Text messaging has become a staple in business communications, but with the increasing number of phones, archives have become essential to maintain text messaging compliance. Message archives are tools that instantly capture and store messages for later use.
As your database fills with archived text messages, you might be tempted to delete several conversations to save room and make management easier. Deleting these messages is a bad idea, but why?
Why You Shouldn’t Delete Archived Messages
Every piece of data that comes through your business must be captured and stored safely. Text messages are no exception to the rule, especially when regulatory bodies like the SEC and FINRA are monitoring companies for compliance.
If you plan to delete some or your entire archive, here are the reasons why you should never do that:
Legal Compliance
The primary reason why you shouldn’t delete a single conversation from your archives is because this could violate regulatory requirements. All companies are mandated to capture and store all business communications, which include text messages. In strictly monitored industries – like finance, health, and education – losing a vital piece of information from text archives can result in legal consequences.
Litigation and E-Discoveries
If your business is suddenly put in a situation wherein you need to produce electronic evidence, deleting your archive can be a reason for tremendous regret. You’ll never know when a single conversation from your text message archive can become valuable in defending your business in court.
Company Investigations
Employees might be tempted to use official text messaging platforms to perform unprofessional activities, such as leaking sensitive information or harassing a coworker. Suppose an unethical event in text messaging occurs, and you need evidence of the act. Archived messages are vital for these types of situations, hence why deleting them is a terrible decision.
Loss of Valuable Information
In most systems, once you delete a message, they are gone forever. Despite how mundane they might look, text messages contain a treasure trove of information that is useful beyond legal compliance and investigations; archives contain data you can use to enhance customer support and marketing campaigns.
Don’t Delete Your Messages
In short, deleting your messages can cause your company to lose valuable information that is important in legal and operational aspects. Once gone, you leave your business vulnerable to a number of risks that can impact your integrity, security, and reputation.
Keep your text messages and maintain responsible business communications by partnering with LeapXpert, one of the world’s leading providers of powerful arching software. Please book a consultation through our website.