Data rooms are a flexible and secure method of sharing confidential information. They are extensively used by a variety of industries to conduct due diligence or collaborate in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and license IP or share reports and audits with clients. This article reviews the primary characteristics and functions of a virtual data rooms and provides guidelines on how to choose a reliable provider.

The primary purpose of a VDR is providing a flexible platform for collaboration on sensitive documents. Documents can be uploaded via desktops or shared directories, FTP or even an enterprise content management systems. Drag-and-drop lets users upload multiple documents at a time. The VDR’s search index allows them to quickly URL find the information they are seeking.

iDeals lets users create custom headers for documents displayed in a room that is virtual, allowing a consistent brand across the entire project. iDeals also provides an optional PDF printer that can be used to create custom PDFs of the documents that are displayed in the virtual data rooms. Users can select the color and pattern of the watermark, and then decide whether or not they wish to secure documents using passwords or require them to be printed out or downloaded in order to view them.

iDeals Redaction feature guards sensitive information by removing specific text fragments or images from any type of document, including the following types of documents: doc, docx or ppt. jpg, and gif. iDeals allows automatic redaction of Q&A files to ensure that sensitive data doesn’t get into the wrong hands.