There’s a Better Way: Why Is Mobile Data Collection Still So Painful?
“I’m sorry, but we’ll need your phone.” “For how long?” “I don’t know.”
This dreaded conversation echoes through offices across the world whenever smartphones need to be seized as part of investigations or legal proceedings. The reactions are predictable—disbelief, frustration, or outright refusal.
Professionals view their smartphones as extensions of themselves, containing everything from critical business communications to personal photos and health data. Yet traditional mobile data collection for legal discovery forces them to surrender these essential devices for days or weeks, only to get snippets of specific information.
Experience the Difference
If you’ve ever wondered why mobile data collection still feels stuck in the past—taking too long and costing too much—there is indeed a better way.
ModeOne’s remote, targeted, and same-day smartphone data collection eliminates the headaches of traditional methods, while delivering superior results for legal teams and custodians alike.
The Stagecoach in a Tesla World
Imagine if, whenever you needed to share a document, a courier arrived at your office, took your laptop, and disappeared for several days—just to extract one document. It sounds absurd, yet this is essentially similar to what happens with traditional mobile data collection.
Today’s standard approach to legal data collection is like taking a crowded stagecoach, when you can fly first-class by plane—it’s invasive, inefficient, and painfully slow. While virtually every other business process has been streamlined by digital transformation, mobile forensics remains largely trapped in methodologies developed when flip phones were cutting-edge technology.
The Traditional Mobile Data Collection Experience: A User Nightmare
The standard approach to legal and compliance mobile data collection resembles something from decades ago:
- Physically surrender your device
- Wait 1-3 days while forensic examiners extract everything
- Hope your private, unrelated data isn’t unnecessarily exposed
- Pay thousands in shipping, handling, and forensic examiner fees
We will share one more analogy to drive home the ridiculousness of the standard approach. The way most companies approach smartphone data investigation is like calling a demolition crew to retrieve a family photo from your living room wall. Tearing down the entire house, hauling away all your possessions, sorting through everything in a warehouse for weeks, and finally returning your photo—along with a bill for dismantling and reassembling your home. Meanwhile, you’re living in a hotel, wondering why they couldn’t have simply unhooked the frame from the wall.
The ModeOne Difference: Reimagining the User Experience
What if data collection took minutes instead of weeks?
What if custodians kept their phones?
What if only the relevant data was extracted?
ModeOne’s approach fundamentally transforms the user experience:
- Keep your device: Continue using your phone throughout the collection process
- Targeted collection: Extract only case-relevant data, protecting privacy
- Remote accessibility: No shipping or travel required
- 10-minute setup process: Most collections completed in minutes, not weeks
- Cost reduction: Eliminate shipping, handling, and extensive forensic examiner hours
“There Has to Be a Better Way”: The Koley Jessen Experience
Realizing that there has to be a better way typically comes too late, during a stressful time.
For law firm Koley Jessen, the challenge was clear. They needed smartphone data discovery for a litigation involving over 60 custodians across 15 states, with a pressing deadline. Using traditional methods would have been cost-prohibitive and time-consuming, risking missed deadlines and increased client expenses.
Realizing there had to be a better way, Koley Jessen used the ModeOne service, which delivered:
- 60% cost reduction compared to traditional methods
- Collection completed within hours for most devices
- Enhanced privacy protection through targeted data extraction
- Compliance with court deadlines
“ModeOne’s innovative approach not only delivered results within the required timeframe, but also significantly reduced costs compared to traditional methods,” said Andy Tugan. “The professionalism and efficiency of the ModeOne team have set a new standard for mobile data collection in litigation.”
The Bottom Line: Better Experience, Better Results
For legal and compliance professionals, the implications extend beyond convenience:
- More strategic resource allocation
When collection costs drop by 60%, those resources can support case strategy
- Faster case progression
Immediate data availability accelerates investigation timelines - Enhanced privacy compliance
Minimized data collection reduces regulatory exposure - Improved custodian cooperation
Less invasive processes mean less resistance
To see how ModeOne can transform your mobile data collection experience, book a demo today.