Legal Commentary

I turn the mic over to George Socha:                   

The anxiously awaited 2008 Socha-Gelbmann EDD Survey executive summary will be published in the August issue of Law Technology News, but here is a sneak preview to whet your appetite.

This year we gathered information from or about 107 EDD services and software providers, and from 29 law firms and 19 corporations.  Using more than 350 qualitative and quantitative factors, we ranked those providers - top overall EDD services providers, top overall EDD software providers, and top EDD providers in various categories.  Although one can, and perhaps should, take issue with the specific rankings, we feel that the providers listed below represent the best of the best, an elite cadre singled out from a field of well over 600 organizations that offer some form of EDD services or software.

At the same time, we cannot emphasize too much that these still are generalized rankings.  Anyone who makes buying decisions primarily on these rankings or any other generalized rankings is a fool.  Although as part of your selection process you might choose to consider these rankings, or rankings from the increasing number of other organizations who attempt to rate EDD providers, you really should conduct an analysis that focuses on your specific needs.  No generalized set of rankings will do this for you.

Our rankings are based on a detailed ranking model containing more than 350 qualitative and quantitative factors.  We used this model to evaluate information from or about 107 EDD services and software providers.

The top 5 electronic data discovery service providers, in alphabetical order, are:

    * Autonomy Zantaz
    * Fios Inc.
    * FTI
    * Kroll Ontrack
    * LexisNexis Discovery Services

Six through 10 for services are:

    * Encore Discovery Solutions
    * Epiq Systems Inc.
    * Huron Consulting Group Inc.
    * KPMG
    * Renew Data Corp.

Eleven through 15:

    * Electronic Evidence Discovery Inc.
    * Ernst & Young
    * Merrill Corp.
    * Onsite3
    * Stratify

And 16 through 25:

    * CaseCentral
    * Computer Forensic Services
    * Daticon
    * Discovery Mining
    * eMag Solutions
    * Guidance Software Inc.
    * IE Discovery Inc.
    * Pitney Bowes Legal Solutions
    * SPi
    * TechLaw Solutions

The top 5 electronic data discovery software providers, again in alphabetical order, based on a similar set of criteria, are:

    * Autonomy Zantaz
    * Clearwell Systems Inc.
    * FTI
    * Guidance Software Inc.
    * LexisNexis Discovery Services

Six through 10 for software are:

    * Attenex Corp.
    * CT Summation
    * Epiq Systems Inc.
    * iConect Development
    * Symantec Corp.

And 11 through 15:

    * AccessData Corp.
    * Equivio
    * Kazeon Systems Inc.
    * Kroll Ontrack
    * MetaLincs

In the August LTN issue, in print, and on its website (on August 1), and on EDD Update (August 4) we also will have:

    * Size of the market in 2007
    * Market size projections for 2008-2010
    * Discussion of key issues and trends relating to EDD

    * The top 1-5, 6-10 and 11-20 EDD service providers based on experience
    * The top 1-5, 6-10 and 11-20 EDD service providers based on capacity
    * The top 1-5, 6-10 and 11-20 EDD service providers based on corporation ranking
    * The top 1-5, 6-10 and 11-20 EDD service providers based on law firm ranking
    * The top 1-5, 6-10 and 11-15 EDD software providers based on corporation ranking
    * The top 1-5, 6-10 and 11-15 EDD software providers based on law firm ranking
    * The top 1-5, 6-10 and 11-15 EDD software providers based on reported use of software by others

We will also publish the Socha-Gelbmann rankings of service providers based on the stages of the electronic data discovery process set forth in the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (http://edrm.net/):

    * The top 1-5 and 6-10 EDD service and software providers - Identification
    * The top 1-5 and 6-10 EDD service and software providers - Preservation
    * The top 1-5 and 6-10 EDD service and software providers - Collection
    * The top 1-5 and 6-10 EDD service and software providers - Processing
    * The top 1-5 and 6-10 EDD service and software providers - Review
    * The top 1-5 and 6-10 EDD service and software providers - Analysis
    * The top 1-5 and 6-10 EDD service and software providers - Production
    * The top 1-5 and 6-10 EDD service providers - Production