http://www.ediscoveryinfo.com/2007/11/13/the-beginning-of-the-shakeout/ Electronic Discovery in the News Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:01:43 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://www.ediscoveryinfo.com/2007/11/13/the-beginning-of-the-shakeout/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Steve Burgess Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:42:36 +0000 http://www.ediscoveryinfo.com/2007/11/13/the-beginning-of-the-shakeout/#comment-5 I've been wondering for a while now about consolidation - it seems inevitable that an increasing percentage of the e-discovery and computer forensics industry's work and income will go to fewer but bigger players in the field. But as this concentration increases, the marketing dollars that these players being with them increases awareness of the field to the public, to IT departments, to law firms, to insurance firms and to other potentially interested parties. So, while independent or small groups of practitioners receive a smaller and smaller slice of the pie, is the size of the pie increasing enough to offset such effects on smaller practitioners? Similar but differing effect have been noted in other industries. The proliferation of book superstores like Borders has taken out most small bookstores. Conversely, the Internet may have negatively impacted major news organizations as everyone can now be a reporter - or blogger! Starbucks seems to have created an awareness of premium coffees, allowing upstart roasteries in every community to come into existence, that it is now in the process of snuffing out through various competitive tactics. What scenario are we looking at in our industry, I wonder. I’ve been wondering for a while now about consolidation – it seems inevitable that an increasing percentage of the e-discovery and computer forensics industry’s work and income will go to fewer but bigger players in the field. But as this concentration increases, the marketing dollars that these players being with them increases awareness of the field to the public, to IT departments, to law firms, to insurance firms and to other potentially interested parties. So, while independent or small groups of practitioners receive a smaller and smaller slice of the pie, is the size of the pie increasing enough to offset such effects on smaller practitioners?
Similar but differing effect have been noted in other industries. The proliferation of book superstores like Borders has taken out most small bookstores. Conversely, the Internet may have negatively impacted major news organizations as everyone can now be a reporter – or blogger! Starbucks seems to have created an awareness of premium coffees, allowing upstart roasteries in every community to come into existence, that it is now in the process of snuffing out through various competitive tactics.
What scenario are we looking at in our industry, I wonder.

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