eDiscovery software provider iCONECT has added Russian language support to the interface of its attractive document review platform XERA.

eDiscovery software, like most other products, depends for its survival on the anticipation of trends and demands. iCONECT is not the only observer of the worldwide economic scene to identify the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries as the expanding economic forces worldwide. Increased commercial activity brings both disputes and regulation, and they in turn require electronic discovery tools. The requirement in such cases is not merely for the ability to manage a particular language, but to do so in a context of mixed languages and across borders.

The UK in particular has seen Russian businesses and businessmen turn to the English courts to resolve their differences, most famously in the litigation between Berezovsky and Abramovich. No one knows quite how much litigation is taking place at any one time involving less prominent players, but it is astute of iCONECT to pick Russian as an area on which to focus.

eDiscovery software and principles are not merely driven by change – they can, to some extent, be the driver. As eDiscovery software becomes more sophisticated and more capable, so the courts expect higher standards from parties and are less willing to accept excuses based on the difficulty of the task. In the same way, it may be that the availability of Russian language eDiscovery software will become a driver for more Russian language litigation – since the tools are available, more companies may be willing to engage in litigation.

Whatever may be the present state of regulation in Russia itself, the spread of Russian-based business around the world inevitably attracts the interests of regulators. They too are unlikely to be impressed by excuses based on language when the tools exist to facilitate discovery in multiple languages.

There is a press release about the XERA Russian language interface here. As with most other large providers of the discovery software, iCONECT will be at ILTA in Las Vegas and will be pleased to show you XERA.