Top 5 Enterprise File Sharing Trends of 2015

File Sharing

In recent years, the global workforce has become more mobile than ever before. A survey by Forrester Research of information workers found that 37% of respondents work from multiple locations outside of the office and that 53% of respondents use 3 or more devices for work. To empower employee mobility, many businesses have adopted enterprise file sharing solutions that enable users to easily access business files from anywhere, using any device. As organizations continue to embrace business-grade file sync, what’s top of mind when choosing a solution is to ensure full security and control over how employees access and share sensitive business files. To keep up with current market forces and meet the needs of businesses, purveyors of file sync solutions are constantly enhancing the features and capabilities of their offerings.

Here are the top trends in the file sync and share market this year:

  1. Central file system

    One of the top file sync trends is that, more and more, businesses are using file sync as a central repository for all of their documents, whether those files are internal-only or are meant to be shared externally. Centrally located folders and subfolders help organizations organize their files logically by department and file types. By hosting all files in one central location, businesses can avoid scattering their files in different locations, enabling greater efficiency and productivity.

  2. Secure ways to share

    Organizations need security when it comes to sharing sensitive business documents. As business-grade file sync solutions continue to improve, organizations can expect to see more secure sharing features. Some current secure sharing features include share links that expire after a specified period of time, limits on how many times shared files can be downloaded, and requirements for third parties to log into a guest account in order to access shared files. Secure sharing features allow senders to maintain control over how files are being distributed, which helps in preventing data loss and data leakage.

  3. Integrations with email applications

    Users rely on emails to communicate both internally and externally, but sending file attachments via email — especially sensitive files, such as financial or legal documents — is not secure. Many business-grade file sync solutions now integrate with email applications, such as Microsoft Outlook. By installing a plugin, users are able to easily “attach” files stored within in their file sync solution to an email using a secure share link. Email integrations allow users to securely share files without interrupting their workflows.

  4. Compliance

    Since various industries, such as the healthcare and financial industries, are bound by regulations regarding how data can be stored and accessed, a recent focus of business-grade file sync solutions is compliance. Business-grade file sync solutions are working on being compliant with some of the most common regulations, such as HIPAA and PCI. Using a compliant solution will give companies the peace of mind that they are operating within the guidelines of these regulations and won’t incur any non-compliant fines or penalties from using file sync.

  5. IT visibility and control

    One of the main components of a file sync solution that makes it business-grade is a collection of rich administrative features. The BYOD trend has not only brought a lot of personal devices into the workplace, but also personal applications, including consumer-grade file sync solutions. These solutions have little security features and do not permit control over where critical data resides and how it is being accessed and shared. Administrative features in business-grade solutions, such as detailed activity reporting and remote wipes, enable better control and oversight.

Business-grade file sync solutions continue to mature, giving users a versatile tool that is both secure and easy to use. Especially in this rapidly changing space, it is critical that businesses stay ahead of current market forces and solution trends. To learn more about file sync and what to look for when choosing a business-grade file sync solution, contact us today.

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