We’ve all experienced not being able to open digital files created years ago because the software or operating system needed to use the file are no longer supported. Revising and updating computing and storage devices is a necessity as technologies improve, but legacy digital content can become endangered as a result. 

We offer ongoing format obsolescence checks through our proprietary Digital Object Obsolescence Database (“DOOD”). If a format is flagged with obsolescence vulnerabilities, we notify our clients and work with them towards the best decision in what to do: migrate the file, apply an emulation environment, or only perform bit-level preservation until a solution is identified.

The DOOD (US Patent number 10,592,674 issued March 2020) monitors obsolescence vulnerabilities related to formats, codecs, software, operating systems, hardware, and ownership. Detailed research powers the underlying algorithm.