Editor’s Note: Originally published in June 2019 and updated annually, this report on eDiscovery processing task, spending, and cost information contains new data points based on recent refreshes of industry research from ComplexDiscovery. This update includes information from the 2022-2027 eDiscovery Market Size Mashup for Worldwide Software and Services and the most recent eDiscovery pricing survey conducted in December 2022. This update may be beneficial for legal, business, and IT professionals considering the business of eDiscovery and, specifically, the economics of eDiscovery processing. To submit recommendations for consideration in ComplexDiscovery research, contact us today.
Industry Research
A 2022 Look at eDiscovery Processing: The Task
Market Size and Pricing Considerations
Within the context of data discovery and legal discovery, the task of processing consists of reducing the volume of collected electronically stored information (ESI) primarily through automated processing techniques and modifying it, if necessary, to forms more suitable for other eDiscovery tasks including review and analysis. It is one of three tasks, that along with collection and review, make up the core tasks typically associated with the process of eDiscovery.
In considering the relative costs of the three core eDiscovery tasks of collection, processing, and review, in 2012, processing represented approximately 19% of the total expenditure for eDiscovery tasks, with collection representing 8% of expenditures and review representing 73% of expenditures. (1) Based on market modeling since 2012, the relative costs of these core eDiscovery tasks in 2022 are estimated to be 19% of expenditures for processing, with collection representing 15% of expenditures, and review representing 66% of expenditures. (2)
Chart 1: Relative Task Expenditures for eDiscovery
Relative Task Expenditures for Core eDiscovery Tasks – Processing – 2023
Market Opportunity for Processing: The Spend
In evaluating the market spend for the eDiscovery task of processing through the lens of relative task expenditures and modeled market estimations, spending on processing-related software and services is estimated to constitute approximately 19% ($2.67B) of worldwide eDiscovery software and services spending in 2022. While the percentage of spending for the eDiscovery task of processing is estimated to increase slightly to approximately 20% of overall eDiscovery spending through 2027, the spend in dollars for eDiscovery processing is estimated to grow to $4.46B by 2027. (3)
Chart 2: eDiscovery Market for Processing
eDiscovery Market for Processing (2022-2027) – 2023
Processing Pricing Data Points: The Cost
While many individual elements contribute to the cost of processing, results from semi-annual eDiscovery Pricing Surveys (4) may provide insight into key costs and cost trends related to the eDiscovery task of processing. These costs include the per GB cost to process ESI based on volume at ingestion, the per GB cost to process ESI based on volume at completion of processing, the per GB per month cost to host ESI without analytics, the per GB per month cost to host ESI with analytics, the user license fee per month for access to hosted data, and the per hour cost of project management support for eDiscovery.
Responses from the most recent semi-annual eDiscovery pricing survey regarding these processing-related cost questions posed to cybersecurity, information governance, and legal discovery professionals are provided below for your consideration.
Chart 3: What is the per GB cost to process electronically stored information based on volume at ingestion for 250 GB or less?
Chart 4: What is the per GB cost to process electronically stored information based on volume at ingestion for 251 GB or more?
Chart 5: What is the per GB cost to process electronically stored information based on volume at completion of processing for 250 GB or less?
Chart 6: What is the per GB cost to process electronically stored information based on volume at completion of processing for 251 GB or more?
Chart 7: What is the per GB per month cost to host electronically stored information without analytics for 250 GB or less?
Chart 8: What is the per GB per month cost to host electronically stored information without analytics for 251 GB or more?
Chart 9: What is the per GB per month cost to host electronically stored information with analytics for 250 GB or less?
Chart 10: What is the per GB per month cost to host electronically stored information with analytics for 251 GB or more?
Chart 11: What is the user license fee per month for access to hosted data for 250 users or less?
Chart 12: What is the user license fee per month for access to hosted data for 251 users or more?
Chart 13: What is the per hour cost of basic project management support for eDiscovery?
Processing Pricing – Per Hour Cost of Basic Project Management Support for eDiscovery – Winter 2023
Chart 14: What is the per hour cost of advanced project management support for eDiscovery?
References
(1) Pace, N., & Zakaras, L. (2012). Where the Money Goes: Understanding Litigant Expenditures for Producing Electronic Discovery (p. xiv, xv). RAND Institute for Civil Justice.
(2) Robinson, R. (2022). An eDiscovery Market Size Mashup: Worldwide Software and Services Overview – 2022-2027. Retrieved from https://complexdiscovery.com/an-ediscovery-market-size-mashup-2022-2027-worldwide-software-and-services-overview-2/
(3) Ibid.
(4) Robinson, R. (2022). Adaptation and Stratification? Winter 2023 eDiscovery Pricing Survey Results. Retrieved from https://complexdiscovery.com/adaptation-and-stratification-winter-2023-ediscovery-pricing-survey-results/.
Additional Research
Additional Reading
Source: ComplexDiscovery
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