V3.8 of EMA E-Mail Archive Appliance

Version 3.8 of the EMA E-Mail Archive Appliance from ARTEC IT Solutions AG will be available shortly. It contains several new features that make it easier and more efficient to work with EMA.

Highlights include a new attribute system for managing metadata, search restrictions that seamlessly integrate with account management features to allow even tighter control of access to the archive (e.g. for auditors), an easy to use E-Mail viewer, and a redesigned and enhanced administrator manual.

Data Management
The new attribute system allows users to assign individual metadata to documents in the archive without putting legal compliance at risk. Two optionally available versions of the attribute system are available: a basic version for common attributes, and an enterprise version that offers more flexibility. EMA’s highly flexible search functionally has been enhanced to allow users to search the archive for assigned attribute values, which can greatly increase productivity.

EMA’s basic attribute system contains several predefined attributes, as well as one custom attribute field which can be defined freely. Each of the predefined attributes are linked to a fixed feature provided by EMA. After enabling the attribute system, several new features are made available. One such feature is that users can set a retention period for documents, and that a field called ‘legalhold’ (Legal Hold) attribute prevents documents from being deleted from the archive; even if the retention period has passed. Additionally, various attributes allow marking E-Mail messages as private so they can be dealt with as per the archive’s configuration. The archive can, for example, be configured to hide the content of E-Mail messages marked as private from administrators, if privacy regulations require your organization to do so.

The enterprise attribute system builds on the functionality of the basic attribute system. It allows up to 100 additional attributes to be defined. These freely definable attributes can be used in various ways. Additional attributes can be of the following types: Text Field, Numeric Field, Memo Field, Tagging Field, and Yes/No Field. All attributes can be individually enabled or disabled or hidden from searches.

"We took great care to make sure that the attribute system follows EMA’s security principles. Different attribute permissions can be assigned for users and administrators, and four-eye-principle authentication can be used to further enhance security. Additionally, attributes can have the time frame available for editing restricted to prevent erroneous attribute values or manipulation by malicious users", said the company.

E-Mail Viewer
Along with the introduction of the attribute system, ARTEC IT also implemented a new E-Mail viewer. The E-Mail viewer allows contents of the archive to be viewed in a secure and user-friendly manner without using a separate mail client or EML browser. Click the subject line, and the entire E-Mail message will be displayed directly in EMA’s search interface.

By viewing E-Mail messages directly from the search results without having to resort to a third-party program, it’s now easier to access required information. Search results are highlighted in yellow to provide a better overview, and one click allows jumping to the next search result without having to close the viewer first. Similarly, exporting, printing, or forwarding an E-Mail message can all be done right from within the viewer.

A positive side-effect: if your regular E-Mail infrastructure is down due to (un)planned maintenance, all of your users can still access and use E-Mail messages that have been previously archived. The existing restore functionality, along with the new E-Mail viewer provide a completely new and more effective way for users to use EMA.

Search Restrictions
Search restrictions allow to limit search operations for specific users. If you have to give auditors quick and uncomplicated access to the contents of your archive, you can use search restrictions to restrict what exactly these users are able to search for. After setting up the accounts, simply create a search definition that returns the required information to the auditor. This feature also allows fixed searches to be defined as a base for administrators in order to comply with privacy regulations, and to ensure that privileges are not abused.

New Manual
EMA received a face lift a little while ago, and based on customer feedback, our manuals have now also received a completely new look. The documentation has been redesigned from ground up. It has also been restructured to make working with the manual easier. Almost 100 new pages were added that describe EMA’s new features in detail. Additional information has also been added to existing topics to make them easier to understand for users. The manual is available via EMA’s user interface.