We required a cloud-ready solution with full-text Japanese search capabilities that extended to email attachments. The moment we discovered HENNGE One, we knew it was exactly what we were looking for.
— Could you tell us about the background of implementing HENNGE One?
When migrating to Gmail, we faced two primary challenges: how to integrate the new system with our existing internal infrastructure, and the issue of email archiving.
— Could you elaborate on the integration with other internal systems?
As we use a groupware platform as our internal portal, building a mechanism to link it with Gmail was, quite frankly, a time-consuming task. The critical points of this integration were the following four elements:
- Single Sign-On (SSO): Achieving an environment where logging into the portal provides transparent access to all other systems.
- Address Book Synchronisation: Linking the employee, shared, and personal address books managed in our groupware with the Gmail address book.
- Master Data Integration: Synchronising our employee master database with Gmail user profiles.
- External Access Control: Empowering administrators to manage and restrict access from outside the office.
— How did you resolve the concerns regarding email archiving?
We had not utilised an archiving service previously, but we had already decided to implement one during this transition to bolster our internal controls. Initially, we were not particularly concerned as we planned to use the optional archiving service provided by Google.
At the time of evaluation, their service did not support Japanese search capabilities. However, since it was a service from Google—whose search engine we use every day—we naturally assumed it would be supported in the near future.
Unexpectedly, information reached us that there were no immediate prospects for Japanese search support in their archiving service. This forced us to take urgent action. It was at this juncture that we discovered HENNGE One and decided on its implementation.
— What specific aspects of HENNGE One did you value during the evaluation?
We evaluated several similar products and services. The decisive factor was the ability to perform full-text searches—including attachments—within archived data in the Japanese language. Furthermore, like Gmail, it is a cloud-native service that could be deployed rapidly, and we valued the fact that its availability was guaranteed at 99.9% by the Service Level Agreement (SLA).
In addition to archiving, the inclusion of features such as outbound email encryption and filtering made us feel that this was “exactly what we were looking for.”
— Did you face any difficulties during the implementation of HENNGE One?
During the setup, we consulted with the HENNGE team via email on various configurations. However, the actual tasks on our end were limited to merely adjusting the email routing, so we encountered no major issues.
— How is the email archive actually being utilised?
The fundamental use case is auditing the archive’s contents should any issue arise. However, we believe it is problematic if a system administrator can browse archives at their own discretion. If employees feel their emails are being watched arbitrarily, it could damage the relationship between the company and its staff.
To prevent this, we have established strict operational rules. Audits are only performed through formal procedures and must be witnessed by designated representatives from specific departments—not just the IT staff. In this sense, the feature that records and stores administrator operation logs is vital. From an administrator’s perspective, these logs are essential evidence to prove professional integrity, while also acting as a powerful deterrent against any unauthorised use.