It’s getting crowded on the right-side of the EDRM.  Kroll Ontrack has announced it is now providing its clients with document review services.  For the full announcement click here.

Kroll Ontrack already provides paper/e-discovery services, computer forensics, ESI consulting, etc.  The announcement of the launch into document review is natural.  As we have indicated over the last two years and most recently in our ILTA coverage (click here) the trend has been to be a “single service provider” (witness the EMC/Kazeon deal) from collection to production.  It is what law firms have been seeking as they pare down their vendor lists, and what corporations have been seeking as more and more ESI work moves in-house.  The mantra: cost contaiment.   Quoting from the Kroll Ontrack press release: “Document review can account for anywhere between 50 and 90 percent of total litigation costs. Companies and their outside law firms are working to identity strategies to control and reduce these costs.”  

It is why EDD vendors have moved directly into corporations with their (incessant) mantra of “early case assessment” which is critical, of course, to the corporate client.   As the EDD vendors mantra goes:  “the better you assess and plan, the lower the volume of data to review – and review is the biggest cost in the entire process.   Oh, and we do the document review, too.”

It should mean more work for contract attormeys.  Let’s see.  The Kroll Ontrack press release (see link above) provides two email contacts at the end of the piece.   Folks, start your emails.