As technology continues to grow, more and more court reporting agencies are turning to cloud-based realtime deposition streaming solutions. Cloud-based realtime deposition streaming solutions provide agencies with everything they need to send realtime video, audio and text to remote attendees without the hassle of expensive equipment or the difficult setups once required when using traditional video conferencing technology.
Cloud-based services make streaming audio, video and realtime text easily accessible to anyone, from anywhere and at any time. This is especially true in the legal industry. As legal professionals look for ways to improve efficiency and streamline the litigation process, online depositions are becoming the way of the future. By requesting cloud-based remote streaming for depositions and legal proceedings, law firms can increase their billable hours and avoid the time and money it takes to travel to and from depositions. Instead they can attend remotely from the comfort of their home or office.
With the use of this technology growing and becoming more in demand, there are many factors to consider when choosing a cloud-based deposition streaming solution; most importantly, SECURITY! In an age where identify theft and hacking are more prevalent than ever, it is important to make sure the service your agency offers is secure and HIPPA compliant. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, also known as HIPPA, provided the first nationally-recognizable regulations for the use/disclosure of an individual’s health information and helped establish guidelines for the security of an individual’s medical records.
During a cloud-based video deposition, private data travels back and forth over the internet between users, and you want to be sure that all the information you share is highly encrypted, password protected and remains safe. Data encryption, simply put, is the translation of data into a form that is unintelligible without a deciphering mechanism and makes the data difficult, if not impossible, for hackers to access.
When I hear agencies say they use products such as Skype for conducting online depositions, I cringe. If you think the private messages sent over Skype are protected by end-to-end encryption, think again. Skype’s privacy policy clearly states that they may access, disclose and preserve personal data, including private content (such as the content of instant messages, stored video messages, voicemails or file transfers), when they have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary. I can understand the appeal of Skype; it’s free and convenient, but in the legal industry where security and privacy are everything, free and convenient may actually end up costing you in the end. As technology advances and legal professionals turn towards online depositions, providing your clients with a cloud-based realtime streaming solution that follows all HIPPA security requirements and guidelines is the safest and smartest decision your agency can make.