organization dedicates significant space and resources to storing test slides and blocks, it may be time to consider a more efficient, effective alternative.
A well-indexed healthcare records management program will reduce the time your team spends locating medical records. Here’s what to consider as you develop your plan.
You’re in the midst of transitioning to the electronic health record to meet Meaningful Use requirements. But have you laid the groundwork for the change and considered its ultimate benefits? Here’s a checklist.
Tweets and blogs are quickly becoming a part of the “legal record.” But do your legacy policies address social media? Here’s how to answer this challenge with updated security, privacy and retention measures.
When your team is sitting on stacks of hoarded paper instead of chairs during meetings, it’s time to get things cleaned up.
What are healthcare practices like yours doing to realize the benefit of electronic medical records (EMRs)? Get the most out of EMRs by adopting a hybrid records management strategy that includes a scanning program.
Can you meet discovery requests without causing a panic? A trusted partner can help you organize your records management program to ensure secure, stress-free and on-demand records access when lawyers or auditors come calling.
Here’s how to achieve optimal compliance amid an environment of changing technologies and more rigorous regulation than ever.
What? Your insurance office has been hit by a massive hurricane and you’ve lost access to your client files? To quote an annoying ’90s pop song, “Isn’t it ironic?” Avoid risks and a bad reputation with a solid data backup and recovery plan.
In much of North Dakota, you’ve got to hit 76 mph on the highway to break the speed limit; in most of New Jersey, it’s only 56 mph. Likewise, every state has its own shredding regulations. How do you know if you’re violating them?
Are stacks of dead files cropping up a little too much lately? Consider teaming with a trusted partner to build a secure and compliant document destruction program that can also help you regain valuable workspace.
After a merger or acquisition, health information managers must integrate a number of systems and applications—including PACS, EHRs, coding systems and more—often while facing cost-cutting demands. How can your organization be ready?
The paperwork and compliance demands of financial transactions can burden your firm—especially if it’s lacking dedicated support staff. Get started now on an effective records management and secure shredding program for records storage, archiving and destruction.
Although National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) officials don’t use the term “best practices,” they’ve incorporated five key records management standards from the business sector into their latest directive.
A recent survey reveals that records managers may be lacking the resources, staff or training processes necessary for their agencies to satisfy newly issued federal standards. However, a new NARA directive offers support.
Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, power outages—a calamity can hit without warning. Your company’s best defense: a proactive and dynamic business continuity plan.
Creating and managing policies and claims, among other processes, can choke your workflow. That’s why an insurance office needs a records and information management program—including strict retention and destruction policies.
Who’s managing your business’s vital records? If it’s a multitasking administrative assistant who also does your books and makes deliveries, you should rethink your records management strategy.
Proper records handling—with a smart shredding partner—can save time, ensure information security and satisfy your company’s compliance with federal and state regulations. Here’s how to take control of your records.
Does your office securely back up and archive paper and electronic records—and dispose of them according to a proper retention and destruction policy? If not, it’s time to rethink this no-plan plan.
Quick: Do the structural elements of your information storage site comply with all applicable codes? What? You don’t know? Avoid the trials and expense of weatherproofing your data storage with offsite data backups and archiving.
It’s easier to index, store and access digital documents. But you can’t convert all of that paper overnight—and in some cases, you may not want to. The trick: managing the gap for now.
The past decade has seen an increase in natural disasters: Perception or reality? Regardless, it only takes one hurricane, tornado or flood to devastate your organization. Here’s how to assess your overall disaster readiness.
Your firm must protect its customers’ and employees’ confidential information while also mitigating its risk profile. Take these steps to develop an information management plan that includes efficient, compliant disposal of physical and electronic information.
As electronic medical records (EMR) deadlines approach, firms both large and small must keep pace. Here’s how to achieve and maintain compliance with medical records storage and archiving regulations.
Even with clear policies and procedures, catching errors in your RIM program will be tough—that is, unless your company conducts periodic information audits and makes fixes as needed. Here’s how to do it.
No company wants a disaster, yet the very nature of your business presents a complex web of risks, especially given the very tense climate of regulation and accountability. Here’s how to ensure your information management strategy is always ready for the unexpected.
A week before your CEO is scheduled to testify about a three-year-old business deal, the critical documents you need are lost in your vast archive. An indexing plan could have saved the day—and maybe your livelihood, too.
Only 15 percent of the organizations participating in a recent Iron Mountain study say they regularly audit their records and information Management (RIM) procedures, review the findings and respond with remediation.
Want to be a compliance and RIM rock star? Start with a detailed records retention schedule—one that applies to all locations and types of records. Here’s the riff on making it happen.
A well-designed records and information management (RIM) program can help cut costs, improve efficiencies and monitor compliance. You’ll need to create long-term procedures consistent across the company.
More than 6 out of 10 organizations surveyed for The Iron Mountain 2012 Compliance Benchmark Report have experienced a natural or man-made disaster, a merger, an acquisition or another costly trigger event.
When you face the pressure of litigation or an audit, you need ready access to requested archival information. Your restoration strategy is the key to lessening the stress.
The Iron Mountain Compliance Benchmark Report, A View Into Unified Records Management, provides an in-depth look at current information-management practices—including some formidable challenges now facing organizations like yours.
The updated requirements of Meaningful Use Stage 2 incorporate criteria for viewing images, leading to better patient care and streamlined integration among departments and facilities. Is your organization ready for this transition?
During discovery, your general counsel needs vital records quickly to reduce risk exposure and get the best results. Here’s how to prepare for “need it yesterday” requests.
Going green with your archiving scheme isn’t just about saving the planet—it’s about saving on your bottom line.
Is your archived intellectual property parked on outdated media? A smart media migration plan includes a hard look at your current storage strategy and then creating a plan to protect what you’ve got.
Your IT team may be rethinking its data backup and recovery plans to rely on cloud- and disk-based technologies. But tape is tops to provide the foundation for legacy data archives. Here’s why.
Companies that take the initiative to create an information management program can realize benefits in budgets, compliance and efficiency, and also boost their ability to handle unique events.
Whether you have one shop or 500, or you’re a totally online storefront, cyber-thieves thirst for your customer information. Here’s how to ensure secure backups and data restoration after a breach.
Regulations including FRCP and FINRA call for new ways to manage blogs, tweets and similar digital content. Records managers can take these steps to create and maintain create a successful social media retention plan.
Take stock of your data inventory with tape identification, and then use secure media destruction services to eliminate tapes you no longer need. You’ll become more efficient and keep in step with federal and state regulations.
Are inconsistent information management best practices keeping you at your desk until the wee hours? Consider these five initial time- and money-saving steps.
The best data resuscitation process is well equipped to withstand lawsuits, regulatory issues and other legal challenges. It should also let you recover as much—or as little—information as you need to stay compliant.
How much of your IT budget is dedicated to maintaining legacy systems for accessing older data? Find out how a more flexible and relevant archiving strategy can provide indefinite access to that important information.
Do you aspire to go paperless as your firm navigates volumes of paper and electronic information? A new Iron Mountain study lets you compare your firm’s information management practices with those of your peers.
Business enterprises both public and private must comply with federal and state regulations. But as laws keep changing, how can you ensure your archiving measures up?
New tape technologies offer blistering speeds, stunning capacities, and reliability two to three times the order of magnitude of disks—all at a lower cost.
When you commit to a single, smart storage and retention plan for your entire enterprise, you’ll streamline disparate operations and make your company more productive in the process.
You may think of tape as simply an ideal backup and recovery medium, but it can also play an important role in long-term archiving. A data restoration plan can help you manage backups more like an archive.
The best information management plan is consistent, legally defensible and follows your industry’s specific regulations. Here’s how to fast-track your company’s compliance initiative.
Looking to stay compliant while also moving to more efficient, reliable storage media? Learn how a well-defined workflow, informed in part by your industry’s standards, can help your company master both goals.
What do these events have in common? They demand a quick response from your records management team. Here’s how to kick off a cost-effective, efficient and compliant records information management strategy.
It’s vital to manage legacy backup tapes as your archive: This best practice can help control risk, reduce cost and provide peace of mind. You’ll also know that you have what you need when you need it.
When you have complete visibility and control over all media stored offsite, you can track and locate a specific tape, quickly initiate recovery, and retrieve only the tapes you need, saving time and money.
Get—and stay—compliant with a data migration plan that’s in step with federal and state mandates.
Most businesses are already trying to manage a glut of information. An acquisition or merger just intensifies the challenge—while also presenting an opportunity to revamp records management policies.
Microsoft’s SharePoint® collaboration software is an increasingly valuable content management tool. Here’s how to make the most of it while also ensuring that your business stays compliant and can meet legal discovery demands.
When you face a merger or acquisition, or an office move alters your infrastructure, your data must be ready to move and merge, too. A smart archiving plan can ease the way.
Are your firm’s data-archiving best practices robust enough to stare down subpoenas, audits, natural disasters and other crises? Here’s how to keep your IT infrastructure ahead of such surprises and ever-changing regulations.
If technology fails, your stored data needs to be recovered from backups as quickly and easily as possible. Tape remains a reliable choice compared to cloud-based disaster recovery solutions.
Litigation, audits, you name it: In an uncertain business world, anything can happen. Get your archiving plan crisis-ready with a fast, accurate data restoration plan.
The definition of data is expanding as companies realize they must archive email messages and social media posts along with traditional business files. What are the risks—and the solutions?
Looking for efficient archival storage? Consider tape. This “legacy” technology is more compelling and cost-effective than ever.
Disaster recovery planning starts with a comprehensive, well-tested data backup and recovery plan—before the lights go out.
Even as momentum builds toward cloud solutions, consider the benefits of secure offsite tape vaulting. It can store vital backup tapes, restore data when disaster strikes, and lower your energy bills.
Information management is a challenge for any industry, and success in government is impacted by not only the staggering growth of information but also citizens' expectations of information transparency as a result of open government initiatives.
Few agencies have spent enough energy and resources on managing records — the life cycle of agency information that is so critical to mission success and to meet open government requirements.
By enabling participatory, transparent, and collaborative government, the Obama administration indicates that records management is the backbone of open government.
The IT data explosion is being measured in terabytes, petabytes and even zettabytes. But measurements aside, is your organization keeping pace with a scalable, efficient data archiving plan?
An increasing amount of research illustrates the challenges of e-waste disposal. Now businesses are searching for ways to handle this process efficiently and cost-effectively.
An effective retention program starts with taking stock of what you have and creating a solid, organized archive. Tape Identification services are key to achieving these goals.
Build disaster preparedness into your information management plan to provide for most any eventuality of business life.
Easy access to your archives is the key to litigation readiness, audit preparedness and peace of mind. But thorough planning and testing are also important parts of the game plan.
Whether you're moving, downsizing, merging or digging out from a disaster, smart information management can minimize your risks.
Are regulations and compliance mandates informing your data backup, recovery and archiving strategy? Failing to play by the rules can be an expensive mistake.
Leverage these records management and information best practices to ease the stress leading up to the big day—the sooner you do it, the better.
Does an expiring lease have you considering a move? Reviewing your RIM program at this crossroads may provide some valuable insight informing your “should we stay or should we go?” dilemma.
A thoughtful records and information management program keeps your company compliant and cost-efficient. It may also mean reclaimed office space.
Are your company’s storage facilities overrun by job applications and performance reviews? Consider the efficiencies of a records management plan that protects the records you need and securely disposes of the rest.
As the IT industry grapples with mounting e-waste, how can your company do all it can to reduce its environmental footprint?
An effective partner can help government organizations implement information management strategies that are both environmentally and economically sound.
As you grapple with keeping your paper and digital processes efficient, cost-effective and compliant, it’s easy to get frustrated. But with big changes in healthcare regulations come big opportunities. Are you ready for the electronic medical record?
Federal records are crucial to documenting U.S. history and providing future generations with an understanding of the government challenges and strategies that drive actions. Through the Presidential Memorandum for Managing Government Records, the Obama administration indicates that records management, by enabling participatory, transparent, and collaborative government, is the backbone of open government.
From the accidental to the malicious, man-made and natural, the threats to enterprise information are many. And while companies have produced more and more data during the past several years, the information they hold has becoming increasingly important to both short- and long-term operations.
Tweets, videos, wikis, blogs—the federal government is hopping on the social media bandwagon. But which content needs to be preserved? The answers are only starting to emerge.
Many financial services firms are now subject to a real one-two punch: rapidly expanding records archives and a greater legal mandate than ever to properly store and manage them. Fortunately, an effective records retention schedule offers relief.
Learn how to build a case for your law firm’s revamped records retention policy and put an end to attorneys hoarding files as squirrels do acorns. Crime fighting should be so easy.
What does it take these days to be a records management star? The best ones can apply long-standing records management and compliance best practices to a whole new set of digital tools.
Your firm needs a smart, efficient and cost-effective records management program as it sets out to improve speed and productivity, cut costs, and address regulatory requirements. Here’s what to consider as you get started.
As an Internet domain name registrar, you’re protecting some of the Web’s most vital information. It’s an awesome responsibility, made easier by data escrow protection.
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the best information governance professional of all? If you know what it now takes to make the leap from “records management” to a considerably more visible role in your firm, the answer may be self-serving.
Rigorous compliance and discovery demands for financial services firms, as well as increased merger and acquisition activity, are just some of the reasons you might be thinking about a records management upgrade. Here’s what to consider.
If you’re a domain name registry operator, you need to safeguard the vital registration information of top-level domain names. It’s a responsibility made easier by a trusted third-party data escrow service provider.
Successful records management in a financial services firm calls for someone who can set and enforce procedures, establish schedules and train employees—all in an atmosphere that’s hyper-aware of legal and regulatory requirements.
Federal agencies have been using outdated records management and storage policies for years, keeping countless paper records locked away in back rooms and basements in a strategy that is neither cost effective nor capable of keeping up with operational needs. Identifying this problem as a major cost burden in government, President Obama has mandated substantial changes in how records are managed and stored by agencies.
As you assess your financial records management options, consider the advantages of a hybrid system that combines the best of several storage methods.
Federal records managers find themselves racing against a ticking clock as they respond to a Presidential Memorandum calling for the improvement of their records management practices.
A 15-year-old SEC ruling that governs electronic records is exercising its powers well into the Digital Age.
An escrow agreement doesn’t just protect your source code. It also protects your ownership of the software—and the concepts behind it.
Is it time to move from your proven and reliable tape storage strategy to a digital backup system? The answer may surprise you.
If you’re hiring away from the competition, be sure to consider how you’ll integrate those newcomers’ client and personal files into your information management practices. Once you’ve done that, take them all out for sushi.
Whether your clients develop or license software, you have a legitimate interest in escrow agreements. Here’s a “brief brief” on how to protect your clients’ best interests.
When you’re considering archiving media, which formats are most likely to go the distance in terms of both time and value? The answers may surprise you.
Closing a software sale is hard enough without your hot prospect suddenly raising 11th-hour concerns about technical support and maintenance. Here’s how one resourceful developer leveraged software escrow to its ultimate advantage.
For very different reasons, federal healthcare and financial statutes require strict archiving and e-discovery procedures. How can you optimize your email archives with legal and compliance considerations in mind?
If your software vendor ever goes the way of dial-up modems and dot-matrix printers, a software escrow agreement can ensure that your business runs smoothly. Verification services take this measure of protection a step further.
There’s no point in seeking treatment for your information management plan unless you’ve first identified what’s ailing it. Here’s how to make a swift and thorough diagnosis.
Whether you’re the developer or the customer, you need your interests protected. This essential escrow checklist can help you both get there.
An escrow agreement assures potential customers that they can entrust their business operations to your technology.
Developers need a trusted partner to hold their source code and ensure their software users uninterrupted access. To put it simply, software escrow provides developers and users with valuable peace of mind.
Understanding the pros and cons of these two highly effective backup approaches can score a strategic success for your business—and could save money, too.
Storing intellectual property and key technology assets with a trusted escrow provider builds trust between a technology provider and its customer. There are many ways to go about it, depending on each party’s business, legal and compliance needs.
Worried about a developer’s staying power? A software escrow agreement ensures that the source code will be there whenever you need it.
Your data backup plan may be compliant today, but is it ready to address possible changes in federal or state laws in the coming year?
When you perform a careful audit of your records management program’s key performance aspects—including destruction timeliness and compliance with laws and regulations—you’ll almost always find room for improvement.
When you and your developer establish an escrow agreement, you’re better equipped to manage unforeseen technical or operational risks—or even a business partner’s potential move to Costa Rica.
A data interruption can take a significant toll on your business. But how much would a lost day cost you? A week? A month? If your records are safe, so is your business.
You need to protect your intellectual property, and your customers need to protect the applications that support their businesses. The solution? An escrow agreement that looks out for everyone’s interests.
As the need for backup space taxes your enterprise, it might be time to complement your tape strategy with a hybrid approach including a cloud-service partner.
Sometimes “forever” seems like the safest solution to the question of how long you should hold on to patient medical records. But you know better; keeping records forever poses risks. Find out how—and why—to avoid this appealing trap.
Once you establish a smart records management program, you’ll want to monitor its progress. Key performance indicators can help you maximize productivity and lower costs.
Cloud-based storage is growing increasingly popular. But should it really replace your time-tested tape backup? Here’s what you need to know before you take that leap.
When you keep copies of noncritical data in storage, you may end up searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack—only to find the wrong needle. Here’s how to get it right.
Almost everything we do in our business lives carries the goal of streamlining processes so that we can be more efficient, productive and get more work done on a daily basis. From app deployments and software upgrades to the procurement of new devices, all are aimed at making us better worker bees.
Securing SQL database servers—which often house a company’s most critical information—requires an extra amount of care. Can an offsite tape backup service reinforce your database protection plan? Here’s how to decide.
Need to get colleagues on board with your vision for a new records management program? Here’s how to get their buy-in on a strategy that provides your business with the tools and resources it needs to meet secure storage, easy retrieval and confidential destruction goals.
How is a cloud-based backup system likely to respond after a business interruption? And at what cost? Here’s what to consider before making a cloud solution part of your overall backup strategy.
Sure, it’s a newer technology. But you may not realize how a disk-only backup can potentially limit the long-lasting benefits of your backup plan.
Do you have the right systems in place to protect sensitive records—especially if your industry has tough confidentiality regulations?
As the old song says, “a house is not a home.” Nor is any old offsite tape storage facility going to pass muster as a secure offsite media vault. Here’s what it takes to earn the distinction.
As your small business grows and adds multiple offices and locations, your need to manage and protect your records remotely grows as well. Learn to tackle the challenges that arise as you connect with a dispersed workforce.
Consider these factors as you decide whether to use a provider’s hosted archiving solution to replace your in-house system.
No matter the size of your business, records management matters. Here’s what midsized businesses should consider as they retain and manage a rich and growing array of electronic and paper-based records.
Disaster strikes when you least expect it. That’s why any IT plan worth its salt must ensure that data is secured while it’s being recovered—not just during backups.
When lawsuits are filed, email is a prime target and often comes under great scrutiny. That’s why businesses should store and manage email files with the same care as paper-based records and other electronic file formats.
The flood of laptops and netbooks into the enterprise is something of a cruel joke for an IT staff charged with remote data storage chores. Here’s how to maintain access without compromising security or data integrity.
With proper standards in place, you can provide for most any environmental peril while also accounting for aging or damaged tapes.
Your company’s growth depends on accurate data. Managing and storing it properly in a smart and proactive records and information management program could be key to your ultimate success.
What circumstances are most likely to throw a monkey wrench into backup recovery plans—and how can you economically work around these obstacles?
Follow these six steps to set up a smart, practical records and information management (RIM) program that will serve you well and grow along with your business.
For some companies, getting rid of redundant data is a winning play. But is this technology the right fit for your organization?
HIPAA is only one of the regulations that call for careful archiving of patients’ medical information. Meanwhile, optimal medical care requires fast, easy records access. Here’s how to keep your records’ vital signs in check.
Too often, businesses end up with a records management system that is complicated, difficult to enforce, time consuming and leaves documents where they can be challenging to access.
Most banks and other financial institutions in the United States are facing an unusually challenging climate when it comes to avoiding fraud.
Electronic health record (EHR) systems are becoming more popular among many healthcare providers. However, the transition to electronic records may never become an all-encompassing move, as paper records will remain valid because of a diverse range of industry conditions.
With 2012 just around the corner, it is time for businesses to begin considering operational changes for the new year.
According to a report from the Clinical Advisor, Texas-based healthcare IT consulting firm the AC Group recently released a whitepaper that highlighted several of the pitfalls of speeding an electronic record deployment.
According to the latest research, the number of healthcare-related data breaches has increased 32 percent recently, with the amount of patient records involved in such incidents growing by 46 percent.
Many companies around the world choose to shred old documents when they are no longer needed. While this is a start, it is only a piece of the puzzle when it comes to fully and properly destroying records that may contain confidential information.
Never mind paper records management: Your organization’s electronic records will likely grow at an alarming pace. Here’s how to manage them safely.
The U.S. Battleship Arizona was struck by a bomb during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the ship sunk to the bottom of the harbor in the tragic prelude to the U.S. entry into World War II. Now, 70 years after the event, archivists are attempting to restore recovered personnel records from the Arizona for a special display in recognition of the sacrifices made that day, St. Louis Today reported.
Go ahead. File it any way you want. But will you find it later? The ultimate success of your records management program depends on your ability to retrieve quickly what’s needed for business, litigation or compliance events. A sound indexing method can help you organize your records madness.
Your company can reduce its carbon footprint while making the most of its manpower, physical space and technology resources. Here’s how to make your data storage more efficient—and more cost-effective.
Who doesn’t like a good quiz? The best thing about this one is that you don’t have to get all the answers right to ace it. Just take what you learn and use it to raise the bar on your own data backup and recovery practices.
Records management matters, but is your staff on board? Training is imperative so they’ll understand why secure and confidential information management is so critical to your business.
The recording industry looks to Iron Mountain’s advanced best practices for preserving, archiving and, in many cases, restoring some of the world’s greatest recorded musical works.
As you make the leap from a homegrown data backup plan to something more substantial, here’s what to ask your potential provider.
Recovering your data after a business interruption comes at a cost, and it’s hard to anticipate the financial impact of such an uncertainty. But here’s how to budget for a data emergency.
Records management and storage can be challenging enough to create problems for businesses with a single office. Companies with multiple branches spread over numerous locations face an even more difficult document storage environment, as they face many unique challenges.
You want to send your data offsite for extra protection. But what perils do your records face, and how can a trusted partner guard against them?
There’s no shortage of federal and state data privacy regulations to which your firm’s most critical operational data must adhere. Here’s how to manage that chore and still take care of business—every day.
If productivity and operational gains aren't enough incentive for companies to begin practicing better records management programs, then maybe they should consider the benefits for protecting the organization during litigation.
It was definitely wise for your office to implement an offsite backup plan. But did you just move your problems to a different address? Consider the benefits of an offsite tape vaulting program.
Detectives tracking down criminals and street officers prowling cities to fend off crime often depend just as much on background records as they do on the tools directly at their disposal. Adequate policies for filing and document storage have an operational and long-term impact on how a police force functions.
When organizations establish their records management and document storage policies, it can be tempting to focus only on specific regulatory guidelines or operational needs. This creates a reactionary file management policy. While these can be effective, especially to deal with short-term problems, they often create long-term issues because the narrow focus of the management strategies ends up missing important details.
The legal industry is one sector that has clung to paper records, and with good reason. The sector is highly dependent on well-managed records that are accessible, secure and preserved for an extended period of time. This makes document storage a major challenge for law firms because it presents diverse and unique challenges.
Government organizations, whether they are federal agencies or small town utility companies, face the same challenges that private businesses deal with when it comes to document storage. They have to address regulatory standards for personal information, protect corporate data from criminals and preserve financial records for a variety of purposes. However, they also face the unique issue of accountability to the public.
When most businesses think about regulatory compliance, they tend to focus on IT initiatives and efforts to safeguard data on servers and other technological systems. However, many regulatory guidelines also apply to paper records that businesses maintain.
The U.S. economy may or may not be on the path to recovery, depending on who you ask. But regardless of whether the recession will continue, many businesses are operating under carefully-designed fiscal restrictions to avoid taking too many monetary risks. As a result, most organizations cannot afford to overspend on any area of operations, and too many companies may be spending too much on records management and document storage.
Poor document storage and records management can create an unsafe workplace. While the business and security side of properly handling files are definitely substantial, businesses and government organizations cannot afford the possibility of an unsafe work environment.
For most small businesses, an employee never has just one position. Instead, each worker carries a diverse range of roles, such as acting as an administrative assistant and human resources helper at the same time.
There is much for a small business owner to think about when first launching a company. However, it's important that the need to store and maintain paper records does not go overlooked, according to a recent report from the Christian Science Monitor.
With the holiday shopping season about to enter full bloom, it can be tempting for retailers to focus so heavily on generating sales that they neglect key areas of operation.
It’s time to get ambitious about the year ahead. Get ready for 2012 by indexing, imaging, storing and purging all of those records you haven’t had time to organize during the year.
In Federal agencies, the premature or accidental disposal of potentially vital records is unacceptable. Avoid such mistakes by keeping a firm grip on the best practices for disposition of vital documents and records.
When it comes to shredding, some companies do it all; others pick and choose which chores to tackle. Read on to discover what’s involved in creating an effective document destruction strategy¬¬—and how you can team with a trusted partner to build one for your organization.
The amount of data your agency processes is increasing exponentially—and don’t expect an IT-budget increase anytime soon. So how then, can you do more with less? Consider these tactics as you devise a long-term strategy.
Who’s swapping your backup tapes at your offsite or colocation facilities? If it’s one or more of your IT staffers, you may want to reconsider the potential impact on your resources—and your information’s overall integrity.
You don’t need to be running a nuclear power plant to have important maintenance and repair documentation needs. And when government compliance and regulatory mandates are the issue, the costs of inefficiency can suddenly be much higher. How to keep track?
In a small office, your staffers are likely stretched to the breaking point without having to manage a shredding program. For this reason, it’s wise for smaller workplaces in particular to collaborate with an offsite secure shredding partner.
You may have a great offsite backup tape management system in place. But adding a single step to the process can boost efficiency without pulling your staffers away from core business tasks.
Do you question the security surrounding your backup tapes and other media when you’re sending them offsite? Well, you have options. When you opt for secure transport services, you’ll be able to say so long to worry as vital information leaves headquarters for backup and storage.
When your company partners with a secure shredding service that offers a certified recycling program, you’re getting the best of both worlds; you’re supporting the environment as a good corporate citizen without compromising confidentiality and security.
When you’re looking for a data backup partner, go beyond basic archiving. Seek out a company that will look out for you and provide a quick data recovery in the event of a business interruption.
Shredding programs are implemented to comply with critical regulations and policies concerning privacy and security. So why do so many shredding conversations include discussions about sustainability?
Managing and maintaining a steady flow of data are two major components of the records management equation. Then there’s retention. Where records go—and how long they stay there depends on the agency, the nature of the information and the data source itself.
Your quick and exacting response to a discovery request depends on precise, thoughtful records management processes. Here are the most critical steps you can take to best prepare for queries.
Are demands on your business’s IT services increasing even as your budget gets tighter? Here are five reasons to consider a resource-saving partnership.
Have you incorporated a data center or colocation into your backup strategy in order to keep a firmer grip on your data? Here’s what still may be missing from your plan.
Businesses that have been storing paper records for years often face an onslaught of storage issues as old documents are damaged, or the organizations simply run out of space to store new files.
By providing the public with fast, easy access to your records, you’ll avoid wasted time, wasted money and potential legal challenges.
As the healthcare industry rushes to embrace the electronic medical record (EMR), many facilities run the risk of wasting time and money—and missing out on government incentives, according to recent Iron Mountain research. However, you can make a thoughtful, efficient and cost-effective transition to electronic medical records. Here’s how.
Sensitive, confidential or proprietary information can sometimes escape the shredder blades and land in the wrong hands. Here’s how to root out these wayward documents to avoid security, legal and/or compliance problems.
Are you tired of running to the nearest big-box store every time your company’s shredder overheats? Perhaps you should consider teaming with an offsite partner to satisfy your organization’s secure shredding requirements. Here’s how to evaluate your options.
Daunted by the prospect of optimizing your department or agency’s records-storage and information-management practices? Keep these pointers in mind as you build a plan.
To build a compliant shredding strategy, start by learning which federal and state regulations affect your business; then team with a trusted partner to comply. In the process, you’ll avoid headaches, lawsuits and stiff penalties.
At last, your vague data backup and recovery strategy is turning into a concrete plan. Now it’s time to recruit your best and brightest colleagues and to make it happen. They’ll help you construct and maintain a living, breathing backup tape storage operation.
So you’re going to vault your backup tapes offsite? You can do it one of two ways: easy or hard. Guess which one we’re recommending.
It’s true that other storage media may seem more cutting-edge. But what are your criteria for choosing a backup format? Going with tape is still an inexpensive, reliable way to protect and preserve your company’s data, while also ensuring that your business will recover if disaster strikes.
Does your detailed data backup and recovery plan include your back office and branch operations? If not, find out which technologies work best for multiple locations.
You and your colleagues are quite likely fluent in document management and compliance issues. But as you build a secure shredding program for your practice, you’ll want to learn how to make it cost-effective, secure and easy to use.
Wouldn’t you rather have your employees focus on their jobs instead of embarking on mad searches for essential documents?
Social media has set off a data explosion for financial firms. What’s more, rapidly developing industry regulations will have you needing to preserve much of what you thought could be deleted at the end of the day. So how will you cope?
Your tapes deserve the best protection possible. To make that happen, get to know these best practices for keeping data safe and secure, whether it’s housed onsite or with a trusted partner.
Cloud-based data backup and recovery systems are an interesting option for organizations handling specific data types and situations. Here’s how you might want to include cloud technologies as part of a complete data backup and recovery plan.
Identifying the key components of a secure, efficient, cost-effective shredding service is an essential part of doing business in the information age. Here’s how to start the selection process.
Have you been too busy actually attending to your core business to address records-management best practices? You haven’t committed a crime, but you may be wasting your organization’s time and/or resources. Consider this short list of rules to turn your plan around.
An Oval Office mandate requires your office to make all of its processes clear and accessible to constituents. So how well are you responding to the challenge?
So you’ve decided to purge your garage of useless former treasures? Just sacrifice a Saturday afternoon and make it happen. But at the office, eliminating your company’s unneeded records requires careful planning. Here’s how to do it.
Backing up all of your company’s information and storing it on inexpensive tapes in perpetuity might seem like a foolproof approach to backup and recovery. But have you considered the time and resource benefits of a truly strategic retention plan?
If an auditor comes to call, will your offsite data be able to make the appointment? A smart backup plan keeps you in sync with ever-changing regulatory requirements—and gets you and your vital data to that meeting on time.
Choosing a tape storage partner? Before signing anything, consider its climate—both the facility’s literal climate and the company’s climate of customer service and data access. Otherwise, your organization—and its most sensitive data—may be left out in the cold.
How vulnerable is your backup media? No media management plan is foolproof, but creating a set of best practices can mitigate your risk.
When you’re looking for the best ways to protect your company’s information, why go solo when you can develop a smart partnership with a trusted tape backup provider?
You know you need to shred extraneous files. But should that shredding take place at headquarters or at your partner’s site? Here’s what to consider.
Applications that give your business the ability to catalog, track and retrieve tape-backup data should be low maintenance, easy to use and flexible. Here’s a short list of features to consider.
When regulators, litigators and auditors come calling, you don’t want to waste time playing guessing games with offsite data.
Both public companies and firms in regulated industries must satisfy federal and/or state compliance regulations regarding proper data management. How can you ensure that your information storage and retrieval systems measure up?
IT, Operations and Transportation team up to improve service level delivery to provide customers better service and places company at 47 on the 2011 InformationWeek 500 rankings of country's most innovative technology users.
Setting up a one-office enterprise is pretty much a no-brainer. But with businesses of all sizes evolving rapidly into considerably more dispersed and complex operations, true enterprise data backup and recovery becomes a more challenging prospect.
What does it take to build a fail-safe backup system? Start by setting up a comprehensive master plan that covers how to prepare, store and quickly access your crucial information—and then provide for regular testing and updates.
Are your supposed archiving best practices actually costing your company time and money? Read on to discover the 10 worst things to do (or not do) with your enterprise data backups—and how to mend your errors.
You’re not listening to music on eight-tracks or cassette, nor watching movies on VHS. So why are you still archiving to tape? Because it’s still wise to include this flexible, cost-efficient technology in your company’s data backup plan.
Companies backup systems so they can carry on in the aftermath of calamity. But what happens when the devastation is so fierce that it hits the backups too? Don’t panic. You may still be able to get your enterprise up and running again.
Encrypting your company’s backup tapes provides a serious front line of defense against prying eyes. Here’s the why and how of building a data backup and recovery plan.
A bulletproof backup strategy isn’t rocket science—although it may seem that way. When you break it down into these five essential parts, developing your plan suddenly seems more doable.
How confident are you that your company can restore backup data to fulfill legal or audit requests, or restore business operations after a disaster? The right partner can help you get data back online quickly and efficiently.
Few companies are immune to paralyzing technology glitches. The bottom line—and this is a true bottom-line issue—is that downtime costs money, and depending on the kind of business you operate, it’s sometimes really big money.
When is the best time for your and your team to prepare a post-disaster to-do list? Hint: It’s not during the hurricane.
CEO and Chairman Richard Reese reflects on the past, present and future of information management
It's crunch time and an internal audit requires important records. In the race to find that critical information, how will your firm measure up?
Are boxes of records turning your workplace into something you’d see on a cable-TV reality show? Here’s why it makes sense to seek some outside assistance.
There’s only so much an administrative assistant can do to facilitate a sound records management system. Here’s the why and how of creating an entirely new role in your organization to master this awesome task.
Though you may be tempted to keep every scrap of your firm’s paper and e-docs, you know that’s not a sound records-management strategy from a compliance standpoint.
Need to get rid of dated files and sensitive information? Letting the shredders come to your site may complement your firm’s privacy and confidentiality standards—and bring you greater peace of mind, too.
Often created by committee and revised endlessly, contracts can be challenging to track. Of all the documents you manage and archive, these deserve special attention. Your business depends on it.
When handling claims, are you grappling with a constant demand for archived healthcare, legal and financial information? Efficient records management, amid the insurance world’s many challenging constituencies, takes some especially creative thinking on everyone’s part.
Shredding is an efficient, compliant means for your medium-size business to dispose of old, yet potentially sensitive records. The most effective plan covers all applicable local laws and regulations.
You might consider qualifying applicants to be your biggest hurdle as a mortgage lender—particularly in this volatile economy. But maintaining records—both paper and electronic—poses a possibly even greater challenge.
Motivated to improve patient care, meet compliance requirements and receive attractive federal incentives, hospitals and health care practices are scanning paper records in earnest. A new Iron Mountain survey provides valuable insights into how you can best implement your own EMR migration.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is pushing healthcare facilities throughout the country to update their electronic medical records (EMR) systems. Stipulations from the ARRA, and recent rulings from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), require that healthcare organizations show meaningful use of the technology they have implemented in order to receive the promised incentive payments. Learn how more efficient systems, processes, and decisions can help health care providers get the most out of their EMR systems to meet or exceed the criteria for meaningful use.
If you work with or within the federal government, you’re subject to the National Archives and Records Administration’s “36 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1234,” a stringent set of specifications for protecting government records storage facilities. Here’s what to consider as you address these requirements.
The pharmaceutical industry is all about raw scientific data, trade secrets and proprietary information—information you need to preserve with the best security possible. But where do you start?
Every tax receipt and restaurant bill is a document that must be recorded, processed and archived for posterity. So what's the best way to tackle the mountains of confetti-like paperwork that expense reports generate?
Lost invoices, delayed payments and the resulting accounting and compliance tangles are the consequences of poor accounts-payable document management. Consider these strategies and tactics to make your AP department run faster, more smoothly and in step with the most current technological innovations.
Are current economic conditions compelling your human resources department to optimize its recruitment processes—while also contributing more to your firm’s bottom-line savings? You can tackle these goals by treating your employee records and transactions as strategic tools.
A thoughtfully designed information management plan drives cost savings, strongly supports compliance and increases efficiency.
The secure destruction of sensitive materials is essential for organizations of all sizes
In a new report from Iron Mountain, the complex issue of compliance is viewed through the lens of a comprehensive benchmark survey. The survey results yield valuable insights and recommendations to help organizations to assess and improve their own compliance programs.
Iron Mountain takes its commitment to environmental responsibility seriously. Recognizing that we all share the duty to manage and care for our natural resources, Iron Mountain integrates and applies environmental values into what we do every day.
Through its uniform division, this large services company offers businesses and other organizations a total uniform solution that helps them to solidify their image, promote teamwork, and motivate employees.
Business processes and methodologies are rife with inefficiency. Surfacing these problems and taking action to create more streamlined business workflows will redesign the way your information is handled—ultimately saving time, resources, and both hard and soft operational costs.
When confronted with information management challenges, many organizations operate on a reactive basis—developing ad hoc solutions to specific problems as they arise. And because of this, many document management programs are rife with duplicate capabilities, non-standard approaches and process inefficiencies. The result is that companies are becoming exposed to unnecessary risks and costs and missing out on opportunities to add business value.
One of the nation’s largest plaintiffs' litigation firms has gained recognition for its work on behalf of asbestos victims, against tobacco companies, and for the 9/11 families in their groundbreaking lawsuit against terrorist financiers.
A national restaurant chain needed to store and manage all of its paper-based credit and debit card receipts. With 1,700 restaurants in 49 states, storing and managing retrieval of these receipts was a major task. Space and resources were allocated for this task at each restaurant location, as well as 1,000 square feet of space and four dedicated, full-time employees at the restaurant chain’s centralized headquarters location.
With the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, President Obama has earmarked $19 billion in stimulus funds for healthcare IT to assist healthcare providers to purchase and implement Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems by 2015.
Iron Mountain is committed to protecting our customers’ records and ensuring privacy and security throughout the information lifecycle – beginning with maintaining your records and continuing through to secure destruction. While information destruction may be the last stage in that lifecycle, it requires no less attention, diligence and care.
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library has enlisted Iron Mountain’s help in its effort to build and operate a digital archive—the largest of its kind among presidential libraries.