Compliance Technology

Because regulatory compliance touches so many aspects of an enterprise's business functions, no single technology can address all requirements. Instead, different vendors have customized proprietary technology to help companies comply with regulatory standards. For example, storage vendors have developed solutions specifically geared to meet regulatory mandates. One solution can store data in a nonerasable and nonrewritable format, which helps companies meet regulatory and legal compliance requirements that necessary documents and records remain available in their original format and accessible.

But storage is only one piece of the compliance technology stack. Archiving and retrieving email is of major concern to regulators. To meet the need, several vendors have developed software to help financial services firms enforce record retention periods, verify the accuracy and integrity of archived email, and quickly retrieve records for auditing and legal discovery.

Several companies have released products developed specifically to ensure that databases are not the weak layer in the compliance technology stack. This range of software products includes database-auditing tools and tools that combine monitoring and risk-management functionality.

Many change management and operations management software vendors have positioned their products as compliance solutions because the products let companies monitor and document changes to their IT systems. One enterprise control management solution monitors and audits the controls in place throughout an organization.

Business intelligence and data warehouse products help companies develop a 360-degree view of their customers. Business intelligence and data warehousing also help companies more quickly identify anomalous activity and events that materially affect them. One vendor has developed a compliance dashboard that combines operational and financial information.