Guidance Software Announces First Fully Integrated eDiscovery Solution

Guidance Software Inc. (NASDAQ: GUID), The World Leader in Digital Investigations™, today announced Version 4 of EnCase® eDiscovery. It provides legal and IT teams with one integrated software solution that delivers all of the functionality that organizations desire for in-house electronic discovery, including:

● Legal Hold

● Pre-collection Analytics

● Identification, Preservation, and Collection

● Processing, Analysis, and Early Case Assessment

● First-Pass Review

Rather than trying to integrate incompatible point solutions for each discrete step in the electronic discovery process – and trying to train users on, and transfer information from, point solution to point solution – with Version 4 of EnCase eDiscovery organizations have a single, fully integrated solution that maintains and protects case and custodian data throughout the process, thereby reducing risk and lowering costs.

In contrast to other products, in which analysis and review can be performed only after collection and processing is complete, EnCase eDiscovery’s new analysis and first-pass review capabilities can be utilized at any stage of the electronic discovery process, such as during collection, post collection, or during and after processing. Coupled with its unique pre-collection analytics capability – which allows “data maps” to be quickly created – EnCase eDiscovery enables organizations to rapidly understand case facts, better prepare for “meet and confer” conferences, negotiate keywords with opponents, and perform first-pass review in-house to reduce data sets prior to outside attorney review, thereby increasing speed and reducing cost. Because the analysis and first-pass review capabilities are web-based, attorneys and paralegals can test keywords, view data, and tag documents from their desktops or laptops, without having to install any software to do so.

“The eDiscovery market has been fragmented, lacking a fully integrated solution, and instead relying on multiple point solutions, which breeds inefficiencies, causes delays, and increases risks, and, ultimately, costs,” said Christine Taylor, Analyst, The Taneja Group. “Typically, in any given technology market, the introduction of integrated offerings drives broader technology adoption, and the eDiscovery market should be no different.”

Key features of Version 4 include:

• Legal Hold: providing hold notification, including reminders, and online custodian interviewing, with customizable questions, and with legal hold data (status of hold, answers to questions, etc.) stored in the same case database used to track collection, processing, analysis, and first-pass review activities.
• Pre-Collection Analytics: enabling data maps of potential custodians to be created prior to collection, processing, or analysis, so that counsel can understand the data universe before discovery begins.
• Identification, Preservation, and Collection: Version 4 continues to provide unmatched capabilities, enabling rapid, targeted data collection and preservation from laptops, desktops, servers, and content management systems, while preserving collected data in EnCase’s famous “evidence file” format.
• Processing, Analysis, and Early Case Assessment: enabling filtering of data at any stage in the electronic discovery process; features include email threading, full audit trail of search history, display of unique documents per keyword or search expression (to enable keyword negotiation), export to PDF format, and more.
• First-Pass Review: including content viewing in a browser window, with hit highlighting, fully customizable tagging and classification of data, and an audit trail for defensibility.

“The integration provided by Version 4 of EnCase eDiscovery means that organizations performing electronic discovery no longer have to transfer data sets or custodian information from application to application,” said Victor Limongelli, President and CEO of Guidance Software. “The result is increased speed, lower costs, and lower risk for our customers.”

Version 4 of EnCase eDiscovery will be demonstrated at LegalTech in New York from February 1 through 3, 2010, and is expected to be generally available in the second quarter of 2010.

About Guidance Software (GUID)

Guidance Software is recognized worldwide as the industry leader in digital investigative solutions. Its EnCase® platform provides the foundation for government, corporate and law enforcement organizations to conduct thorough, network-enabled, and court-validated computer investigations of any kind, such as responding to eDiscovery requests, conducting internal investigations, responding to regulatory inquiries or performing data and compliance auditing - all while maintaining the integrity of the data. There are more than 30,000 licensed users of the EnCase technology worldwide, the EnCase® Enterprise platform is used by over half of the Fortune 100, and thousands attend Guidance Software's renowned training programs annually. Validated by numerous courts, corporate legal departments, government agencies and law enforcement organizations worldwide, EnCase has been honored with industry awards and recognition from eWEEK, SC Magazine, Network Computing, and the Socha-Gelbmann survey. For more information about Guidance Software, visit www.guidancesoftware.com.

Certain statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements that are based on management’s expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions known as of the date of the release. However, Guidance reserves the right to change its products, release dates or technology features at any time, without notice. Nothing herein shall constitute a guarantee or obligation for Guidance Software to release any product, feature or functionality of any kind, at any time, nor shall Guidance have any obligation, by virtue of this release alone, to provide any product or product improvements to any third party.

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