Enterprise file synchronization and sharing

EFSS applications are often characterized by having most or all of the following features and capabilities:{{cite web|last1=Rodriguez|first1=Andres|title=File Sync & Share: When Worlds Collide|url=http://www.informationweek.com/software/information-management/file-sync-and-share-when-worlds-collide/a/d-id/1323369|website=www.informationweek.com/|date=3 December 2015 |publisher=UBM Tech|access-date=22 July 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Backaitis|first1=Virginia|title=Enterprise File Sync & Share Solutions: What's the Difference?|url=http://www.cmswire.com/cms/information-management/enterprise-file-sync-share-solutions-whats-the-difference-026343.php|website=www.cmswire.com/|publisher=Simpler Media Group|access-date=21 July 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Ladi|first1=Ananda Rao|title=Enterprise File Sync and Share (EFSS) in the cloud|url=http://www.itproportal.com/2016/07/11/enterprise-file-sync-and-share-efss-in-the-cloud/|website=www.itproportal.com/|publisher=IT Pro Portal|access-date=21 July 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Zurier|first1=Steve|title=Businesses Embrace Enterprise File-Sharing Tools for Security, Flexibility|url=http://www.biztechmagazine.com/article/2016/03/businesses-embrace-enterprise-file-sharing-tools-security-flexibility|website=www.biztechmagazine.com/|publisher=CDW|access-date=21 July 2016}}

• Sync files stored in corporate storage to user desktops and devices
• Send links to large files with support for multiple file extensions and protocols
• Integration to existing business applications via APIs, plugins and mobile apps
• Built-in file creation, editing and previewing
• User access permissions to files and folders
• Protection of files stored and transferred by encryption, antivirus scanning, and DLP (data loss prevention)
• Publish links to files with the ability to set a login requirement to access data
• Authentication options for Active Directory, SAML, Azure Active Directory, etc.
• Schedule and automate file transfers from automated systems and repositories[https://www.multcloud.com/articles/scheduled-task-to-copy-files-from-one-server-to-another-1004.html Schedule transfer, move or backup data from one cloud storage to another] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930180402/https://www.multcloud.com/articles/scheduled-task-to-copy-files-from-one-server-to-another-1004.html |date=2017-09-30 }}.
• Audit and report file activities and system actions

Depending on what an EFSS provider offers, services can be deployed using cloud computing, on-premises, or hybrid. According to Forrester Research, some EFSS providers can provide the ability to lockdown data in certain geographies for companies that have requirements to store content/metadata in specific jurisdictions.{{cite web|last1=McKinnon|first1=Cheryl|title=Navigate The Crowded Enterprise File Sync And Share Market By Asking These 3 Questions|url=http://blogs.forrester.com/cheryl_mckinnon/16-05-19-navigate_the_crowded_enterprise_file_sync_and_share_market_by_asking_these_3_questions|website=www.forrester.com|date=19 May 2016 |publisher=Forrester Research, Inc.|access-date=21 July 2016}}

Box, one of the first EFSS products, was originally developed as a college project of Aaron Levie while he was a student of the University of Southern California in 2004. Levie left school to run the company full-time in 2005.{{Cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/aaron-levie-quit-college-to-found-box-now-25-billion-company-2017-7|title='I was having nightmares for a few weeks': Box CEO Aaron Levie reveals how hard it was to build a $2.5 billion business and take it public by age 29|work=Business Insider|access-date=2017-09-21|language=en}}

In 2007 Dropbox was founded, and officially launched at 2008's TechCrunch Disrupt conference. The same year, Microsoft began beta testing of Windows Live Folders, a predecessor of OneDrive.[https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2007/05/windows-live-folders-make-brief-appearance/ Windows Live Folders]

Around 2010, the EFSS market emerged with over 100 vendors from a variety technology backgrounds including backup and cloud storage (Citrix ShareFile, Syncplicity), managed file transfer (Accellion, Biscom, Box, Hightail, Thru), enterprise content management and more. Many were developed as alternatives to consumer file sync and sharing services that did not have security features in place to protect company information nor the flexibility to integrate with existing content repositories and business applications.{{cite web|last1=Dubash|first1=Manek|title=Cloud file-sharing for enterprise users|url=http://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Buyers-Guide-Cloud-file-sharing-for-enterprise-users|website=www.computerweekly.com/|publisher=TechTarget|access-date=22 July 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Darrow|first1=Barb|title=Who will be the 'Dropbox of the enterprise?' The race is on|url=https://gigaom.com/2012/03/19/who-will-be-the-dropbox-of-the-enterprise-the-race-is-on/|website=www.gigaom.com|publisher=Gigaom|access-date=22 July 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Wexler|first1=Steve|title=Significant Churn Forecast For EFSS Market|url=http://it-tna.com/2015/09/10/significant-churn-forecast-for-efss-market/|website=it-tna.com|publisher=IT-TNA|access-date=22 July 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Sliwa|first1=Carol|title=Enterprise file sync and share expands in 2014|url=http://searchcloudstorage.techtarget.com/news/2240237177/Enterprise-file-sync-and-share-expands-in-2014|website=searchcloudstorage.techtarget.com/|publisher=TechTarget|access-date=22 July 2016}}

In October 2011, software company, Citrix Systems, announced that it had acquired private enterprise file sync and share service, ShareFile, to add to the Citrix product line. ShareFile was a competitor of Box and Dropbox but focused on selling its product to IT departments of large organizations.{{cite web|last1=Wauters|first1=Robin|title=Citrix Acquires ShareFile, The "Dropbox For Enterprises"|url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/10/13/citrix-acquires-sharefile-the-dropbox-for-enterprises/|website=www.techcrunch.com|date=13 October 2011 |publisher=TechCrunch|access-date=22 July 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Savitz|first1=Eric|title=Citrix Buys ShareFile|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2011/10/13/citrix-buys-sharefile/|website=Forbes|access-date=22 July 2016}}

In 2012, CTERA Networks entered the EFSS market.{{cite web| url=http://www.cloudcomputing-news.net/news/2015/jul/27/gartners-enterprise-file-sync-and-share-magic-quadrant-offers-surprises-and-opportunities/| title=Gartner's enterprise file sync and share Magic Quadrant offers surprises and opportunities| date=July 27, 2015| author=James Bourne| publisher=CloudTech}}

On June 25, 2014, Google announced at its I/O Conference that it was entering the enterprise file sharing market with the release of “Google Drive for Work.”{{cite web|last1=King|first1=Rachel|title=Google intros Drive for Work as new premium option for Apps users|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-intros-drive-for-work-as-new-premium-option-for-apps-users/|website=ZDNet|publisher=ZDNet|access-date=22 July 2016}}{{cite web|last1=KOKALITCHEVA|first1=KIA|title=Google Drive now has 190M users & a brand new tablet app for presentations|url=https://venturebeat.com/2014/06/25/google-drive-now-has-190m-users-a-brand-new-tablet-app-for-presentations/|website=venturebeat.com/|date=25 June 2014 |publisher=VentureBeat|access-date=22 July 2016}}

In July 2015, one EFSS vendor, Syncplicity, was sold to private equity firm, Skyview Capital, by previous owner, EMC Corporation.{{cite web|last1=Konrad|first1=Alex|title=EMC Sells Box Competitor Syncplicity To Private Equity Shop Skyview|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2015/07/07/emc-sells-syncplicity-to-private-equity-shop-skyview/|website=Forbes|access-date=22 July 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Clark|first1=Don|title=EMC to Sell Dropbox Rival Syncplicity|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/emc-to-sell-dropbox-rival-syncplicity-1436288979|website=www.wsj.com/|publisher=Wall Street Journal|access-date=22 July 2016}}

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Category:Cloud computing providers

Category:Data synchronization