Overview

BigHand Metadata Management is a powerful, configurable solution designed to automatically scrub metadata from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, audio, video, and media files. Built with legal, healthcare, education, and government sectors in mind, the tool ensures confidential data such as author names, edit histories, timestamps, and hidden revisions are removed before documents are shared. With centralized administration, customizable cleansing policies, email integration, and batch processing, it minimizes risk, boosts efficiency, and formalizes metadata governance within organizations.

Features and Capabilities

• **Comprehensive Metadata Removal: ** Automates scrubbing of hidden metadata and sensitive information across a wide range of file types, including Microsoft Office documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), PDFs, Open Document formats, audio and video files, as well as ZIP archives. This helps prevent accidental data leaks when files are shared externally.
• **Batch Processing: **Enables users to process multiple documents simultaneously, significantly improving efficiency when handling large volumes of files. This bulk operation reduces manual effort and speeds up metadata cleansing workflows.
• **Centralized Administration: **Provides a centralized admin console to define and enforce metadata policies across the organization. Admins can configure rules globally or tailor them for specific departments, teams, or individuals, ensuring consistent application of security standards.
• **Integrated PDF Conversion: **Converts documents securely to PDF format either within Office applications or automatically when sending emails. This conversion helps maintain document integrity and further reduces metadata risks associated with native file formats.
• **User Safety Prompts and Alerts: **Incorporates configurable prompts that warn users before sending documents externally or performing reply-all email actions. This feature raises awareness of potential confidentiality risks in real time, reducing human error.
• **Customizable Settings per User or Group: **Allows fine-grained customization of metadata management rules to accommodate the specific needs of different users, roles, or departments. This flexibility supports varied workflows while maintaining strict data governance.
• **Easy-to-Use Admin Tools: **Includes intuitive tools for managing metadata policies, such as options to remove, edit, print, or view metadata restrictions. These tools simplify policy maintenance and help administrators keep metadata controls up to date.
• Extensive Email and Document Management System Integrations: Seamlessly integrates with popular email clients like Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, and GroupWise, as well as leading document management systems including iManage, OpenText, and NetDocuments. This ensures metadata management fits smoothly into existing enterprise workflows.