ZyLAB Introduces the First eDiscovery Software System to Search Audio; Attorneys and Investigators Can Pinpoint the Relevant Evidence in Sound Files in Just Seconds

    MCLEAN, VA, April 20, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- ZyLAB, a leading eDiscovery and information management technology company today announced the release of its state-of-the-art ZyLAB Audio Search Bundle, a desktop software product used to quickly identify relevant audio clips from multimedia files and from ubiquitous business tools such as fixed-line telephone, VOIP, mobile, and specialist platforms like Skype or MSN Live. The intuitive software enables technical and non-technical users involved in legal disputes, forensics, law enforcement, and lawful data interception to search, review and analyze audio data with the same ease as more traditional forms of Electronically Stored Information (ESI).

"For the Enron case, nearly a dozen FBI analysts spent 3 months transcribing 2,800 hours of audio so they could search for key phrases in the transcript," recalls Johannes C. Scholtes, chairman and chief strategy officer for ZyLAB. "With the ZyLAB Audio Search Bundle available today, they could perform those same searches directly on the audio files - not a speech-to-text transcript - within about 5 minutes and instantly replay the segments to verify their relevance."

Written text, such as transcripts from audio recordings, cannot fully convey intent, nuance or emotion which are only discernable by human listeners. Additionally, speech-to-text technology is generally limited to dictionary entries. In contrast, the ZyLAB Audio Search Bundle transforms audio recordings into a phonetic representation of the way in which words are pronounced so that investigators can search for dictionary terms, but also proper names, company names, or brands without the need to "re-ingest" the data.

With the ZyLAB Audio Search Bundle, forensic investigators and attorneys can identify and collect audio recordings from various sources with far greater efficiency and effectiveness than was ever possible with manual processing. The software supports multiple search techniques simultaneously, such as Boolean and wildcard, leading to greater accuracy and relevance of results. The fast, iterative search helps to reduce the size of the data set and the costs for review.

"Salient evidence is just as likely to be found in audio files as it is in email," continued Scholtes. "Now a legal reviewer can open a folder of audio files, type in a query, and click on the result list to listen to the search hits in context. Finding evidence in audio files is as simple as finding a song on iTunes."

The ZyLAB Audio Search Bundle supports all industry-standard audio formats, including G711, GSM6.10, MP3 and WMA, as well as the audio component of video files. The bundle uses a fraction of the hardware required by traditional solutions and complements existing toolsets and processes, extending the capability and reach of investigators.

This optional bundle is available with the ZyLAB eDiscovery & Production System, which is fully aligned with the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM), or any other ZyLAB system. For more information please contact us at: 1.866.995.2262 or [email protected].

About ZyLAB
ZyLAB's industry-leading, modular eDiscovery and enterprise information management solutions enable organizations to manage boundless amounts of enterprise data in any format and language, to mitigate risk, reduce costs, investigate matters and elicit business productivity and intelligence.

The ZyLAB eDiscovery system is directly aligned with the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) and the company's products and services are used on an enterprise level by corporations, government agencies, courts, and law firms, as well as on specific projects for legal services, auditing, and accounting providers. ZyLAB systems are also available in a Software-as-a-Services (SaaS) model.

ZyLAB has received numerous industry accolades and is one of the few companies to be positioned as a Leader in Gartner's "Magic Quadrant for Information Access Technology" for 2007, 2008 and 2009. In addition, Gartner has given ZyLAB the highest rating ("Strong Positive") in its "MarketScope for E-Discovery and Litigation Support Vendors" for 2007, 2008 and 2009, as well as a "Promising" rating in its 2008 "MarketScope for Records Management".

Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and McLean, Virginia, ZyLAB also serves local markets from regional offices in New York, Barcelona, Frankfurt, London, Paris, and Singapore. To learn more about ZyLAB visit www.zylab.com.

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