Comparing ShareFile and Egnyte. White Paper

Transcription

1 White Paper Revised July, 2013

2 Introduction The advent of cloud file sharing allows IT to provide easy file access and collaboration for users. But with so many file sharing solutions, what features and services should IT look for when selecting the right one? This whitepaper explores the features and services available from two enterprise file sharing solutions: Egnyte and ShareFile. Topics of usability, functionality and security will be highlighted and compared between the two services. User Interface When choosing the right file sharing solution, IT must first consider usability. An unintuitive user interface leads to poor adoption and causes employees to bypass IT with rogue file sharing tools. Nothing is worse than implementing a solution that no employee will use. Egnyte understands that user adoption is key to positive ROI. Which means a keen focus on the needs of the end-user as well as IT. Egnyte conducts regularly scheduled usability tests and enhancements, making sure features are easy to identity and effortless to use. The end result is a user interface that's always cutting edge and user-friendly. Example of Egnyte web interface - clean, open workspace for files and folders 2

3 The ShareFile user interface is simple, but outdated and cumbersome to use. There's limited space devoted to files and folders (enabling the folder tree shrinks the workspace even further). Features such as uploading files requires multiple steps and popup windows. New web browser technology such as simple drag-and-drop are missing from the interface. Example of ShareFile web interface - cluttered workspace with popup windows Bandwidth Restrictions How much data does your company transfer every month? It's difficult for IT to gauge and track total data usage due to fluctuations in users and projects. That's why your file sharing solution, like other online services, shouldn't restrict bandwidth usage. Egnyte's scalable solution takes the guesswork out of data management. Egnyte doesn't restrict customers on the number of files stored or bandwidth used. Customers are free to upload as many files as they want, however often they want. This ensures that the company's file sharing solution always scales with their growing needs. ShareFile takes a different approach to data management. ShareFile customers are always tracked for bandwidth use. When a customer reaches their monthly bandwidth cap, users cannot upload files unless 3

4 the administrators pays overage charges (similar to phone service providers). This restrictive model not only puts file size limitations on employees, but also requires IT to constantly predict bandwidth use. Example of ShareFile bandwidth limitation - overage charges apply Desktop Sync File sync has become a staple for file sharing, ranging from personal desktop sync to enterprise local storage sync. File sync allows for offline access and replication with the cloud. The same files can be accessed from any mobile, tablet or computer, in or out of the office. Egnyte desktop sync can be deployed on any PC or Mac. Files created and edited in the sync folder are automatically reflected online. Users can access and manage files directly from the sync folder as you would any other desktop folder. Best of all, the sync client utilizes native desktop technology (Windows Explorer and Mac Finder) to seamlessly run in the background. Example of Egnyte desktop sync - intuitive direct desktop access 4

5 ShareFile desktop sync doesn't utilize native desktop capabilities of Windows Explorer or Mac Finder. Instead ShareFile sync requires installation and setup of a third-party application (Adobe Air). In addition, folders and sub-folders must be manually created online and mapped locally to start the sync process. This intrusive multi-step process breaks employee workflow, leading to poor adoption. Example of ShareFile desktop sync - third-party application with Adobe Air Authentication Security What happens when an employee's username or password is compromised? How do you keep sensitive company files safe from data leaks and intrusions? Along with the standard enterprise security features such as encryption and redundancy, Egnyte offers advanced user authentication to stop attacks before they happen. With two-step login verification, administrators can require an extra login credential for the user authentication process. The additional login step requires the user to verify their identity through a phone call or text message, creating a double check for every authentication. In addition, password policy management allows IT administrators to set mandatory employee password rotation and account lockout after failed logins. Mandatory password rotations greatly reduce exploitation of default and guessable employee credentials. Account lockout prevents brute force password attacks by immediately locking out the access point after multiple failed login attempts. ShareFile does not offer two-factor authentication or password lockouts. 5

6 About Egnyte Over 1 billion files are shared daily by businesses using Egnyte s unique technology, which provides the speed and security of local storage with the accessibility of the cloud. Users can easily store, share, access and backup files, while IT has the centralized administration and control to enforce business policies. Founded in 2007, Egnyte is based in Mountain View, California and is a privately held company backed by venture capital firms Google Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Floodgate Fund, and Polaris Venture Partners. For more information, please visit or call EGNYTE. 6