Document Vault Blog

What do you need to consider when choosing your data room supplier? How will the service be priced and how can you avoid hidden charges as the deal progresses?

Pricing based on cost per page or per gigabyte

There are essentially two pricing models used by virtual data room vendors: pricing based on a cost per uploaded page or pricing based on the storage capacity of the uploaded documents in Gigabytes. The first method means that the costs of running the data room are always growing incrementally as you add more content, whereas the second method will see gradual price increases as your storage requirements grow.

So, how much data storage do you need? If you are uploading mainly word processing documents, spreadsheets or PDF documents, one gigabyte of storage will probably be enough, corresponding to approximately 20,000 pages of content or 10 arch-lever files. Only if you are storing files with much larger sizes (e.g. large images, AutoCad documents, design documents, geophysical survey data etc.) will the required storage space go much above this.

Document Vault's entry level SME data rooms come with 1 GB of storage as standard. All other data room packages involving 10 or more users come with a minimum of 5 GB, which should be enough for your entire deal. By choosing the most appropriate package for your transaction you can ensure that you never have to pay extra for storage.

See Data Room Pricing.

Pricing based on Number of users

It is normal to be charged a price based on the number of unique users given access to the data room. Often at the start of a project it is difficult to know how many users will need to be given access, particularly as the project teams may not have been properly formulated yet. It is not unusual for there to be requests to add more users during the course of a deal, so you need to be aware of the pricing implications of adding extra users.

Who will need access?

1. The Sellers' team of business owner, lawyers, accountants and other professional advisors.
2. The Buyers' team of prospective buyer, lawyers, accountants and professional advisors.

So, how much will you be charged as the number of users and duration of your project increase?

Document Vault Systems offers four packages based on the number of users involved, starting with just five users for an SME data room. By choosing the right package at the start of your package, you can reduce the likelihood of unpredictable price increases later on. If your requirements change during the course of your project, you can of course upgrade to the most appropriate package.

See Data Room Pricing.

Pricing based on project duration

In addition to the above considerations, it is likely that you will also be charged for the period in which the data room is in use from initial set up to closing the data room at the end of the project. Typical mergers and acquisitions deals can last for as little as a few weeks to several months. Some projects complete within the expected time frame while others last longer which can incur extra charges.

At Document Vault Systems, we have taken the decision to simplify pricing to be as transparent as possible to our customers. We will quote you a price based on your individual requirements which will include options for prolonged use of the data room beyond the initial period. Please take a look at our Price Plans and contact us if you have any questions.

In summary

By choosing the right package from our pricing plans, you will have a clear indication of how much your data room is going to cost, not only now at the start of the project but as the deal progresses.

If you would like any further information including a product demo, please contact us or phone 0808 221 0440 during business hours.

See also:

1. How much data storage do you need?
2. How much will a virtual data room cost?
3. How does Document Vault's pricing compare with our competitors?