The benefits of universal access to needed documents and the ability to share these files is very appealing. People want the option to do work wherever they are, with whomever they want to, on whatever device is at hand. It’s no surprise that cloud-based file sync and sharing is becoming part of the workflow for more people in more companies. Unfortunately, for most people, not all the files they need to use (and share) are available in the cloud.
The cloud has two primary drawbacks, bandwidth and security. Files that are too big aren’t stored in the cloud because it just takes too long to access them. It’s also expensive since most cloud file sharing services charge based on the capacity or the bandwidth used. And even more important, data that’s too sensitive, like financial information or corporate IP, or data that’s subject to privacy regulations, are likewise not put into the cloud. For most companies, these data stay behind the firewall, forcing employees to access them in a ‘legacy’ manner, using a VPN, or copying them to laptops when they’re onsite, etc.
In a recent IDG survey, IT respondents said that over 60% of all files in their data centers would never be stored in the cloud because of security concerns. In fact, well over half of these same people reported that cloud file sharing has already compromised their data security. While consolidating their corporate file sharing into a single cloud service is certainly appealing, for these companies it will never happen. They will be forced to use a separate process to access their most sensitive files, like running multiple backup applications to cover all their data.
What users need is a single file sharing platform for all the files they need to access and share, both those in the cloud and those in the company data center. And what IT needs is a sync/share solution that can handle the files that will always stay on corporate storage, behind company firewalls. Egnyte has recently announced a solution called Storage Connect that’s designed to do just that.
Storage Connect is a thin virtual appliance installed behind the firewall that connects to any storage device in the data center and communicates with the Egnyte cloud. It manages access to local data via the same Internet connection used for data in Egnyte’s cloud, but serves up files without data or metadata passing through the cloud. This provides secure cloud access to files that are so sensitive they can’t leave the data center.
With one interface, employees can see their files and get to them, regardless of whether they’re onsite or in the cloud. Users can open them in the office or on mobile devices, with the ability to share appropriate files while the physical storage locations are transparent to them. Storage Connect can also sync heterogeneous storage devices located in separate offices, enabling users in remote offices to share files; essentially creating a private cloud.
Storage Swiss Take
IT is often caught in the middle of competing requirements, in this case, between users’ desires for file sharing convenience and the company’s very clear data policies. They know too well that if they don’t provide their employees with solutions that work and are easy to use, these people will find their own solutions, often with negative consequences. By merging access to data stored locally with data stored in the cloud, and presenting both data sets transparently to users, IT can keep their employees happy with a simple but comprehensive file sharing solution while keeping their data safe and in compliance with corporate governance.
Egnyte is not a client of Storage Switzerland
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Eric is an Analyst with Storage Switzerland and has over 25 years experience in high-technology industries. He’s held technical, management and marketing positions in the computer storage, instrumentation, digital imaging and test equipment fields. He has spent the past 15 years in the data storage field, with storage hardware manufacturers and as a national storage integrator, designing and implementing open systems storage solutions for companies in the Western United States. Eric earned degrees in electrical/computer engineering from the University of Colorado and marketing from California State University, Humboldt. He and his wife live in Colorado and have twins in college.
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