Blog Layout

Email Retention Policies: What You Need to Know

Akins IT • May 04, 2016

After awarding a $500 million iPad contract, emails surfaced demonstrating that former Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) superintendent had begun meeting personally with Apple and Pearson a year before the contract went out to public bid. The FBI is now sorting through old emails as evidence and LAUSD has announced recently that it will double the amount of time emails are saved to two years. 


Companies that cannot produce electronic documents, including emails, during the process of legal discovery are generally disfavored in court. At times, the inability to produce such documents may even be seen as destruction of evidence. A good email retention policy can protect against this.


An email retention policy determines how long emails will exist in your archiving solution before being automatically deleted. Even beyond a working email retention policy, you should consider using legal holds which allow you to prevent particular mailboxes or messages from being automatically deleted from the email archiving system.


Why it’s a big deal: In a nutshell, an email archiving policy reduces your risk for liability. Your industry may even be regulated by federal or state laws requiring that you maintain emails for a specific period of time. Even within industries the details of the laws and regulations may have nuances depending on the type of work being performed or area of expertise so it’s important to take the time to really familiarize yourself with them. The chart below lists out some of the regulated industries.


You can start to build a best practice retention policy with these few tips:


  1. Determine what regulations apply to your organization and start with those as minimums
  2. Segment to avoid keeping everything for the legal maximum. You can segment by content (for example, you might have different policies for sales records, invoices, etc.). You can also segment by department or use- for example, human resources, executive emails, marketing, etc.
  3. Consider other department and business needs
CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS TOPIC OR TO SCHEDULE A CALL

Navigating the Future of Work with Microsoft 365 Copilot Prompts

By Shawn Akins • 15 Apr, 2024
In the ever-evolving landscape of the digital workplace, Microsoft 365 Copilot stands as a beacon of innovation, guiding users through the complexities of their daily tasks with ease and efficiency. As we embrace this new era of work, understanding the capabilities and utilization of Copilot prompts becomes essential. What are Copilot Prompts? Copilot prompts are intelligent cues that empower users to harness the full potential of Microsoft 365. They are designed to understand the context of your work and provide suggestions that are not only relevant but also tailored to enhance productivity.  The Power of Contextual Understanding At the heart of Copilot prompts is the advanced AI that meticulously analyzes the content you're working on. Whether it's an email, a document, or a spreadsheet, Copilot grasps the essence of your task and offers prompts that propel you forward. Streamlining Collaboration Collaboration is the cornerstone of modern work, and Copilot prompts are the perfect ally. They facilitate seamless communication by suggesting replies in emails, aiding in the co-authoring of documents, and ensuring that your team stays on the same page. Enhancing Creativity Beyond the realms of productivity, Copilot prompts also serve as a muse for your creativity. They can assist in drafting compelling narratives, generating ideas, or even crafting personalized messages that resonate with your audience. Learning and Growing with Copilot As you interact with Copilot prompts, they learn and adapt to your unique style and preferences. This continuous learning process ensures that the assistance you receive is always improving, making your experience with Microsoft 365 increasingly intuitive. Conclusion Microsoft 365 Copilot prompts are more than just a feature; they are your partner in navigating the future of work. By understanding their functionality and integrating them into your workflow, you can unlock new levels of efficiency, collaboration, and creativity.

Case Study: Rapid Response to Security Breach

By Shawn Akins • 15 Apr, 2024
Sky at Chandler Airpark

Case Study: Management Support Server Upgrade

By Leislee Mamba • 18 Jan, 2024
Akins IT assists Management Support in migrating their physical server infrastructure to new hardware and enhancing their backup process for improved disaster recovery.
More Posts
Share by: