These messages are then archived using Archive Center on a variety of media, such as tape, WORMs, etc., based on corporate and regulatory requirements. One of the primary advantages of the iWitness system for end users is the ability to significantly expand the available size of a message store while retaining access to the file. When a message is archived, it is replaced with a token of between 10K bytes and 30K bytes that contains metadata on the archived file and serves as an audit trail for the file. The token contains information on who viewed an archived file, who tried to change it, who asked for it to be destroyed, when an integrity check was performed on the data, and so forth. The token is available from within the e-mail client and can be accessed by end users as though it were in the message store.
Users also can search the local message store for archived messages.
Automated Personal Archiving - that automatically applies rules to the message store within the context of the messaging infrastructure. Interactive Personal Archiving - that allows a user to set up rules regarding which messages should be archived. The system permits capture and search across multiple data types and sources. Michael D. Osterman is the principal of Osterman Research , a market research firm that helps organizations understand the markets for messaging, directory and related products and services. He can be reached by clicking here .