The world produces between 1 and 2 exabytes of unique information per year, which is roughly 250 megabytes for every man, woman, and child on earth. An exabyte is a billion gigabytes, or 1018 bytes. Printed documents of all kinds comprise only .003 percent of the total. Magnetic storage is by far the largest medium for storing information and is the most rapidly growing, with shipped hard drive capacity doubling every year. Magnetic storage is rapidly becoming the universal medium for information storage.

1. Adopt a method for data storage and retrieval that suits electronic records.
   • It is no longer economically feasible (or safe) to rely on information storage and retrieval practices left over from paper processes.
   • New technologies provide easy access to information stored electronically, and position the company to quickly search electronic data to determine what information is subject to discovery and what information may be relevant.
2. Form a partnership between inside counsel, outside counsel, and IT personnel.
   • Few businesses ensure that corporate counsel is involved in the decisions related to the creation, organization, and retention of electronic records, instead treating the area as the preserve of Accounting and IT personnel. Even fewer include outside counsel in these matters.
   • From representation of other clients, outside counsel frequently has electronic discovery experience that can be leveraged to benefit the company.
3. Do not fear the company's electronic records.
   • Information contained in electronic records can help the company's position in a legal proceeding just as easily as it can be harmful.
   • Courts are increasingly critical of the "ostrich head-in-the-sand" mentality. Recent decisions require early and thorough review of a company's electronic files.