Over the years, file synchronization and sharing has proven to be the bane of IT organizations. As a primary excuse for the emergence of shadow IT, file synchronization and sharing is a major source of tension between IT and end users. Many internal IT organizations are still trying to wean end users off of external file synchronization and sharing services.
To that end, Accellion is making the case for delivering file synchronization and sharing services via a private cloud with the addition of modules for managing data governance that include an e-discovery capability that is now tightly integrated with the company’s kiteworks platform. Making use of the metadata that Accellion captures, Hormazd Romer, head of product marketing at Accellion, says IT organizations can now automate most of the tasks associated with discovering files that might be related to any legal hold request.
In addition, Accellion has added support for data loss prevention (DLP) via integration with third-party software from Symantec, WebSense, Code Green, Fidelis, RSA and others.
Accellion can also be used to prevent file downloads using a view-only mode and support for watermarks that Romer says deters unauthorized forwarding and printing via watermarking. It also allows withdrawal of files even after they are sent.
Finally, internal IT organizations can also enforce content retention policies to make sure that documents are not deleted.
Romer says Accellion is designed to be deployed on premise or inside a hosted data center facility. As part of that deployment, Accellion makes available connectors that make it simpler for IT organizations to pull data from content repositories such as Microsoft SharePoint.
The end result, says Romer, is a secure file synchronization and sharing platform that not only works with existing systems of record, but also provides an audit trail for how that data is being accessed.
When it comes to file synchronization and sharing these days, far too many IT organizations are still trying to close the proverbial barn door after the data horses have flown. Accellion is making the case for building a barn that those data horses might actually want to come back to repeatedly over time because it’s not only easier to use, it securely provides access to more enterprise data.