EMC Extends File Sync Reach Across Enterprise

As part of an effort to extend it storage reach into file synchronization, EMC today rolled out an enterprise edition of its Syncplicity file synchronization software that can make use of excess EMC storage capacity across the enterprise.

According to Jeetu Patel, vice president and general manager of the EMC Syncplicity Business Unit, enterprise IT organizations are looking to eliminate usage of consumer-grade file synchronization services such as Dropbox.com as part of a concerted effort to eliminate security risks and potential exposure to fines stemming from the violation of compliance regulations.

Patel says EMC is looking to make it more cost-effective to eliminate this class of “Shadow IT” services by not only allowing organizations to buy enterprise-wide licenses based on a tiered pricing model, but also potentially avoid storage fees by using their existing internal EMC storage systems or a third-party cloud storage service to allow end users to store files.

That should provide internal IT organizations with the incentives they need to convince end users to use the service from any mobile computing device versus paying to store files on consumer-grade services, says Patel.

In addition, EMC has integrated Syncplicity, which it acquired last year, with the EMC Documentum document system.

There’s nothing easy these days when it comes to the “consumerization of IT.” But regardless of how IT organizations may feel about it, many “Shadow IT” systems exist because there was no internal alternative available. It may be hard to wean end users off those “Shadow IT” systems, but somebody has to make a first move because simply telling people not to do something without giving them a credible alternative isn’t going to make much of a difference.