Commvault brings corporate data management best practices to the file sync and share solution market

Addressing growing security concerns about the broad range of documents, presentations, emails and spreadsheets being spread inside and outside of companies using file sync and share solutions, Commvault today announced new capabilities to help business users more safely store, access and share files virtually anywhere. With the expansion of capabilities within its Endpoint Data Protection Solution Set, Commvault offers businesses an enterprise file sync and share (EFSS) solution that provides a smart complement, and/or alternative, to existing solutions by adhering to corporate data management best practices so that sensitive data remains secure in compliance with business requirements.

While the increasing use of file sharing services like OneDrive and Dropbox is driving new levels of collaboration in the enterprise, it comes with a cost: these files and the data within them are not backed-up, and not subject to the same data management disciplines considered routine in enterprise environments. As a result, CIOs, compliance and risk officers, and general counsels are increasingly concerned about meeting legal and compliance requirements as users share data in and out of the enterprise. With the launch of Commvault File Sharing, organisations now have a secure solution that brings data fully under IT control for the most security sensitive use cases, without trading off usability, as a holistic, end-to-end solution delivering comparable features, functionality and ease of use as other solutions on the market. By having a user’s data stored in a secure repository accessible via any web browser or mobile device, enterprises using Commvault File Sharing are able to meet stringent regulatory and data governance requirements.

Commvault also announced the availability of Edge Drive™, a new feature within Commvault File Sharing, which delivers a virtual folder that acts as a “personal cloud” for real-time sharing across mobile devices and through a web console, providing universal access for file sharing and collaboration. Edge Drive captures data from various sources, including other EFSS solutions, assuring seamless data protection and governance, without sacrificing usability, functionality or flexibility.

“It’s no secret that IT is losing its grip on corporate data through the combination of poor data governance and an increasing reliance on less secure file sharing solutions,” said Rama Kolappan, senior director and head of Commvault’s Information and Mobility Management Business Unit. “Through Commvault File Sharing and our new Edge Drive feature, users now have the freedom to share, collaborate and be productive from virtually anywhere in the world without any tradeoffs in security and compliance. As an established leader in back-up and information management, we are proud to be able to give enterprises a ‘best of both worlds’ solution that doesn’t cut corners in file synchronisation, sharing, usability and just as importantly, data governance and security.”

Recognising the broad adoption of existing file sync and share solutions in the market, Commvault Endpoint Data Protection Solution Set can also be used to complement and reduce the risk of existing cloud services by assuring that the data shared through OneDrive, Dropbox and others is visible to IT, secured and backed up, and fully searchable for use by end users and for eDiscovery.

“Commvault File Sharing and its Edge Drive™ feature fit in line with the market demand for secure, scalable collaboration platforms that enable end-users to easily share content worldwide between employees and nonemployees while meeting IT’s protection, recovery, and compliance requirements,” said Liz Conner, Research Manager, IDC. “As a result, Commvault is helping to bring control back to organisations with secure sharing and collaboration capabilities that add strategic value to its core endpoint data protection solution set.”

Leveraging a unique and differentiated single-platform architecture, businesses gain value from a range of features and capabilities, including:
· A fully-integrated solution for endpoint data backup, recovery, access, security, file sharing and data loss prevention.
· Flexibility in deployment options including on premises, hybrid or in the cloud (and via partners for managed or hosted solutions).
· Unique security and compliance benefits with enterprise-wide search and discovery of datacenter and endpoint data.
· Insights into file type, size and age to make more informed business decisions regarding data and information management.
· Increased security and usability to mobile devices, including features such as end-user search of protected data, that also improves mobile productivity.
· The ability to sync content across all of a user’s devices.
· An easy way to browse, download, manage, and restore files from the Edge Drive folder to a local device.
· Seamless sharing of files and folders from the Edge Drive folder with other users via the web or mobile app.
· Enterprise-grade security so data is encrypted at source, in transit and at rest.
· Administrative control to manage policies and permissions for all users at scale.

Unlike many file share solutions that require the additional cost and integration efforts of third-party tools to make data searchable from multiple data silos for events such as litigation and audit, Commvault’s latest file sync and share capabilities enable enterprise-wide search on a comprehensive data set for compliance and eDiscovery, including integrated legal hold. Hosted in the ContentStore, Commvault’s unique single, fully-integrated data repository, files can be accessed by both internal and external users to foster productivity and collaboration without relinquishing ownership of the data or introducing new solutions. This centralised approach to data management is especially relevant in highly-regulated industries such as financial services and healthcare where having compliance, eDiscovery and security measures in place is extremely critical.