Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/45522
"Organizations can deploy hybrid models that allow for gradual transitions to cloud-based information governance." CLOUD COMPUTING More and more companies are opting for cloud- based solutions to meet their most stringent privacy and security requirements for archiving, records management, compliance, e-discovery, email and document management. Today's technologies make it possible to implement a secure, comprehensive information governance strategy directly from the cloud. The shift from purchasing and maintaining licenses and upgrades for in-house software to leveraging on-demand, cloud-based options is enabling legal organizations to lower costs, reduce the burdens on IT departments and mitigate risks while defensibly enforcing comprehensive information governance across all systems and all types of information. Cost and Scalability: In the areas of cost and scalability, a primary benefit of cloud-based e-discovery is that it offers on-demand capacity 8 Risky Business ILTA White Paper expansion, enabling organizations to pay only for what it needs as part of an operational budget, rather than making considerable investments in infrastructure. The ability to greatly reduce or eliminate capital expenses for IT infrastructure is one of the most compelling benefits. In addition to reducing the cost of the hardware, a cloud-based e-discovery solution decreases or eliminates many costs associated with internally managing a solution, such as 24/7 IT staffing, bandwidth, power and costs associated with maintaining dedicated hardware in a data center. Legal Chaining in the Cloud: Corporate legal departments are increasing their strategic alliances by forming virtual "chains" with service providers in the cloud. This linkage via enabling technologies unites legal departments and outside counsel to streamline the access to and exchange of information and to reduce the risks and excessive costs of handing off