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1 1 Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group
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Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing
Deploy a robust solution that allows users to securely access their files anytime, anywhere.
2 2 Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group
As access ubiquity and document-centric collaboration needs have become more
complex, many organizations are turning to cloud file sharing (CFS) products to
provide end users with a lightweight but effective solution for storing, sharing, and
managing their work-related files.
Introduction
IT leaders who want to understand how
document-centric collaboration can be enabled
via CFS solutions.
Application managers who want to
complement their existing ECM ecosystems
with cloud file sharing applications.
Enterprises who are seeking to select a
specific vendor for cloud file sharing. Their
CFS use case may include:
• Enabling document collaboration for remote
workers.
• Encouraging persistent team
communication.
Understand how deploying a CFS solution
enables easy and secure access to content.
Review what’s new in the CFS market.
Review the feature sets and functionality
offered by market-leading CFS vendors and
their products.
Evaluate CFS vendors and products for your
enterprise needs.
Determine which products are most
appropriate for particular use cases and
scenarios.
This Research Is Designed For: This Research Will Help You:
3 3 Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group
Executive Summary
Info-Tech evaluated fourteen competitors in the cloud file
sharing solution market, including the following notable
performers:
Champions:
◦ Box: A vendor that provides an excellent all-around feature set
with significant workflow and content analytic capabilities.
◦ Citrix: A vendor renowned for its flexible deployment options and
enterprise-grade security.
◦ Egnyte: A strong vendor with multiple storage models and good
administrative controls.
◦ Hightail: A cloud-centric vendor that focuses on ease of use and
the “email replacement” use case.
Value Award:
◦ Microsoft: An increased emphasis on features at an extremely
competitive price point within Office 365 make OneDrive a good
pick for firms needing company-wide file sync and share
capabilities.
Trend Setter Award:
◦ AirWatch: AirWatch is disrupting the CFS space by approaching
it from a mobile device management (MDM) background.
1. It’s easier than SharePoint and can
integrate with SharePoint on the back
end.
Knowledge workers are embracing CFS
more rapidly than other content collaboration
tools like SharePoint, because the file/folder
metaphor is well-understood by knowledge
workers and is mobile-ready out of the box.
2. Mobility and collaboration features are
paramount.
The ability for employees to access content
on the go, and act upon content shared
through CFS provides the value. Look for
features like task assignment and co-edit.
3. The enterprise security gap is almost
closed.
The majority of the vendors in this report
support full IT admin, security, and audit
controls. Some support private/public data
storage options. However, some features
(like double blind encryption) remain a
differentiator.
Info-Tech Insight
4 4 Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group
Cloud File Sharing Market Overview
How it got here Where it’s going
Following the “consumerization of IT” trend, adoption of CFS solutions by businesses is mostly initiated bottom-
up. However, sales and marketing effort from vendors is slowly changing the purchase pattern, and Info-Tech is
seeing more and more CFS adoption as an enterprise initiative.
• Internet file hosting services have been around for a
long time, but only after the explosion in popularity of
solutions like Dropbox and Google Drive did the file
sharing market gain widespread attention.
• Relative to traditional network file shares and
enterprise content systems, consumer file services
offered much greater ease of use and reliability – this
led to high levels of “rogue” enterprise adoption.
• As end users began to “Bring Their Own Applications”
into the business, unsanctioned and unsupported use
of consumer file sync and share tools like Dropbox
caught the attention of corporate IT. In response to
surging enterprise demand for secure alternatives, a
large number of start-ups and storage incumbents
moved to offer enterprise-grade file sharing services.
• In contrast to their consumer counterparts, enterprise-
focused vendors of CFS products put significantly
more time and effort into building robust security
architecture, better administrative controls, and end-
to-end traceability and audit capabilities.
• The storage layer of CFS is rapidly becoming
commoditized, with additional business value generated
by enhanced security, employee collaboration, content
analytics, and integration capabilities. Many vendors are
moving to a “storage agnostic” model and giving clients
the option to store data in a public or private cloud, or in
an on-premise hybrid solution.
• Extensive mobile support is an essential feature of most
major CFS vendors, with many players proclaiming their
products as “mobile first.” Some mobile device
management vendors are now expanding their offerings
to encompass the content management layer as well.
• Most vendors are putting an increasing emphasis on both
the depth and breadth of integration with other solutions,
particularly ECM and enterprise collaboration tools. We
expect this “CFS as an ecosystem” trend to rapidly gain
steam in the coming year.
• Finally, some CFS vendors are beginning to incorporate
advanced rules engines and content analytics to help
drive business process automation.
5 5 Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group
CFS vendor selection and knock-out criteria: market share, mind share, and platform coverage
• Accellion: A 3-tier business solution that can be scaled up and geographically segmented as needed.
• AirWatch: An MDM-offshoot that is cross-platform and offers a self-service portal for users.
• Barracuda: A robust offering that enables a single seat to federate between business and personal use.
• Box: An extremely popular business-ready alternative to the more unsecure consumer offerings.
• Citrix: An innovative solution with an on-premise option for risk or compliance-minded organizations.
• Dropbox: Better known in the consumer space, Dropbox now has an enterprise play as well.
• Egnyte: An admin-friendly product that segments administration capabilities by roles and offers a hybrid storage model.
• Hightail: A best-of-breed option for deep email integration and attachment replacement.
• Infrascale: A cloud-centric solution that puts double blind encryption and security front and center.
• Microsoft: Microsoft has begun to beef up its OneDrive offering with deep 365 integration.
• OpenText: A private cloud offering that stresses ECM features and enterprise-level security.
• Salesforce: Deeply embedded into the Chatter environment, Files brings CFS to social collaboration.
• SugarSync: A compelling offering with an extremely consistent interface across multiple devices.
• Workshare: A service that is at home in compliance-centric industries that requires compare and contrast tools.
Included in this Vendor Landscape:
• Vendors in this report are some of the most prominent and well-recognized CFS vendors from a business-focus
standpoint. We also evaluated a few powerful vendors with a strong consumer presence, but that are making enterprise
plays as well (such as Dropbox). Excluded were primarily consumer-focused offerings (such as Google Drive or iCloud).
• For this Vendor Landscape, Info-Tech focused on those vendors that offer broad capabilities across multiple platforms
and that have a strong market presence and/or reputational presence among mid- and large-sized enterprises.
6 Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group
1234
Criteria Weighting:
Cloud File Sharing criteria & weighting factors
20%
20%
20%
40%
40%
60%
Vendor is committed to the space and has a
future product and portfolio roadmap. Strategy
Vendor offers global coverage and is able to sell
and provide post-sales support. Reach
Vendor is profitable, knowledgeable, and will be
around for the long term. Viability
Vendor channel strategy is appropriate and the
channels themselves are strong. Channel
Affordability
Architecture
Usability
Features
30%
20% 25%
25%
Features
Usability
Architecture
Affordability
Product
Vendor
Viability Strategy
Channel Reach
Product Evaluation Criteria
Vendor Evaluation Criteria
Implementing and operating the solution is
affordable given the technology.
Multiple deployment options and extensive
integration capabilities are available.
The end user and administrative interfaces are
intuitive and offer streamlined workflow.
The solution provides basic and advanced
feature/functionality.
7 Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing
The Info-Tech CFS Vendor Landscape
The Info-Tech Cloud File Sharing Vendor Landscape
Champions receive high scores for most evaluation
criteria and offer excellent value. They have a strong
market presence and are usually the trend setters
for the industry.
Market Pillars are established players with very
strong vendor credentials, but with more average
product scores.
Innovators have demonstrated innovative product
strengths that act as their competitive advantage in
appealing to niche segments of the market.
Emerging Players are comparatively newer
vendors who are starting to gain a foothold in the
marketplace. They balance product and vendor
attributes, though score lower relative to market
Champions.
For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Vendor Landscape is created, see Information Presentation – Vendor Landscape in the Appendix.
The zones of the Landscape
Accellion
AirWatch
Barracuda
Box
Citrix
Dropbox
Egnyte
Hightail
Infrascale
Microsoft
OpenText
Salesforce
SugarSync
Workshare
8 Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing
=Exemplary =Good =Adequate =Inadequate =Poor
Balance individual strengths to find the best fit for your enterprise
Dropbox
Barracuda
AirWatch
Box
Citrix
Accellion
Egnyte
Legend
Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel
Product Vendor
For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Harvey Balls are calculated, see Information Presentation – Criteria Scores (Harvey Balls) in the Appendix.
*The vendor declined to provide pricing and publicly available pricing could not be found.
9 Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing
=Exemplary =Good =Adequate =Inadequate =Poor
Balance individual strengths to find the best fit for your enterprise
SugarSync
Microsoft
Infrascale
OpenText
Salesforce
Hightail
Workshare
Legend
Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel
Product Vendor
For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Harvey Balls are calculated, see Information Presentation – Criteria Scores (Harvey Balls) in the Appendix.
*The vendor declined to provide pricing and publicly available pricing could not be found.
10 Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing
1234
What is a Value Score?
The Info-Tech Cloud File Sharing Value Index
10
The Value Score indexes each
vendor’s product offering and
business strength relative to its
price point. It does not indicate
vendor ranking.
Vendors that score high offer more
bang-for-the-buck (e.g. features,
usability, stability, etc.) than the
average vendor, while the inverse is
true for those that score lower.
Price-conscious enterprises may
wish to give the Value Score more
consideration than those who are
more focused on specific
vendor/product attributes.
On a relative basis, Microsoft maintained
the highest Info-Tech Value ScoreTM of the
vendor group. Vendors were indexed
against Microsoft’s performance to provide
a complete, relative view of their product
offerings.
Champion
For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Value Index is calculated, see Information Presentation – Value Index in the Appendix.
For an explanation of how Price is determined, see Information Presentation – Price Evaluation in the Appendix.
*The vendor declined to provide pricing and
publicly available pricing could not be found.
Average Score: 74
100 99 98 92 88 88 85 81
69 61 59
54 46
10
11 11 Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group
Table Stakes represent the minimum standard; without these, a product doesn’t even get reviewed
If Table Stakes are all you need from your cloud file sharing solution, the only true differentiator for the
organization is price. Otherwise, dig deeper to find the best price to value for your needs.
The products assessed in this Vendor
LandscapeTM meet, at the very least, the
requirements outlined as Table Stakes.
Many of the vendors go above and beyond the
outlined Table Stakes, some even do so in
multiple categories. This section aims to
highlight the products’ capabilities in excess
of the criteria listed here.
The Table Stakes What Does This Mean?
Files can be ordered/structured in some
hierarchical manner according to a user’s needs.
Basic Content
Management
The product provides some mechanism for
updating files across devices. Basic Sync
Files or folders can be easily shared between
different users.
Sharing
Capabilities
The solution provides a cloud-based file
repository structure for storing content.
Cloud File
Repository
What it is: Feature
12 12 Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group
Advanced Features are the capabilities that allow for granular market differentiation
Native apps (iOS, Android, Windows Phone),
preview function, inline editing, mobile workflow. Mobile Apps
Extent of control over shared file admin
(passcode lock, link expiry, file self-destruct).
Content
Administration
Clients for PC and/or Mac. Selective sync,
contextual integration, search integration. Desktop Sync
How content is stored and handled (e.g.
repository structure, versioning, etc.). Library Services
AD LDAP integration, user roles, group
memberships, broadcast messaging.
User
Administration
Basic in-transit and at-rest encryption: advanced
points awarded for double-blind encryption.
Content Security
and Encryption
Ability to follow folders and files, commenting
workflow, activity streams, synchronous editing.
Collaboration
Capabilities
In-depth capabilities to log and track user activity
and file history, compliance reports.
Audit and
Reporting
Capabilities
End-user friendly integration with productivity
tools or email clients and other enterprise apps
Platform and App
Integration
What we looked for: Feature
Advanced Features Scoring Methodology
For an explanation of how Advanced Features are determined, see Information Presentation – Feature Ranks (Stop Lights) in the Appendix.
Info-Tech scored each vendor’s features
offering as a summation of their individual
scores across the listed advanced features.
Vendors were given one point for each feature
the product inherently provided. Some
categories were scored on a more granular
scale with vendors receiving half points.
13 13 Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group
Each vendor offers a different feature set; concentrate on what your organization needs
Dropbox
Barracuda
AirWatch
Box
Citrix
Accellion
Egnyte
File
Repository
Desktop
Sync Mobile Apps
Content
Admin
User
Admin
Security and
Encryption
Content
Collaboration
Auditing and
Reporting
Front End
Integration
Evaluated Features
=Feature absent =Feature partially present/pending =Feature fully present Legend
For an explanation of how Advanced Features are determined, see Information Presentation – Feature Ranks (Stoplights) in the Appendix.
14 14 Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group
Each vendor offers a different feature set; concentrate on what your organization needs
SugarSync
Microsoft
Infrascale
OpenText
Salesforce
Hightail
Workshare
File
Repository
Desktop
Sync Mobile Apps
Content
Admin
User
Admin
Security and
Encryption
Content
Collaboration
Auditing and
Reporting
Front End
Integration
Evaluated Features
=Feature absent =Feature partially present/pending =Feature fully present Legend
For an explanation of how Advanced Features are determined, see Information Presentation – Feature Ranks (Stoplights) in the Appendix.
15 15 Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group
Scenario 2: Enterprise application integration support
Why Scenarios?
Box natively integrates with many enterprise
applications, such as CRM, Single Sign-On (SSO),
social collaboration platforms, etc. Its app
marketplace is very mature with over 1,000 partner
applications that either expose their functionality in
Box or have Box embedded as the file sharing and
collaboration service within the enterprise system.
Hightail boasts a wide range of cloud integration
partners, such as WinZip, Mozilla Thunderland,
Salesforce, Outlook, SharePoint, and SkySync
amongst many more. It hopes to expand this list
soon with new partners such as Gmail, Mover.io, and
NetApp.
AirWatch offers deep integration with its own MDM
product, as well as solutions from VMWare and IBM.
Organizations needing best of breed mobile device
management integration should consider AirWatch a
frontrunner.
3
1
Enterprise Application
Integration Support 2
For an explanation of how Scenarios are determined, see Information Presentation – Scenarios in the Appendix.
In reviewing the products included
in each Vendor LandscapeTM,
certain use cases come to the
forefront. Whether those use cases
are defined by applicability in
certain locations, relevance for
certain industries, or as strengths in
delivering a specific capability, Info-
Tech recognizes those use cases
as Scenarios, and calls attention to
them where they exist.
The features of CFS solutions alone might not be enough for your enterprise
needs. Certain vendors excel at integrating with enterprise applications.
Exemplary Performers
16 16 Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group
These vendors provide above-par mobile content access and management
solutions for on-the-go knowledge workers.
Scenario 3: Dedicated mobile applications
Why Scenarios? AirWatch is available on iOS, Windows, and Android.
Most distinctively, it offers enhanced functionality,
such as syncing across devices, in-line editing, and
in-line previewing. Coming from an MDM
background, mobile content management and
security are also strong.
2 1
For an explanation of how Scenarios are determined, see Information Presentation – Scenarios in the Appendix.
In reviewing the products included
in each Vendor LandscapeTM,
certain use cases come to the
forefront. Whether those use cases
are defined by applicability in
certain locations, relevance for
certain industries, or as strengths in
delivering a specific capability, Info-
Tech recognizes those use cases
as Scenarios, and calls attention to
them where they exist.
Exemplary Performers
Dedicated Mobile
Applications 3 Box continues to innovate with its mobile apps,
particularly post-3.0 releases on iOS. They offer
native support for Android, Windows Phone, and
BlackBerry as well. The new mobile preview provides
excellent PowerPoint rendering, eliminating the need
for additional products.
Barracuda is a relatively new entrant with its Copy
product, but its mobile apps are available across iOS,
Android, and Windows Phone and offer strong
management and access functionality in an
attractive, easy-to-use package.
17 17 Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group
Product:
Employees:
Headquarters:
Website:
Founded:
Presence:
Secure Content Locker
16,638
Atlanta, GA
Air-watch.com
2003
Subsidiary of VMware
VMW (NYSE)
AirWatch takes a new approach on the file sharing market by coming at it from an MDM perspective
Innovator • Recently acquired by VMware, AirWatch has been a strong player
in the Mobile Device Management (MDM) space for the last
several years.
• AirWatch’s Secure Content Locker embeds CFS functionality into
their overall product portfolio.
Overview
• AirWatch Secure Content Locker provides organizations with a
range of storage agnostic options: storage can be provisioned
from AirWatch in the public cloud, accessed in consumer solutions
like Google Drive via a connector, or linked to on-premise storage
repositories or other solutions.
• Not surprising given their MDM heritage, Secure Content Locker
encompasses a wide range of granular security and user access
controls and reports.
Strengths
• Desktop synchronization capabilities are present, but haven’t been
the focus of AirWatch’s development efforts. As a result, some
competitors outmaneuver them in the traditional desktop sync
category.
• While Secure Content Locker is a strong product, AirWatch’s go-
to-market strategy has been limited thus far to selling into existing
AirWatch accounts. A broader focus on the content business will
help propel greater CFS mind share for the company.
Challenges
Pricing provided by vendor.
$1 $2.5M+
3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing
tier 4, between $25,000 and $50,000
18 18 Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group
Vendor Landscape
AirWatch has a strong feature set across the board: it’s a newer entrant whose MDM perspective positions it well
98 3rd out of 14
Value Index
Info-Tech Recommends:
If storage ubiquity and MDM-grade device management capabilities are a key requirement for your
organization, AirWatch should definitely be on your shortlist. AirWatch’s range of integrations might lag
behind some of their competitors, but their unique take on the market make them a compelling choice,
especially for organizations that are also considering broader MDM capabilities as well.
Collaboration Features of AirWatch
Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel
Product Vendor
Features
Document collaboration Discussions Activity stream
No synchronous editing
present
Commenting on files,
threaded discussions Personalized activity stream
Lib. Services Desktop Mobile File Admin. User Admin. Cont. Security Cont. Collab. Audit/Report App. Int.