Messages travel back and forth at quick speed in the modern, fast-paced digital world. Communication is very important whether you work in banking, telecommunications, or even law. Many businesses, maybe even yours, don't think about message archiving, but it's an important part of their communication system.
It's not a very interesting subject, and it's simple to put it lower on the list of things that need to be done. To be safe, follow the rules, and run a good business, it's not just a "nice to have" to keep your message archiving policy up to date. It's important. So, is it time for your company to change its message archiving policy? Let's find out.
What are the risks of archiving old messages?
You might be the head of a Tier 1 bank or work for a big telecom company, for example. You have to follow the rules, keep the info safe, and keep up your good name no matter what.
Imagine that you need to find an important message that was sent six months ago. You look through your papers, but there's something missing. The message was either saved wrong or not at all.
You find yourself in a lot of legal trouble all of a sudden. Does that sound impossible? It's not. If you don't keep your message archiving strategy up to date, your business could face compliance issues, data breaches, or even worse, damage to your credibility that can't be fixed.
This could be a huge mistake in fields like finance and telecommunications, where every message could be a record. You wouldn't leave your security measures alone for years, so you shouldn't forget to look over your message archiving plan either. It has to do with keeping air out.
Why regular updates are important
Five or even two years ago, the way we talk to each other was very different from how we do it now. With the rise of new messaging apps, the old "set it and forget it" way of archiving is no longer useful. The kinds of data your company handles change over time as rules and laws change and new ones are put in place.
It's possible that you are archiving messages in formats that are out of date or not archiving them at all if your message archiving strategy stays the same. Your message archiving needs to be refreshed every so often, just like the software on your devices does.
Making regular changes to your policy can help you stay in compliance with the law and avoid extra problems in the future. It also gives you peace of mind to have strong message archiving rules. You can sleep a little better at night when everything is in order, follows the rules, and is safe.
Why a Strong Message Archiving Policy Is Important
What do you get out of it? In fact, a lot. Many good things can happen for your business with a strong message archiving policy, such as the ones below:
- Following the law: Compliance is required in regulated fields like law, and it has to be done. A good message archiving system will ensure you can provide records when they're needed, like for legal questions or reports. The better you store, the less likely you'll get into trouble.
- Safety of Data: Message archiving helps safeguard your company from data breaches and leaks because private information is transmitted every day. Archived messages are kept safely, which makes it harder for people who aren't supposed to see them to get to them.
- Efficiency of operations: Have you ever wasted hours going through old texts or emails to find a certain conversation? If you have a good archiving system, everything is kept in a way that makes sense and is easy to find. You'll get more done, have less stress, and save time.
- Recovery from Disasters: Message archiving is like a backup of your chats. A good archiving strategy will give you a safety net in case your systems go down or something technical deletes data. It's digital communication protection for your business.
When should you look over your policy again?
It's simple to assume that message archiving is a background process. After you set it once, it will take care of itself. Yes? Not quite.
When it's time to change your approach, these things will happen:
- New Platforms for Messaging: What if your company just started using new ways to talk to each other? Is it a new site or a messaging app? You should also make sure that these file types are in your folders.
- Changes in the Law: The law changes, and so should your archiving policy. By getting updates on a regular basis, you can make sure you're always following the latest rules in your business.
- Growth in Data Volume: There may be more info for you to deal with now that your business has grown. It's a good idea to look at how your system is set up again because an old archiving system might not be able to handle the load.
It should be just as common to update your message archiving strategy as your software or security protocols. They are all connected in many ways.
The Bottom Line
If you haven't already, now is the time to review your message archiving strategy. The way you talk to people and your business is always changing. You should keep up with your message archiving system whether you work in banking, telecom, law, or any other field. It will save you time, keep your data safe, and help you avoid legal and compliance problems.
Think of it like taking care of a car. You wouldn't go years without changing your oil, right? The same care and attention should go into your message archiving strategy. If you do regular updates, your business will stay safe, run easily, and, most importantly, follow the rules.
So, is it time for your company to change its message archiving policy? You likely already know the answer if you've read this far.
By going over your archiving plan again, you're not just following the rules, right? Your company will do well in the long run because of what you do. You will be ahead of the game if you make sure your message archiving policy is up to date.
Visit this helpful link to learn more about how often you should review your policy: https://www.leapxpert.com/how-often-should-businesses-review-message-archiving-policies/. Check out our full guide to message archiving if you're ready to start making changes right away.
FAQs
How does message archiving work? Message archiving is the process of keeping electronic messages like emails, texts, and chats safe so they can be quickly found again later.
How often should I change the rules for archiving messages? You should look over your policy again once a year or whenever the rules, message platforms, or amount of data change.
Can archiving messages help with following the rules? Of course. Message archiving ensures that you can provide the records needed for audits, legal questions, and compliance checks.
Does archiving messages only apply to big businesses? Not at all. While keeping digital messages safe and organized is important for big businesses like banks and law firms, it's also good for smaller ones.
If my message archiving system is out of date, what will happen? If you use an old system, you might miss records, not follow the rules, or even have your info stolen.
Message archiving: What Tools Are Available? Many tools are useful for different types of businesses. The important thing is to find an answer that works for you and follows the rules.