ownCloud Becomes Part of Kiteworks to Underscore Commitment to DACH Market

ownCloud GmbH, provider of the open-source content collaboration platform of the same name, entered into a definitive agreement to merge with Kiteworks, which delivers data privacy and compliance for sensitive content communications through customer-enabled Private Content Networks (PCNs).

This move strengthens ownCloud’s standing in its market and at the same time expands Kiteworks’ market commitment, accelerating its vision to deliver a robust and easy-to-use platform for content security and compliance on a global scale.

Kiteworks also entered into a merger agreement with DRACOON GmbH based in Regensburg, Germany.

The DRACOON and ownCloud mergers represent a pivotal milestone in Kiteworks’ dedication to enabling organizations to securely collaborate with customers, partners, and employees through secure file and email data exchange across a PCN. In the short term, the 2 companies’ customers and partners have the opportunity to gain access to the expanded security and compliance capabilities of Kiteworks. Over time, the combined human and technological resources from the 3 companies will advance data governance and controls for regulated industries in the DACH market by enabling them to realize zero-trust policy management for sensitive content communications on one platform. Further, the high level of commitment that the 2 firms apply to the data privacy and sovereignty of their customer data is embraced by Kiteworks – from single-tenant hosting to key management and encryption that can be accessed only by the customer, giving total privacy to customer data.

“We are excited to welcome DRACOON and ownCloud into the growing Kiteworks family,” said Jonathan Yaron, chairman and CEO, Kiteworks. “Our collective resources and expertise further strengthen our focus on championing data security and compliance through strategic deployment of PCNs on a global scale. The three companies share a commitment to securing sensitive customer content without compromising user experience and productivity across sensitive content communication channels. Kiteworks’ commitment to data privacy remains strong with these mergers. As with DRACOON and ownCloud, Kiteworks has no ability to access customer keys or data and our core values of trust and privacy guide everything that we do.”

Through the mergers, DRACOON and ownCloud gain access to expanded resources and capabilities that will empower them to serve their customers and partners better.

Kiteworks’ adherence to comprehensive certification and compliance standards, such as SOC 2 Type II, FedRAMP Authorized, ISO 27001, 27017, and 27018, Cyber Essentials Plus, and others, builds on compliance achievements by DRACOON and ownCloud that include local standards like BSI C5 Certification, IDW PS 951, IT Security Made in Germany (ITSMG), IT Security Made in the EU (TeleTrusT), and Software Hosted in Germany. This adherence to international and local security standards demonstrates an unwavering commitment to individual customer requirements by all 3 companies. In addition, the Kiteworks-enabled PCN and its audit log capabilities provide customers with the ability to demonstrate compliance with regulations. DRACOON and ownCloud customers will also have expanded options to benefit from enhanced protection of their sensitive and confidential data through Kiteworks’ single-tenant customer hosting model and its hardened appliance, which are widely regarded as the most secure in the industry. ownCloud’s open-source position will remain the same after the merger.

For Kiteworks, the 2 mergers give the company immediate access to DRACOON’s and ownCloud’s growing European customer bases, with key concentrations in the DACH market, that span numerous industry sectors. Recognizing the importance of having a local presence in the European market, Kiteworks plans further investments in on-the-ground teams and infrastructure to support local customers.

“Kiteworks is the ideal partner to realize our long-term vision of providing real-time content sharing and collaboration at scale and deliver enterprise-grade solutions,” said Tobias Gerlinger, CEO and MD, ownCloud. “We share an unwavering passion to enable organizations to seamlessly share and work on sensitive content regardless of device or location – while in compliance with regulations and data sovereignty requirements. The importance of ownCloud’s open source in the enterprise and public-sector markets is embraced by both organizations.”

About Kiteworks
Its mission is to empower organizations to effectively manage risk in every send, share, receive, and save of sensitive content. Its platform provides customers with a PCN that delivers content governance, compliance, and protection. It unifies, tracks, controls, and secures sensitive content moving within, into, and out of their organization, improving risk management and ensuring regulatory compliance on all sensitive content communications. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Kiteworks protects over 35 million end users for over 3,800 global enterprises and government agencies.

About DRACOON
It provides secure file sharing and collaboration services to over 500,000 users worldwide, including companies across industries like transportation, finance, healthcare, and more. With industry-specific solutions and certifications like BSI C5, IPW PS 951, and ISO 27001, 27017, and 27018 that meet the highest security standards, it enables efficient and compliant file sharing, along with features like encrypted email and cloud drive integration. Trusted by Deutsche Bahn, Thyssenkrupp, Telekom, Helios Kliniken, and other leading organizations, it ensures people everywhere can collaborate securely and efficiently.