This paper considers the use of email archives for compliance. It will also review how archives are trusted and look at what has to be done to ensure that integrity is maintained throughout the chain of events that take place within an email archive environment.

Email compliance archives provide a reliable record of internal and/or external communications and proved potential evidence or other critical records, quickly and cost effectively.

Email archives exist to help organizations of all types, all sizes and in all countries to meet the growing demands of government, industry and internally generated regulations that have grown into being during the post-Enron era. Although the scope and value of some of the new legislation is questioned, due to its impact on international trade, company ownership and national tax revenues, it appears that compliance-driven archiving is here to stay.