FTI Consulting’s Technology Segment Announces Updates to Connect and Universal Messaging Platform Solutions, Expands Emerging Data Sources Capabilities

Washington, D.C., Sept. 27, 2023 — FTI Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: FCN) today announced that the firm’s Technology segment has released updates to its Connect and Universal Messaging Platform solutions to address a growing need for processing of language characters and fast, defensible access to data from platforms including WeChat, WhatsApp and Viber.

Connect is a proprietary platform built by FTI Technology’s emerging data sources experts to drive faster access to insights and support rapid integration into cloud data sources including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack and Box. The Universal Messaging Platform allows FTI Technology’s e-discovery and investigations professionals to deliver efficient workstreams that identify, preserve, collect, process, review and produce information from dozens of cloud-based emerging data sources. The latest enhancements solve common challenges with processing complex language characters from emerging data sources. They also address compatibility issues between the region’s leading forensic collection tools such as Fengniao and the cloud applications that have become common targets for evidence discovery in Asia Pacific.

“Real-time mobile messaging tools are increasingly used for a mix of personal and business purposes,” said Tim Anderson, a Senior Managing Director within FTI Technology. “This is an especially relevant trend across the Asia Pacific region, where applications and data sources are growing rapidly. In digital forensics and e-discovery matters dealing with data in and from that region, clients face the dual challenge of limited tools that can process unique characters and provide capability around large volumes of diverse and unconventional types of data from chat applications. Our technical experts have developed customized and defensible solutions for these issues, which we’ve now built into our Connect and Universal Messaging Platform offerings.”

Updates to Connect and Universal Messaging Platform include:

• Connect’s pre-built connectors and intuitive interface for managing data integrations and exporting data to simplify forensic processes now support Fengniao, WeChat, WhatsApp and Viber.
• Defensible workarounds to alleviate restrictions commonly encountered with forensic tools in the Asia Pacific region.
• Universal Messaging Platform extends the functionality of Connect for WeChat and Fengniao collection and export formats, allowing for time savings and a more workable dataset for enrichment and downstream workflows.
• Ability to ingest language characters (e.g., Chinese characters) in chat messages, so they can be formatted for compatibility and feasible analysis within standard e-discovery tools. 
• Density analysis and segmentation of short-form messages from WeChat, WhatsApp, Viber and others to determine logical, matter-specific conversation breaks for chat threads involving key custodians and/or keywords, providing relevant context and optimizing documents for downstream review. 
• Flexibility to adapt to new data sources, technical changes within forensic tooling and variations in requirements and data nuances across global jurisdictions.

Visit here for more information about FTI Technology’s global expertise with emerging data sources and the full suite of capabilities within Connect and Universal Messaging Platform.

About FTI Consulting

FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organisations manage change, mitigate risk and resolve disputes: financial, legal, operational, political & regulatory, reputational and transactional. With more than 7,800 employees located in 31 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges and make the most of opportunities. The Company generated $3.03 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2022. In certain jurisdictions, FTI Consulting’s services are provided through distinct legal entities that are separately capitalised and independently managed. For more information, visit www.fticonsulting.com and connect with us on Twitter (@FTIConsulting), Facebook and LinkedIn.