As the digital age becomes more and more a part of our everyday lives, there are certain pieces of information that we want or need to protect, (Facebook users who tell us every minute detail of their lives notwithstanding). One of the most important of these is our healthcare information – which is protected by several government mandated compliance standards including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) passed by Congress in 1996, and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act enacted in 2009.

The new report from the Bipartisan Policy Center, is focused on implementing increased IT initiatives in the healthcare sector. The task force, recognizing that healthcare IT plays a vital role in quality and cost-effectiveness of patient care, recommends improved health information exchange to securely share health information among patients, healthcare staff and administrative/billing departments.

Task force recommendations coincide with unprecedented public and private spending of almost $30 billion – the effect of the HITECH Act. Recommendations include more cost-effective healthcare through increasing the use of EHR and improved cooperative care through the freer exchange of patient information between healthcare professionals.

HIPAA & HITECH – a little background

HIPAA requires the establishment of national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers, while also addressing the security and privacy of health data. The standards are meant to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation’s health care system by encouraging the widespread use of electronic data interchange in the U.S. health care system.

HITECH was designed to promote the adoption and widespread use of health information technology. Part of the act addresses the privacy and security concerns associated with the electronic transmission of health information, in part, through several provisions that strengthen the civil and criminal enforcement of the HIPAA rules.

Helping Ensure Compliance with Snowbound

To meet HIPAA and HITECH compliance, healthcare organizations and insurers need to provide access to patient information to those eligible while also protecting the data from those unauthorized – a compelling catch 22. Snowbound’s document and image viewing and conversion technologies provide healthcare and insurance providers with secure access to the data they need for patient care and claim processing, while ensuring that compliance requirements are met.

Document viewing and image conversion solutions quickly and securely display electronic medical record (EMR) information via web browser, while protecting sensitive information from unauthorized users via permission based security protocols. Records may be annotated to highlight particular content, redacted to protect data, and information may be imported from several disparate HIS servers – enhancing interoperability and leveraging and extending investment in existing technology.

Since Snowbound Software helps you meet HIPAA and HITECH compliance standards – we’ve become the go-to partner to help an ever-growing list of healthcare organizations and insurers with their efforts as well.

We’re Snowbound Software – how can we help you?

Organizations in a great many industries rely on document viewing technology to enable their business to be transacted efficiently and effectively. In the legal industry for instance, Java PDF viewers are used to quickly and accurately deliver case files, enable text searching capabilities and provide secure document redaction capabilities – to ensure that confidential information is protected. And firms in the banking, financial services and insurance industries use document and image viewers, including Java PDF viewers, to streamline workflow and expedite forms and claims processing.

Java PDF Viewer – Client/Server or AJAX* ‘Pure HTML’ Options – for use ‘on-the-go’ too

Users should take into account how flexible the architecture is when choosing a document and image viewing solution such as a Java PDF viewer, to ensure that the solution will meet the ever-evolving needs of the enterprise now – and into the future. Selecting a document and image viewing solution that is designed to address changing business needs and continually integrate with (and keep abreast of) technological innovations is paramount.

An organization may choose between a 100% client/server Java Solution, or an AJAX web-based viewer for Java (available for .NET too), depending upon business requirements, the existing enterprise system already in place, and IT resources. There are factors that need to be considered for both solutions for instance, a client/server solution will typically have a bit better image and page manipulation ability, while an AJAX solution requires less IT involvement as there aren’t any client-side software installations, and also provides for mobile viewing…

The growing need for mobile viewing for on-the-go professionals is another consideration when looking at options for document viewing such as Java PDF viewers. AJAX technology extends an organization’s capabilities beyond the standard client/server framework, requires no client-side installation, eliminates client platform issues; and enables secure document access, annotation and review from virtually anywhere via web browser. So no matter what an organization’s ‘paperwork’ requirements are, there’s an electronic document viewing solution designed to meet its needs, to help streamline workflow, and keep processes running smoothly.

* HTML-based AJAX document and image viewers provide a browser-based solution for secure access to document and image files from virtually anywhere without the need to install an application on the client. AJAX is an acronym for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, the tools used to develop AJAX document viewers.

According to the company, the SeeUnity Mobile application allows ECM, Microsoft SharePoint and eDOCS users to access and download content directly to their Apple tablet.

SeeUnity marketing director Brian Henne said the business has expanded its ECM and SharePoint portfolio for use on desktop applications, but the corporate acceptance of mobility was a driver for the new iPad application.

“With secure connectivity, users can easily access one or more repositories from their iPad tablets,” SeeUnity announced. “Most critical user functionality is preserved, including the ability to browse, search and access documents and metadata. Documents can be opened and edited in compatible iPad apps of choice.”

With the adoption of SharePoint and other collaboration software, earnings from the global ECM market is expected to grow in the near future. According to a study conducted by ABI Research, worldwide spending for these solutions is projected to reach nearly $3.5 billion in revenue by 2016, growing significantly from approximately $900 million in earnings in 2010.

Document and image file access, viewing and processing is crucial to the lifeblood of an organization, and for many firms an IT catch-22 as well. The challenges to be addressed are the need to make information easily accessible across the enterprise, while at the same time keeping sensitive data secure. The solution many IT departments leverage for this is a document viewing and image conversion software development toolkit, such as a .NET imaging SDK.

Document and image viewing and conversion toolkits like Java and .NET imaging SDKs are used by software developers to easily build-in customized functionality to create a tailored solution that directly meets the needs of the organization. Firms in a variety of industries around the world including healthcare, insurance and the legal and financial services markets utilize document viewing and conversion technology to keep mission-critical information flowing – improving productivity and customer service.

.NET Imaging SDK – Features, Functions & the latest Technology

A wide variety of features and functions are built into .NET imaging SDKs today, giving developers the toolsets they need to efficiently and effectively create a streamlined system for the productive and secure use, flow and archiving of information. A state-of-the-art SDK offering though, will not only feature the ability to create a solution today, but will remain viable tomorrow – keeping abreast of ongoing technological changes – and incorporating these into future releases.

Case in point, to take full advantage of the latest processor and OS technology, an SDK should offer true 64-bit compatibility, to access more memory and larger files for quicker searches and data retrieval. Applications developed using 64-bit technology have dramatically improved performance as the amount of data that can be processed is doubled, giving programmers more computing power to utilize, and thereby expand the capabilities of their creations.

Aside from harnessing the latest computing technology, a viable .NET imaging SDK (or Java SDK for that matter) should include the libraries, formats and features needed to easily build imaging functions including viewing, conversion, manipulation and annotation for virtually any document and image format. Realizing productivity gains, unprecedented workflow, and much-improved customer service are some of the real-world benefits derived by developing and implementing an enterprise-wide document and image viewing and conversion system.

According to HP, the web management system Central Logic Core will be available exclusively through its own hardware and will work with its Z600 Workstations so hospitals can replace traditional whiteboards with cutting-edge touchscreen technology.

“The combination of Central Logic Core software and HP technology answers hospital community demands to deliver reliable solutions that leverage touch technology,” said HP vice president Chris Mertens. “Touchscreen solutions can save hospitals valuable time and money and result in maximum patient flow optimization.”

The company added that healthcare providers can select several displays, including the mobile HP Slate 2, the TouchSmart 9300 or 47-inch signage screens that still offer touchscreen capabilities.

HP is currently the world’s largest technology company, and its extensive applications portfolio is being used throughout many industries. As a result of this acceptance, the business said its 2011 fourth quarter revenue reached more than $32 billion, with yearly profits of nearly $130 billion.

By using its solution, JLR has reduced costs and complexity by utilizing a single workflow file system, which, according to EMC, has increased the company’s productivity.

Isilon also is beneficial for the automobile business due to its virtual simulation capabilities. EMC said the solution helps auto companies retrieve analysis and pass it on to their manufacturing team.

“JLR produces some of the best luxury SUV’s and sports cars the industry has to offer,” said EMC marketing vice president Sam Grocott. “They need a storage solution to match the rapid advances in simulation technology to help sort through the resulting big data.”

Other organizations have benefited from EMC’s Isilon storage system, as well. The company announced last month that research firm John Wiley & Sons recently selected the application to upgrade its IT infrastructure, decrease data center energy consumption by more than 60 percent and triple its number of virtual servers.

We all have it – lots of information that comes our way electronically through email, IM, text and that we access on company servers; all of which we need to review, process and expedite. (And let’s not forget all the hard copy memos, reports, mail, newsletters and other paper-based documents that still come our way too –  which are frequently scanned to become part of the ever-growing e-document archive as well.) In the recent past, we have accessed and displayed this data via our desktop computers, but more and more frequently today via laptops, tablets, smartphones and other portable devices as mobile technology has improved.

For me, being able to work remotely has been a godsend, enabling me to take my ‘office’ virtually anywhere. Online access to document viewers and conversion applications and company information provides the tools needed to create, post and distribute the product information our customers need. I’m not unique.  Today, most professionals in a wide variety of industries need access to documents such as forms, records and claims as well as the ability to collaborate with colleagues on these documents. The solution – document and image viewing and conversion applications that provide universal access to any file types.

Anytime, Anywhere File Access – to Streamline Processing and Keep Information Flowing

Mobile professionals frequently need to display and process contracts, forms and claims on-the-go in the course of transacting business and helping customers. Insurance claims reviewers in the field, for instance, need access to a variety of documentation to accurately and quickly process client claims, and frequently need to export this data to the office for further examination and transaction. Financial services and banking professionals also have need to process and expedite documents such as mortgage applications and other financial, forms both inside and outside the office, making use of universal document viewing applications critical to transacting business.

Perhaps the most obvious use for many of us as to where mobile technology can be of great advantage is in the healthcare industry. My family doctor walked into the examination room last year with a laptop instead of a manila file folder for the first time, accessing my medical records electronically. As mobile applications geared toward healthcare become more widely used, healthcare providers can easily access our complete medical histories, speed up diagnosis, and provide better, more proactive care.

Whether inside the office or in a remote location, secure access to information helps make everyone’s lives better through enhanced customer service, streamlined document processing and improved patient care. Universal document viewing technology helps makes all these transactions, and many more, possible – to keep data and business moving.

We’re Snowbound Software – how can we help you?

Scott

Automated document viewers and image converters help organizations around the globe streamline document claims and forms processing to keep their businesses running smoothly, and their customers happy. Universal viewing applications enable business professionals to securely access, display, process, and review virtually any document or image format, no matter what application was used to author the original file.

High-speed document and image viewers leveraged to streamline document processing increase productivity, while at the same time decreasing IT requirements. Now, instead of having to track and maintain a number of software applications to support document and image file access, processing and archiving – one will do. And if a firm deploys browser-based viewing technology, there isn’t even a need to install software on the client side at all!

Built-in Annotation and Redaction Tools Automate Document Production too…

Document viewing applications also assist with streamline document production as well, enabling the creation of revised documents via annotation or redaction on-the-fly, even during the workflow process. Document revisions that are created in the viewer as modifications are made may be then saved to the archive, while preserving the original document – maintaining security standards, as well as regulatory and audit trial compliance. Streamline document creation in a universal viewer enables capabilities including page reordering, addition and deletion as well as document manipulation such as merging pages from multiple document into one or modifying documents into two or more new documents.

Document viewing functionality like secure redaction capabilities, ensure that confidential information stays that way, and isn’t -text searchable to maintain security. Audit trail capabilities are enhanced as the original file is never altered, and a redaction archive is created to ensure compliance with corporate regulations and security standards.

Annotations including highlighting, ‘sticky notes’ rubber stamps and watermarks may be applied to all document and image files directly in the viewer – a great help to colleague collaboration during document processing. Permission-based password levels may be setup by administrators, and annotations may be stored as separate files in the server to maintain original document integrity. And unlike secure document redactions, annotations may be text-search enabled if so desired, allowing for the fast and easy location of notes and revisions.

Universal viewing technology used to streamline document processing and production improves workflow and enhances productivity across the enterprise. Organizations in diverse industries including healthcare where secure patient medical record access is important, banking/financial services for forms and mortgage processing and the insurance industry for claims processing expedition, leverage this technology every day…maybe you should too…

The reporter said that, although training courses can be helpful, companies must invest time with the technology to be successful. For starters, businesses are encouraged to learn the phrasing of SharePoint.

“Whether you are searching for an answer online or trying to articulate your problem to a seasoned SharePoint pro, you need to use the correct words to find the answer you need and to make sure you are understood,” wrote Rackley.

The writer added that another way to take advantage of the benefits of SharePoint include learning the basics of the platform, such as creating lists and sites. This knowledge will also help users avoid creating lines of code that can be a tedious process.

Since its release, SharePoint has undergone several transitions and is currently considered a key productivity booster. According to a recent TechTarget report by contributing writer George Khalil, the latest software is an effective enterprise content management tool and offers several key benefits not available in the previous version.

The Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting a Content Management Platform Vendor report named seven total vendors whose products have made a significant impact on the ECM industry and demonstrated a leading market position in this field.

The EMC Documentum application offers companies with increased ECM management and security and also promotes greater employee collaboration through any device at any time, the company stated.

“We believe Documentum is unlike any other information management solution on the market today for transforming the way organizations work and compete in the new information landscape,” said EMC vice president and general manager Rohit Ghai. “Helping our customers get maximum leverage from their information remains our focus.”

With its ECM portfolio and other storage solutions, EMC closed out 2011 on a high note. According to the company, its fourth quarter revenue increased 14 percent compared to the previous year to reach $5.6 billion. The business also achieved overall profits of $20 billion, growing 18 percent from 2010.

Our ever-more connected and digital society relies on a wide variety of software applications for us to accomplish tasks, communicate with each other and be entertained. The growing number of programs that we all access also translates into a need for even greater attention to detail to ensure that these applications are kept up to date for peak performance, data security and peace of mind. Those who don’t are rolling the dice with their security and increasingly at risk.

Vulnerabilities may be exploited when the latest releases of many software applications aren’t used – leading to cyber attacks on your PC and possibly allowing sensitive information to fall into the wrong hands. In one recent example, a bug was discovered in both current and past versions of Adobe Reader, the popular free application used to display PDF files. The issue, described as ‘critical’ by Adobe, could potentially allow a hacker to take control of the affected system.

While PDFs are simple and universally accessible, this flaw highlights one of the problems that this file format faces. They are the perfect Trojan horse for hackers since almost everyone has a PDF reader, meaning that at some point in time – access may be granted to virtually any computer via malicious code hidden in PDF files that users unwittingly open.

Software updates, other than the applications used to do your job or keep yourself amused, include your computer’s OS, Web browsers and various background programs such as Java. Obviously, keeping software up to date is the best way to minimize security risks, but isn’t foolproof. Computer users should also employ antivirus, spyware removal and firewall protection programs as computer safeguards – especially when accessing and shopping on the Internet. And of course, these programs need to be kept up to date as well!

Snowbound Software encourages all our customers to keep both their software and maintenance contracts current as this is the best way to ensure that you’re working with the latest technology, minimizes potential security issues from outside threats and provides obsolescence protection. Additionally, we hope that the peace of mind that comes with the knowledge that you have access to assistance anytime you need it is a comfort in today’s uncertain world.  For over 15 years, our family of support programs has guaranteed to our customers that their products will always have the latest technology and improvements, keeping their technology ahead of the curve and their customers happy.

The ease of using a simple browser to access information and communicate has universal appeal and businesses keep looking for ways to increase its usage.  Quite a number of years ago, browser plug-ins were the rage because you could enhance your browser to add PDF reading capability, view other kinds of documents, play games, and add any number of innovative software tools.  But with the diversity of browsers and the maturing of the PC industry, there are now so many combinations of PCs and browsers that it’s a logistical nightmare to keep this technology current and attempt to work with the majority of the users. Plus, support costs can be huge.

Many enterprises are now looking at differing solutions for information retrieval via the web– choosing one method for internal use and another method for external or portal use.  So an insurance company for instance, might choose to have a robust applet solution running for their internal users but might want to offer an AJAX, installation free solution to the thousands or even millions of customers they have.

As with all such demands, solution providers sometimes offer confusing or even misleading answers.  For example, Snowbound offers applets and AJAX viewers among other viewing solutions.  The applet requires a Java environment to run, but fortunately many systems already have that, especially corporate workstations, desktops and laptops.  But for general-purpose document review on a web-based customer portal, an AJAX solution that depends solely on the unmodified capability of any browser makes more sense.  There may be a few things that you can’t do with an AJAX viewer but its ability to run on any browser, no matter how configured, is a powerful determinator.

So where’s the confusion?  Well, we call AJAX a zero footprint or ‘pure HTML’ installation free viewer.  There is literally nothing to install or add if you already have a browser (any version) on your system – and given that’s standard on a PC, Mac or Linux operating systems, that’s easy.

But there are other offerings that claim to have a zero footprint and installation free solution but use Adobe Flash.  And what they’ll argue is that most computers have Flash installed and it runs automatically.  So if your browser encounters a Flash document or video, it automatically plays it.  That seems pretty good – so what’s the issue?  Well, if you’ve been reading news from Apple and Microsoft, neither are great fans of Flash. Apple isn’t offering or allowing Flash on most of their products and Microsoft isn’t allowing it on the upcoming Microsoft tablet OS – Windows 8.  Both claim Flash is buggy and destabilizing.

And if you have Flash on your system, have you ever noticed how often it needs updating?  Those are usually security issues that are being fixed.  So can you afford to depend on a client viewing solution that requires installation and frequent updates?  What part of your target user market does that exclude?  Hmmm…

Simon

According to the announcement, the VERS certification is for its record management capabilities with Microsoft SharePoint 2010. The distinction is based on several factors, including its ability to effectively and reliably archive information.

The OpenText Application Governance & Archiving for Microsoft SharePoint 2010 solution is designed to help enterprises address regulation and legal standards for their records management, the company stated.

Microsoft Australia director Gianpaolo Carraro added that the OpenText solution is especially ideal for government agencies and companies in regulated industries.

“By taking on the effort to achieve VERS certification, OpenText demonstrates the value of a strong ecosystem in helping customers get maximum benefit from their investment in the Microsoft platform,” said Carraro.

More organizations are turning to the latest version of the collaboration software from Microsoft. OpenText conducted a study last year that revealed nearly 50 percent of enterprise respondents said they were using SharePoint 2010, compared to 43 percent who are utilizing the 2007 version.

According to the company, quarterly revenue reached an all-time high of nearly $21 billion, increasing 5 percent compared to the same period in 2010. Microsoft’s operating income was nearly $8 billion during the period, while its net income surpassed $6.6 billion.

In 2011, nearly 200 million licenses of Office 2010 were sold and revenue from SharePoint and Exchange increased by more than 10 percent compared to the previous year.

“We saw strong demand for our business products and services, despite the soft PC market and continuing economic uncertainty in key parts of the world,” said Microsoft CFO Peter Klein. “We delivered record earnings per share by continuing to manage our costs while investing for future growth.”

Since its release, SharePoint has helped organizations collaborate more effectively. According to a recent TechTarget report by contributing writer George Khalil, the software has changed in recent years to become an enterprise content management solution to help increase employee productivity.

The company said that its fourth quarter consolidated revenue increased 14 percent compared to the same 2010 period and reached $5.6 billion. EMC’s overall profits for the year increased by 18 percent and grew to $20 billion.

One area in which EMC continued its success was the storage industry. According to the announcement, its VNX portfolio was chosen by nearly 2,000 customers during the fourth quarter.

“In 2011 we once again executed our triple play – simultaneously taking market share, reinvesting for growth and delivering improved earnings,” said EMC chief financial officer and executive vice president David Goulden.

The EMC official added that the company expects to more than double than its previous 2012 estimate and reach consolidated revenue of $22 billion this year.

The VNX line of solutions has not only found financial success, but industry praise as well. The company announced last month that its VNXe unified storage application was chosen by CRN as the product of the year for its affordability and effectiveness.

EMC’s PPBA solutions captured 62 percent of the market during the first half of 2011. According to IDC, this was more than three times the share of the nearest competitor.

During this period, the overall PBBA market increased by more than 65 percent compared to the first half of 2010. IDC’s research director Robert Amatruda noted that the full 2011 industry projection reached $2.8 billion, more than its previous estimate of $2.1 billion.

“For many years, we talked about a ‘tectonic shift’ in the backup industry driven by the availability of data deduplication technology,” said EMC president William Jenkins. “This shift has now given way to mainstream adoption of Purpose Built Backup Appliances by the IT community.”

EMC’s solutions not only have found success in the PPBA market, but have received industry praise as well. The company announced in November that the Technology Services Industry Association gave it three Fall 2011 STAR Awards for excellence and innovation in professional services, field support and education sectors.

I was cutting up some cardboard boxes for the recycling the other evening, and it got me thinking about the oft overused expression ‘think outside the box.’ (When you’re a writer everything reminds you of something.) Companies these days realize that constant innovation is what gives them competitive advantage. But the reality is you have to think inside AND outside the box…

In the software industry, conformity to accepted standards is our ‘inside the box’ foundation upon which to build. We have to work within technological parameters when we develop our document viewing and image conversion applications and toolkits; in terms of compatibility with hardware platforms, standard file formats and a variety of APIs – to make sure our offerings integrate with existing technology.

‘Outside the box’ however, we are constantly pushing the envelope (I know, another overused cliché, please bear with me) to try and give our customers industry-leading features and benefits – to give THEM a competitive advantage. By the way, this is why the majority of our clients won’t let us publicize how our solutions have helped them! They don’t want their competitors catching on to what technology they’re using to streamline their business processes.

Frankly, from a marketing perspective, this is a double-edged sword. It makes me proud that our firm has innovative technology that our clients’ use to give them a leg up in their respective industries, but it would be nice if we could also publicize this information as well. I enjoy writing customer success stories explaining how organizations work together, harnessing technology to address a need. And one of the best parts of these relationships is that the company supplying the solution (Snowbound in this case) learns so much as well; about the customer’s issues, industry and requirements, leading to an even better product down the road.

Snowbound Software is about to embark on its sixteenth year in business. We’ve strived to always be leaders in our industry – finding new and inventive ways to leverage technology to help our clients’ with their document-driven processes – so they can focus on their core businesses.

We’re Snowbound Software- how can we help you?

According to HP, the new applications include new analytics , point-of-sale and self-service solutions, as well as mobility options and managed print services. Users of the solutions can offer their customers an integrated experience from a tablet, kiosk or the sales point.

One of the options showcased at the event was the HP Mobile POS solution that is based on its Slate 2 tablet and runs the Windows operating system.

“Many retailers are working toward creating a much more interesting environment for shoppers with the goal of improving and differentiating the entire shopping experience,” said HP vice president and general manager Ray Carlin.

The HP official added that the company’s solutions are ideal for retailers because of their affordability and collaboration among software partners.

With its vast range of hardware, software and service solutions, HP achieved immense success in 2011. According to the company’s fourth quarter results, it reached non-generally accepted accounting principles revenue of more than $127 billion for the year. In the fourth quarter alone, HP reached GAAP net income of more than $32 billion.

According to the news provider, as organizations patiently wait for the next SharePoint update, some heavy users of the software may be wondering if they should continue using the old version of the software instead of upgrade.

“If you have a fairly vanilla install with little customizations or third-party add-ons, then you can continue supporting and extending your SharePoint 2010 environment with low risk that this will make the move to the next release more difficult – as long as you don’t change your approach to begin customizing or deploying third party add-ons,” wrote Shepley.

For companies still using older versions of SharePoint, the writer encouraged them to adopt the latest software immediately. Businesses not taking advantage of the platform at all should also utilize SharePoint 2010 to address increased content volumes, according to Shepley.

Although many organizations may be waiting for the next release from Microsoft, other developments are expected to play a key role in its adoption. According, to FierceContentManagement’s Ron Miller, the rapid migration to cloud computing technology will fuel the demand for SharePoint and other Office 365 products in the near future.

Most businesses today electronically process customer documents, whether it is claims in the insurance industry, patient records for healthcare or a wide variety of forms for banking and financial services. The common denominator with all of these documents is that they contain sensitive information such as social security numbers or credit card data that may need to be hidden during processing or archiving via document redaction.

Electronic document redaction tools provide the ability to secure confidential information in a document or image file while keeping the non-sensitive information visible for viewing and processing. Annotations may be temporarily added during document processing via redaction tools in the viewer, or document redactions may even be applied (burned into) a document or image as it is retrieved from a repository for viewing depending upon the user’s permission level, ensuring that confidential information stays that way, and is also non-text searchable to maintain security. Audit trail capabilities are also enhanced as the original file is never altered, and a document redaction archive is created to ensure compliance with corporate regulations and security standards.

Document Redaction in the Real World

Document redaction is widely used in a variety of situations for everything from court records and other legal briefs to patient medical records and insurance claims processing. Virtually any situation requiring the selective disclosure of information while keeping other data secret uses document redaction. For instance, in business and law, documents may have certain parts “redacted”, meaning sensitive data such as names and details are hidden to protect identity and personal information.

Today’s business demands, coupled with ever increasing regulation and compliance requirements on information, mandates that firms handle one of their greatest assets very carefully – their collected volume of information. The document lifecycle is the corporate blueprint for maintaining compliance with growing regulations for business and personal information such as Sarbanes Oxley (corporate compliance), and HIPAA and HITECH (healthcare). Protecting sensitive information via document redaction to permanently hide portions of data stored on corporate repositories greatly enhances organizations data compliance document lifecycle efforts.