SaaS vs. On-Prem eDiscovery: Which Deployment Model Is Right for Your Legal Team?

Are you worried about falling behind when it comes to legal compliance? If you are, know that this anxiety is natural. Fines and other penalties can grind your business operations to a halt.

Luckily, more companies are realizing that quality eDiscovery software can help them retain compliance and stay organized. This is especially true as professionals leverage AI tools for easy storage and accessibility. In fact, Fortune Business Insights notes that the eDiscovery market is currently worth about $17 billion!

Here, we're going to discuss your eDiscovery platform options and weigh the pros and cons of each. Read on to learn the ins and outs of Saas vs. on-prem eDiscovery.

SaaS vs. On-Prem eDiscovery: The Basics

Electronic discovery (eDiscovery) is a legal process. In it, legal professionals and teams manage electronically stored information (ESI). The goal of this data preservation is to use accurate information in upcoming or ongoing legal cases and investigations.

The eDiscovery process has several steps. Those holding documents for discovery must:

• Identify what information they need to hold for the case
• Collect this ESI from sources like emails and databases
• Structure the data in an easy-to-access format
• Preserve the data in a safe place without altering it
• Ensure accessibility of ESI while it's being securely stored
• Produce and share data with courts, lawyers, and other legitimate entities

Software as a Service eDiscovery is one option for companies and other entities looking to store and preserve information for legal use. Those using SaaS eDiscovery services access a cloud-based platform. On the cloud, a third-party provider will store and manage ESI data.

Users access the SaaS platform as a subscription service. Those who pay a monthly or yearly fee can get onto it from any network-connected device with cloud access.

The best SaaS platforms follow eDiscovery best practices. Leveraging AI to power platforms with unique capabilities and analytics makes it easier to access information quickly and effectively. Actionable insights are always at your fingertips.

On-premise eDiscovery is a bit different. Organizations and other entities that employ these methods host and manage ESI within their own physical infrastructure. It's stored in:

• On-site hardware
• Workplace networks (rather than a third-party cloud solution)
• Network applications you deploy manually

This can be challenging, but it lets organizations with strict security requirements retain 100% of the control over their data. In some ways, this makes the eDiscovery process feel more personal and customized, but it's also difficult to maintain.

Security and Compliance

Security is a top priority for those investing in Saas vs. on-prem eDiscovery solutions. Many decision-makers believe that on-premise solutions are more secure because they offer complete control over data.

However, this is not necessarily the case since individual on-site networks tend to be more susceptible to infiltration than cloud technologies. Cloud assets are only involved in about 24% of data breaches. During that same period, about 70% of breaches took place via on-premises servers.

Unless your industry's privacy laws mandate on-site eDiscovery solutions, on-prem solutions are usually not the most secure option. This is because the cloud-based platforms that SaaS eDiscovery solutions offer have better-rounded security features. Third-party professionals install:

• Industry-grade firewalls
• Multi-factor authentication
• Network monitoring software
• Automated alerts of suspicious activity
• Constant automatic backups of cloud-based ESI

Since these experts know what they're doing, you can expect great service upon outsourcing your ESI applications.

Accessibility and Scalability

In addition to being more secure, SaaS eDiscovery solutions are easier to scale than their on-premise counterparts.

On-prem companies like Relativity eDiscovery offer hardware and software solutions that can only be expanded with an additional investment. Choosing an SaaS eDiscovery platform means that you can easily scale up or down to accommodate changing needs.

If you're growing rapidly or dealing with several different legal cases at once, you may need to increase and decrease your storage capacity rapidly. You may need significantly more cloud space one month than the next. Talking to your SaaS provider lets you make these scaling decisions with one chat or phone call.

Additionally, since the cloud is accessible from anywhere, an SaaS eDiscovery subscription lets you review and utilize data from any device with an internet connection. This is ideal for companies with employees who are on call outside of usual hours. It also works well for organizations that prioritize remote work.

Flexibility and Customization Options

On-premise legal technology deployment is extremely customizable. You can tailor it to your enterprise's exact needs.

However, these customizations can be extremely expensive. You might need to buy new hardware or upload applications for thousands of dollars. Customizing your network can also be a complex process that requires you to hire IT specialists.

When you use SaaS eDiscovery solutions, you can get easy access for remote and distributed teams. People can tailor their experiences and choose where to access and manage information.

While the software itself has fewer customization options, users can call SaaS experts with questions and requests. Providers also provide frequent updates to ensure compliance and ease of use.

Costs and Value

When comparing on-premises vs cloud eDiscovery, many legal teams believe that on-prem solutions cost less. This is because prices are fixed and initially look low. However, 2022 reports note that on-site eDiscovery solutions have hidden costs like:

• Licenses
• Hardware for data centers
• Remote access software
• Cybersecurity technology
• Infrastructure refreshing

On the flip side, SaaS pricing comes in the form of a transparent monthly subscription. Costs decrease and eDiscovery revenue increases when companies use cloud solutions. For this reason, 96% of experts believe that cloud computing is the inevitable endgame of eDiscovery.

Implement the Best eDiscovery Practices Today

Now that you have a complete eDiscovery solutions comparison, it's time to get started. Go beyond the differences between SaaS vs. on-prem eDiscovery and leverage top-notch AI solutions to keep your documents organized and accessible.

Reveal is committed to offering top-notch SaaS services to produce and process data. The integrated, all-in-one dashboard also makes it easy to store and share data alongside interactive physical graphics. Concept search features make finding the ESI you want simple and efficient, and AI-powered data normalization decreases the need for manual data review.

Whether you want to hold, search for, review, or share ESI, Reveal has your back. Contact our team to learn more about our AI-driven discovery tool and how it can keep you compliant while streamlining operations.