Citrix Updates Sharefile to Develop Security and Mobile Compliance

At Citrix Synergy, Citrix Systems, Inc. announced Citrix ShareFile features that deliver storage access for users and choice for IT.

The features give users the ability to access and edit files from multiple data sources on their mobile devices and businesses more control over their data encryption keys.. These capabilities are available in the company’s file sync and sharing solution ShareFile, Citrix XenMobile and the Citrix Workspace Suite.

According to a study by Enterprise Strategy Group, more than two-thirds of IT professionals using pure cloud-based online file storage are extremely interested in storing some or all data on-premises. People have also come to expect instant access to files in the moment they need them in order to be productive. ShareFile provides users with one place to access and edit files stored on-premises and in the cloud from their mobile devices, improving productivity through a mobile workspace.

What’s New in ShareFile:

Integration with Any Enterprise Content Management System – Data within businesses lives in a range of places that are not easily accessible outside of corporate networks or from mobile devices. ShareFile StorageZone Connectors help businesses by establishing direct mobile access to data in its original location behind the corporate firewall. Connectors for SharePoint and network shares are already used by thousands of companies since launching at Citrix Synergy last year. Taking it one step further, the company is opening its platform by releasing a ShareFile StorageZone Connectors SDK. It allows any IT or partner organization to develop connectors to any enterprise content management system, expanding the types of data users can access and edit on the go via ShareFile. Point.io and CloudFuze are two partners who have already built connectors for ECM systems, including Alfresco, Documentum and Filenet.
More Storage Options – ShareFile personal cloud connectors allow users to access their Box, Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive accounts from ShareFile. It provides enterprises with the flexibility to determine how and where users store files. For businesses looking to manage their corporate data in one place, IT can choose to enable ShareFile personal cloud connectors for a defined period of time and require users to migrate all corporate data from personal file sharing services to ShareFile. If IT chooses to keep personal file sharing services available, users can continue to take advantage of the benefits that it offers, including editing and annotating, for personal files such as tax forms or contracts.
Encryption Key Ownership – With most cloud file sharing services, files are encrypted but businesses don’t hold the key. Their service provider does. Yet, some businesses prefer to maintain the keys to their own encrypted data. With this, businesses can manage their own StorageZones in Azure to benefit from the elasticity of the cloud while maintaining ownership of their own encryption keys – an advantage typically only available on-premises.
Office Document Creation, Editing and PDF Annotation – It’s not enough to just access, collaborate and share documents on mobile devices, people need the tools to create and edit documents on the go in order to be productive. That is why the company is extending mobile document creation and editing capabilities to all ShareFile customers. Previously only available to enterprise customers, these features allow users to create, review and edit Microsoft Office documents and annotate Adobe PDF files within ShareFile on mobile devices. By enabling users to leverage a native editor, IT can restrict the use of third-party editors that create an unsecured copy of a file, putting corporate data at risk.
New ShareFile for iPhone: Optimized for Mobile – Inspired by user feedback and designed to take advantage of iOS 7, the company will release a re-imagined experience for customers using ShareFile on iPhones. Optimized around what people want to do on their phones, the app will be faster, simpler and debuts a contextual menu offering customers the right functionality, in the right context, at the right time. A real-time algorithm determines the menu options that are needed based on where users are within the app and what they have selected. The result is less cluttered interface, enabling users to work faster .

Terri McClure, senior analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group, said: “Our research indicates that there is increasing demand for alternatives to the ‘one-size-fits-all,’ cloud-based approach. This demand is driven by both security concerns and a desire to leverage existing on-premises IT investments. Hybrid solutions such as Citrix ShareFile address both of these issues. Citrix, with its ShareFile hybrid storage offering, seems to be in the right place at the right time.“

Jesse Lipson, VP, Citrix, said: “Enterprise IT is like an archeological dig – layers upon layers of services have built up over decades. Enterprises want a solution that can deal with this heterogeneity. With ShareFile StorageZone Connectors SDK, Citrix is unifying access to all popular enterprise content management systems from mobile devices, making it easier to swiftly and securely take care of business from anywhere.“

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