DocSolid introduced the Airmail2 Cloud Digital Mailroom and Digital Records Room solutions in 2024 with integrations to cloud-based document management systems like iManage, NetDocuments, Microsoft OneDrive and SharePoint. Our patented batch scanning with barcode labels has gone through several generations of technology advancements over the past ten years, but provisioning it in a cloud SaaS platform presented a whole new level of challenges and requirements for us. It not only changed the product, but it also changed our company. These changes include new technologies, more security and reinventing our deployment model. Here is a recap of our 18 month journey bringing Airmail2 Cloud to market.

The Hybrid Workplace in 2024
Airmail2 was originally introduced in 2020 as an on premise software solution. It was a timely pivot for DocSolid, anticipating the sea change of remote work commonly described as the hybrid workplace. In general terms, hybrid work refers to employees working 2 or 3 days per week in the office and working from home the other days.

According to research, more than half of law firm employees surveyed confirm that their firm has established a policy that requires lawyers to come in at least three days per week. 85% report a requirement of less than four days per week. Regarding the flexibility of this requirement, 64% report that the overall policy is flexible, allowing staff to largely choose which days they are in the office.¹

Hybrid work, particularly in law firms, requires employees to have access to information regardless of whether they are in their home office or downtown office.

Airmail2 Cloud – The Mission

Product Improvements
Airmail2 Cloud is deployed as a separate, private instance for each customer in the Microsoft Azure cloud, managed by DocSolid. This infrastructure tech stack provides network security and a modern approach to scalability with serverless Apps. Supporting multiple identity providers for SSO was also a requirement. A key technical challenge…  Sorting out how scanned documents will be transferred securely into a customer’s Airmail2 Cloud private storage, originating from the existing scanning hardware back down on the ground. This led us to engineer a new software component called the Azure Sender to securely transmit digitized documents from any networked scanning device. Data files are encrypted in transit and at rest, saved in the customer’s Airmail2 Cloud private storage.

Another innovation is DocSolid’s newest generation of Mailman image processing technology. On demand image processing is a new way of deploying Mailman engines in the cloud. If there is a significant increase in the amount of paper being scanned by a customer, they will always have the additional image processing power they need.

Company Improvements
Before launching the product and going to market, the company initiated a comprehensive audit process to assess the readiness of the product, our business policies and operations in accordance with the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) SOC2 (System and Organization Controls). A widely accepted security framework, the SOC2 Type2 attestation confirms a SaaS vendor’s product and operations meet the association’s standards. The core of this standard involves five Trust Services Criteria (TSC); security, privacy, confidentiality, processing integrity, and availability. DocSolid achieved our SOC2 Type2 attestation for Airmail2 Cloud July 4, 2024.

Project Improvements
Another improvement as DocSolid transformed into a SaaS vendor is the Airmail2 Flight Plan.™ The name is derived from our “airmail theme” because it is a superb metaphor for project leadership at DocSolid. In aviation, the flight plan documents where the pilot and crew originated from, their destination, timing, fuel, weather and other specifications. The Airmail2 Cloud Flight Plan™ is a reference guide for each customer, documenting how their system is configured including workflows and settings. It is also a resource to propel adoption and achieve desired business outcomes.

As you might expect, deploying Airmail2 Cloud takes less time than an on premise installation and it simplifies the project for our customers.