Electronic Archiving Part 2

In last month's issue, I wrote about the ability or inability to archive electronic documents. This month, I feel compelled to write a follow-up to that article, thanks to some new information I learned at a recent conference.

This conference was the annual meeting of the Document Management Service Providers Executive Forum held in Savannah, Ga. This Forum draws people from all over the country to discuss various issues with those who provide document imaging services.

The information that motivated me to write this article came up in a "New Applications" session, where we talked about archiving electronic documents. Since as early as June 2005, there has existed a new PDF format, called PDF-A. The 'A' standing for archive.

If you read my last article, you might stop me here. "Wait a minute," you'll say. "How can an electronic document be archived if we don't know what we will use to read it 20 to 30 years from now?"

The answer lies in the way this new PDF version is created.

Naturally, I did a little research to confirm how my industry is really defining "long term" and "archive." After the typical Google search, I ended up at the AIIM (Association for Information and Image Management) website. Here is a link to information that might be helpful:

Electronic document file format for long-term preservation - Part 1: Use of PDF 1.4

As I read all about the ISO 19005-1:2005 (PDF/A-1) compliance, I never really found anything definite about "how long" this format is expected to last. In fact, the best I can tell, it will last long enough for you, or should I say your organization, to figure out how to make it to the next generation of technology.

This reminds me of the saying, "if you don't find the time to do it correctly now, when are you going to find the time to do it correctly later?" As I always tell people here at American Micro, drill down a little deeper and you can find the facts you need to make a decision.

If you are making a decision about electronic archiving, just make sure you have a discussion with your department of decision makers, about 'why' you are keeping a set of records. Once you know the 'why', the 'how' becomes easier.

As always, email or call me if you would like to 'drill down' more on this topic. mzecy@americanmicrokc.com

Mark A. Zecy