IT architecture meets the real (legal) world

Unfortunately for IT professionals, e-mail represents only the tip of the iceberg in how legal and regulatory duties will impact IT operations. In addition to privacy issues, regulators and other legal officials have already expressed interest in intruding into data center operations for audits of digital rights management (distribution of copyrighted materials) and taxes. They also want to determine whether e-commerce personalization engines have the impact of illegally redlining users. (Redlining is the illegal practices of a lending institution that denies loans or restricts the number of loans for certain areas of a community. There have also been redlining problems in the insurance industry.) Data centers house information, and information is of critical interest to legal and regulatory authorities. The net result is that IT architecture isn't just about technology any more. The last year's market realities made it clear that everyone must worry about the fiduciary realities of return on investment and total cost of ownership. Now that the rest of the world is catching up, IT architects need to deal with the legal realities imposed by governments and regulatory agencies. It is argued that companies that host e-mail should prepare to cooperate with law enforcement authorities and comply with search warrants or risk having their systems seized and carted away