Ricoh’s Remlox Solution Dramatically Reduces Time Required for eDiscovery

by Robert Palmer | 9/10/15

Last month, Ricoh announced it had received a patent for its Computer Forensics and eDiscovery data collection solution called Remlox. The solution provides a unique method for collecting electronically stored information (ESI) as part of the computer forensics and eDiscovery process. Remlox, which is offered as part of Ricoh’s full suite of computer forensics and eDiscovery services, is designed to reduce the costs and time associated with gathering ESI for litigation or investigative purposes.  

The Remlox solution is a remote data collection tool that can be sent directly to data custodians to collect a full forensic image of a hard drive from a laptop or desktop computer. Essentially, Ricoh sends out an encrypted hard drive that plugs directly into the target system. Once attached, the hard drive does the rest, providing step-by-step procedures for collecting a fully compliant forensic image of the data. The drive is then shipped back to Ricoh for preservation, forensic analysis, or other eDiscovery requirements.

According to David Greetham, vice president of eDiscovery Operations for Ricoh Legal and inventor of Remlox, the process of eDiscovery has evolved over time to become more challenging and expensive. Historically, the process of data collection required an on-site visit, often with very short notice, to physically extract the relevant information. Dealing with branch offices and a growing number of remote telecommuters made this process difficult to manage and could take weeks to complete. It quickly became apparent that a remote data collection solution was needed.

“Deadlines for preserving and often producing electronically stored information are tight and rigorous,” said Greetham, in a prepared release. “The decision to forensically collect ESI often happens quickly which can allow little time for planning.” Remlox streamlines the data collection process with same-day deployment, providing the ability to forensically collect relevant information quickly and efficiently and reducing the time to collect considerably — in some cases to within a 48-hour window.

Remlox is deployed from Ricoh’s forensics lab, which was the first private computer forensics lab to be accredited in the discipline of Digital Forensics by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Lab Accreditation Board. Remlox has been deployed in 37 countries to date and data collected by Remlox has been accepted as admissible evidence in a range of matters for clients in response to U.S. Department of Justice and Securities & Exchange Commission requests.

For more on Ricoh’s Remlox solution, see press release here.

Our Take

Trends in eDiscovery are moving rapidly toward information governance. As a result, improvements in information governance workflows have become an important target among those providing eDiscovery solutions and services.

Meanwhile, the importance of collecting a forensic image as part of the eDiscovery process has evolved along with federal rule changes that place greater emphasis on the need to properly preserve data. Ricoh’s Remlox solution not only improves data collection times but also provides a fully compliant means for capturing a forensic image of any electronic media device, which means that all data and metadata are properly preserved during the collection process.

Mobile device adoption in the workplace and trends around BYOD are driving further improvements in data collection and preservation technology. These devices are becoming more relevant in litigation and the need for discovering data from smart phones, tablets, and other mobile devices continues to grow. The Internet of Things (IoT) is only going to place more emphasis on the need for ESI discovery from sources other than laptops and desktop computers. 

Robert Palmer is chief analyst and a managing partner for BPO Media, which publishes The Imaging Channel and Workflow magazines. As a market analyst and industry consultant, Palmer has more than 25 years experience in the imaging industry covering technology and business sectors for prominent market research firms such as Lyra Research and InfoTrends. Palmer is a popular speaker and he presents regularly at industry conferences and trade events in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. He is also active in a variety of imaging industry forums and currently serves on the board of directors for the Managed Print Services Association (MPSA). Contact him at robert@bpomedia.com.