After scoring the highest possible rating given in Gartner’s MarketScope for Enterprise File Synchronization and Sharing*, it was fitting for Citrix to exhibit its solution to business and IT leaders at the event.

In the MarketScope review, Citrix ShareFile’s strengths included integrations with Citrix Receiver, Citrix XenDesktop, Citrix XenMobile and Citrix Podio, as well as the multi-product aspect of our portfolio including sync tools, mobile apps and more. We saw the effect these integrations can have in action at the summit, as attendees at the event were especially interested in how the ShareFile product works within their current Citrix environment.

A highlight of the event was a presentation on “Solving the Dropbox Problem “ by Bill Carovano, senior director of product management for Citrix ShareFile. The session focused on risks associated with employee use of unsecure, consumer-style cloud services to access and share company data. Bill explained that it’s time for IT to provide an enterprise-ready and secure solution that meets user mobility and collaboration needs. He also shared success stories from retail, financial, government, healthcare, education and manufacturing organizations who found the balance between security and compliance requirements and user mobility needs.

The Gartner Portals, Content & Collaboration Summit was a great success for the Citrix ShareFile team in 2013. Check out a photo of our booth below!

http://deliver.citrix.com/WWEM0313SFGARTNERMARKETSCOPEDL.html

* Gartner “MarketScope for Enterprise File Synchronization and Sharing” by Monica Basso, Jeffrey Mann, February 12, 2013.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

ShareFile has been selected as the exclusive secure file-sharing partner of BYF.  As part of the partnership, ShareFile customers will be eligible to participate in BYF educational webinars throughout 2013.  These webinars will feature best practices for generating higher profit margins, improving office efficiency and maintaining a balanced lifestyle.  As part of the arrangement, these webinars are not only completely free for ShareFile clients — they count towards CPE credits as well.

Build Your Firm is kicking off their webinar series this month with webinars on topics including how to double industry-average profit margins and how to properly ask for client reviews.

Read more and sign up for a webinar today.

ShareFile strives to provide superior products and world-class customer service to our business clients.  With Refer-a-Friend, happy ShareFile customers can confidently recommend ShareFile to anyone with just a few clicks and earn great rewards in the process.

Refer-a-Friend gives ShareFile customers the ability to create unique, traceable links that can be shared via email, Facebook and Twitter.  If someone signs up for a free ShareFile trial via one of your links, you will be notified.  If they decide to sign up for a paid account, you get a $30 gift card, redeemable at top retailers, at popular charities or for cash value.

“We have some of the happiest customers in the world, and we’ve been asked before why they can’t just invite people to try ShareFile themselves,” says marketing analyst Kevin Hill. “With Refer-a-Friend, we wanted to make it easy for them to tell others about ShareFile, and reward them for it at the same time.”

Refer-a-Friend launches today and can be accessed by anyone with a ShareFile account. To get started, visit the Refer-a Friend page and simply enter your name and email address.  Inside the sharing widget, you can easily share via email, Facebook, Twitter or a personal link. After sharing, track your stats within the widget to see how many of your friends have started a trial or signed on for a paid account. You’ll be sharing and earning rewards in no time!

Most of the sales reps are inside reps and wanted to humanize themselves. We thought that adding a face to our text and voices would be a huge benefit to the way we interact with clients.

The reps found that potential clients were more engaged and became more comfortable when they could put a face to a name. Soon, not only were all the sales reps using HD cameras, but members of account services and support teams were using webcams to connect with clients, too.

Check out the praises from the ShareFile team:

“It was a big advantage to be able to ‘talk with my hands.’ Something I generally do and helps illustrate concepts like how the Outlook plugin works in a much more awesome way.”

“At its best, the webcams help bring life to us and our product. I love when people fly by on scooters, and clients have loved seeing us in a real-life setting.”

To find out how using GoToMeeting’s HDFaces can benefit your organization, check out a few best practices.

When PharPoint realized that it was time to move to a more professional, cloud-based solution in ShareFile, they instantly saw better results. “Upon switching to ShareFile, client response to the new interface and speed was immediate,” says Ted Beverly, PharPoint IT manager. “The most important benefits of ShareFile to our business have been the speedy delivery of products to the client and the ease of use for all users.” By moving to a business-friendly solution built specifically for ease of use, security and flexibility, PharPoint was able to leverage ShareFile expertise in file transfer and storage to improve their workflow.

We’re proud to help PharPoint Research connect with their clients. Do you have a story about how ShareFile makes your workday better? Leave a comment below to let us know how.

Security is of the utmost importance for clients in this industry. Every day advisors handle sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, quarterly performance reports, investment account numbers, billing statements and other personally identifiable information (PII). Most financial advisors are aware that this sort of information should never be sent via email, but it’s hard to find a solution that is both secure and easy to use. Advisors are often left playing a balancing act between security and simplicity, which leaves clients frustrated when the software is too cumbersome to use. In an industry where client relations is key, advisors need a service that they can be confident will fulfill security requirements without causing angst.

ShareFile has years of experience working with financial advisors and we’ve created a plan specifically for the financial services industry that addresses security concerns while keeping it simple for clients to use. All of ShareFile’s plans provide a custom-branded client portal area that can be accessed from a customized URL (https://yourcompanyname.sharefile.com). Businesses also have the option to integrate a ShareFile login box that allows clients to login seamlessly from their website. ShareFile protects files during transfer using up to 256-bit AES encryption and SSL or TLS encryption protocols and employs 256-bit AES encryption for files at rest on our servers.

When your clients login to the secure portal, they only have access to their private folders and files. They can choose to be notified when new information is uploaded so they never have to worry about when the next performance report is available. In addition to being able to download documents, ShareFile provides a “Request” function that helps clients upload information back to their advisors.

To find out more about ShareFile plans for financial services, visit our industry page or contact our sales team at sales@sharefile.com. Our knowledgeable team would be happy to help you customize the solution for your firm.

As someone who has two start-ups under his belt and is leading a business at Citrix, how do you feel about the adoption of teleworking?

I feel like enabling teleworking in your business is very practical when trying to attract top talent to your company. Teleworking does not just encompass working from home, but also includes working away from the main hub, in satellite offices. Whether an employee is working from the main office, satellite offices or from home, I don’t want location to ever hinder me from bringing on a great employee. This is one of the reasons why Citrix has offices all over the world, to bring talent in from all over the world.

Do you telework/workshift yourself?

In my role as GM, I travel quite a bit and by default am constantly workshifting, working from other offices, coffee shops, airports and home. However, working at Citrix, I feel like we have all the tools we need to allow me to be productive no matter where I am.

Do you encourage your employees to telework/workshift as well?

I think it depends on the role and the person, but we have plenty of workshifting that happens in my team. In fact, half of my direct reports do not work from our main office in Raleigh. I want to build the best team I can and I feel that if you are uncompromising on teleworking, you may lose the opportunity to hire the best employees.

What are the major trends you are seeing in how we work today?

It is very clear that as we begin to adopt more and more mobile tools like smart phones, tablets and apps that we are becoming a more mobile workforce. Almost every company enables workshifting in one way or another. Think about how often people will check their emails from home in the morning before heading into the office, or from home after work. It is becoming a lot harder to separate work and life, and rather than try to reign your employees into the office, it is better to just focus on ensuring employees can be productive from anywhere. Brett , Senior Vice President and GM of Citrix’s Online Services Division addresses this really well in his recent blog post on How Workstyles are Changing.

Has the shift in work styles affected how you are setting up ShareFile’s new office?

It has. With the lines between work and life blurring, we are trying to bring them into harmony. If work is blending into your personal life when you are checking emails at 8:00 p.m., then we think it’s also important to blend more fun things into the office. With this in mind we are making our office a more interesting environment to be in, with the addition of a rooftop yoga studio, racquetball courts and a juice bar to name a few. I don’t feel like you need to be at your desk to be productive, and I want our office to reflect that.

Distribution Groups
If you have a certain group of people you work with on a particular project, you can create a distribution group to organize a group of users. Instead of adding several users to a folder or as recipients on an outgoing send or request email, a distribution group can be created to represent several users at once. Folder permissions to a distribution group will apply to every member. If for any reason you need to remove a member from a distribution group, they will lose folder access permissions given to that group.

File Versioning
When you upload multiple versions of a file with the same name to a folder, the file versioning feature allows you to view all the different versions of that file. This is especially helpful if you are receiving revisions on a document from multiple sources over time. By default, file versioning will save unlimited versions of a given file to allow you to see the entire history. You can also limit the number of versions that will be saved by setting a maximum number of versions on a folder by folder basis.

Notifications
Instead of emailing recipients manually any time someone adds a file to a folder, you can set email notifications to make users aware of any files that are uploaded and downloaded to the account. If for any reason you need to consolidate your notifications, you can set how frequently you receive email notifications from the system under the ‘My Settings’ link on the navigation bar. This allows you to choose if you would like to receive notifications in real-time, every 15 minutes, every hour, twice a day, or once a day.

Retention Policies
If you no longer need older files in your folder, you can set a retention policy so that files are automatically deleted after a certain period of time. You have the option to delete files from 1 day up to 2 years after they are uploaded. You can also set a folder expiration date if you have a set date that the folder and all its subfolders need to be deleted.

Now that you know about these four folder features, have you fallen in love with folders yet? If you have more questions, contact your personal account manager for assistance.
Not yet a ShareFile customer? Sign up for a free trial to test out folders for yourself!

With the Windows 8 app, you can instantly access the features you love in the ShareFile web app right from your Start screen, including sending large files, creating and managing folders, and sharing data with others. You can even view files that you already downloaded in offline mode, so you can stay productive even when you can’t be online.

ShareFile for Windows 8 works with other convenient apps from Windows for an easier sharing experience overall. Preview a file in the ShareFile app and then use the Windows 8 Share charm to immediately send a link to that file in another app. This means you can simply open a file in your ShareFile app, click the Share charm, and then select your Mail app to open a new email with a link to your file in three quick steps. When you download files from your ShareFile app, they open in the appropriate application on your device, so you can work with your file using the normal features for that application and move back and forth between the ShareFile app with just a click or gesture.

We hope that our new app will make sharing information more seamless than ever before, and we want to hear from you! If you are using the Windows 8 app, share your feedback with us in the comments below. Don’t have the app yet? Download ShareFile for Window 8 here.

We’re hosting FREE events for small business owners across the US in February and March. Find your nearest city and register via the links below.

Denver, CO: February 11, 2013

Tucson, AZ: February 13, 2013

Las Vegas, NV: February 19, 2013

Oakland, CA: February 21, 2013

Philadelphia, PA: March 4, 2013

Dallas, TX: March 6, 2013

Located in or near one of these cities? Here’s why you should consider attending:

-Free event with free stuff (and who doesn’t like free stuff?)

-Get words of encouragement and tips from successful entrepreneurs

-Learn the best way to evaluate your business model

-Set achievable financial goals

-Build out an action plan to hit your goals

-Opportunity to network with local and national small business owners

Plan to attend? Leave us a comment below and we’ll be sure to connect you with other Citrix users. 

As changes occur, making sure your teams work together is of utmost importance. Disagreements aside, as long as everyone focuses on the same end goal—making a great product, giving customers a great user experience and increasing conversions—you will succeed.

Everyone’s website is different, customers are different, and products or services are different. Here are a few things to think about as you grow:

Do you really know who your customers are?
Use analytics, your product marketing team and customer surveys to create personas. Using this information in your marketing collateral will allow you to match features and benefits to potential customer’s specific pain points.

Site testing
The key is to set up a testing schedule and continually test. Do not be discouraged if you end up with tests that do not increase conversions. Notice I did not use the term “failures.” If a test does not do well, it is not a failure. You now know what not to do; take note, and move on to the next test. A simple test you can start with is changing button colors or the text in the button. We have seen increases in conversion rates completing these tests and they do not take up much time or resources.

Paid search ad and landing page testing
Again, test test test! Google makes it very easy to test ads within the Adwords interface. Don’t just test click thru rates, test conversions and revenue as well. Just because an ad or landing page has a higher click thru rate, does not mean it will bring in higher conversions and revenue.

Improve content on your site
Is the content on your site informative? Always write informative content for your specific visitors, not for the search engine bots. This will not only help with conversions, but you will be seen as a resource and most likely see increases in your website rankings as well from others linking to your informative content.

Is your website layout easy to read and easy navigate?
Can visitors easily find the information they need? Does the site look current and professional? Most importantly, do visitors know what to do once they are on your site? Try UserTesting.com (we are not affiliated with them in any way). For $39, you can have someone visit your site and answer questions you may have. Start with 3 and see what happens. Everything is recorded and sent to you. Have someone go to your site, look at your home page for 5 seconds and then have them answer “what do we do and what action do we want you to take?” You will be very surprised at the answers.

Take action
One final note: ideas to improve your site are meaningless without action. Start slow, set a schedule, and the main thing, start now!

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. – Mark Twain

5.  Twitter

The ever-expanding world of 140 characters or less  has caught fire over the last several years. Twitter’s mobile application, which perfectly caters to the social media site’s attitude, has seen its popularity rise along with the original website.

This application allows users to not only quickly spit out tweets with their thumbs, but also track their timeline at a moment’s notice to keep up with their colleagues, sports teams or rock bands. This app has had a major hand in connecting individuals with each other and businesses with consumers

4.  Evernote

Evernote is one of the leading mobile applications in notetaking, archiving and record keeping. This app allows its users to pen down notes on any topic or any idea and seamlessly sync their musings to their computer tablet, or any other device with the application installed.

Evernote allows users to keep themselves organized and their tasks prioritized which has helped to benefit them both professionally and in everyday personal life.

3.  ShareFile Mobile

ShareFile’s very own mobile tools, whether for Android, iOS or other platforms, have given  users the ability to take their entire data repository in their pocket wherever they go. ShareFile’s mobile tools provide a quick, intuitive way of accessing and managing your documents whenever you need them.

As well as reviewing your data, you can also manage user access to your files  and send data out whenever you need to. It’s great in a pinch when you need to get that presentation to your client, but are nowhere near your computer.

2.  Podio

Citrix’s recent acquisition, Podio, brings group collaboration to any mobile platform for quick use. The Podio application allows work groups to establish a place to exchange thoughts and notes, update each other on a project’s progress, or brainstorm for their next project.

With nearly all the features of the web application integrated into the app, the mobile tool is all you need to get the full effect of all of Podio’s benefits!

1.  GoToMeeting

With the introduction of GoToMeeting’s mobile application, Citrix’s mobile vision truly hits full force. This app gives you the ability to conduct and attend meetings, regardless of whether you are in front of your computer.

With the ability to view the full presentation of the meeting as well as attend the call, GoToMeeting allows users to fully participate in a conversation with their peers from wherever they may be, without missing a beat. The added ability to quickly schedule and create meetings further allows users to collaborate on the go.

Do you use any of these apps for work? Share your favorites with us.

When you speak on behalf of a company.

It may seem counterintuitive, but it’s true. A company with self-awareness is able to connect with consumers on a more human level. Just think about these three ways that a good story can help you reach others:

1)   Sales

It’s satisfying to support a company that you admire. Making your values and story known encourages customers to remember you.

2)   Retention

Most of your employees want a career, not just a job. When employees know your story, they know where they fit into the broader narrative.

3)   Recruitment

To a strong candidate, an active mission and clear identity can help your company stand out among potential employers.

 If these sound like good reasons to develop the story-telling culture at your company, check out three easy, inexpensive ways we emphasize our company story at Citrix ShareFile:

 1)   Hold a class

Reinforcing your organization’s values is especially challenging when you’re part of a growing team. ShareFile founder Jesse Lipson hosts lunchtime sessions where new and veteran employees can come together to learn how ShareFile came to be and what drives each of our team goals and values.

2)   Promote key themes daily

Demonstrate that your mission and culture are important to everyday activities. ShareFile’s account management team sends out the Story of the Day each business day to recognize an employee who has gone above and beyond to deliver amazing service. These reminders highlight the impact that each person can have toward ShareFile’s mission: to raise the bar for service in the technology industry.

3)   Make it visual

A giant timeline of important events from ShareFile’s early days wraps the walls of our break room. The timeline serves as a reminder of important events that helped the company become what it is today. While you may not choose to paper a room with your company’s history, a display case with early awards and other souvenirs from important days for your organization can increase employees’ awareness of your continuing company story.

Just like every company’s story is unique, the ways that you can communicate it can be as creative as you like. How do you promote your company’s history and values to employees and clients?

The great news is that it doesn’t have to be. There are a plethora of organizational experts and systems out there that can show you how to get and stay organized and implement an organizational system all your own. In regard to email, there are a few key tips to follow that can help you keep your workflow under control and your inbox as close to zero as possible.

1)   Schedule. Set aside time every single day to review your inbox. When and how much time you spend is up to you. I’ve seen folks process email for 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes right after lunch and 30 minutes at the end of the day. While others may choose to do 45 minutes to 1 hour in the morning and also in the evening. The key here is to respond to any email that will take you less than 2 minutes to complete. If it is going to take you more than 2 minutes, file it away and respond to it during your next email review session. Not only will you feel more in control of the content flying at you, but you will also prevent email from dictating your workflow.

2)   Delete. Do not be afraid to delete emails that you no longer need. I’ve seen inboxes with upwards of 10,000 emails that could be deleted. If you are really concerned that you may need an email in the future, move it to a reference folder. But I strongly encourage you to delete as many as you can muster the courage to.

3)   Commit. In the beginning, it can seem overwhelming to get a handle on the system. They key is to schedule the email review session on your calendar, and then stick to your calendar. Obviously, fires will need to be put out and last-minute things will come up. When that happens, reschedule your email review just like you would any other meeting. Over time, reviewing email will become a habit and you may not even need to schedule the time for yourself anymore…you will just automatically do it.

(Okay, I know I said 3 tips, but this next one is important…)

4)   Accept. Most of us are working on numerous projects at any given time. If we are setting goals and prioritizing effectively, it is impossible that we will get everything done every single day. If you implement a system, commit to that system and can say, honestly, that you are working as hard and as effectively as you can toward your goals, not getting it all done is ok. If you can get it all done, you don’t have enough to do. Work your hardest. Give yourself a break. And if your inbox doesn’t get down to zero, it is ok.

For more info on some of my favorite organizational systems check out Getting Things Done, Inbox Zero, The Now Habit and Organizing from the Inside Out.

Today marks the two year anniversary of the debut of Desktop Sync. The release of Sync allowed users to quickly and easily integrate ShareFile into their daily workflow. We found that Sync was able to fulfill a variety of needs – allowing accountants to seamlessly upload tax documents to their client folders and ensuring that sales reps in the field always have the most up-to-date figures. The best part of all – it’s fully automated!

Since that time, we have made many improvements to the tool and introduced a number of enhanced versions. In March of 2011 we released Enterprise Sync, which offered improved capabilities for IT management and large-scale deployment. Some of these features include:

• Compatibility with server and network environments

• Ability for an administrator to create and manage sync jobs for multiple user accounts

• Options to constantly run Sync jobs or schedule jobs to run at designated times

• Detailed logging on each sync job

Enterprise Sync saves IT a great deal of time, particularly with setup and configuration. Rather than needing to deploy Desktop Sync to each individual machine and configure every user, Enterprise Sync allows management from a central location in a much more reliable fashion. This tool also replaces many time-consuming projects such as automated FTP and command line integration.

The next evolution of our Sync offerings came in May of 2012, when we released our native Sync client.  To provide the best experience possible, we started from the ground up with a native client optimized for each specific operating system. This allowed us to introduce a number of exciting features, including:

• Real-time synchronization of files

• File Overlays and ShareFile context menu in Windows Explorer/Finder

• Real-time updates in the system tray/icon bar

• AD/SAML Integration

So far the response to this new Sync tool has been terrific. Our development efforts have continued, focusing in particular on first-time user experience, virtualized environment optimization and promoting ease of use. Currently this tool is only available for enterprise customers, but we hope to provide it to all users in the near future.

If you would like more information or training on any of our Sync tools, please let us know! Our account managers and support staff would love to take some time to discuss your options and provide the best solution to benefit you.

If you aren’t using Sync yet, I would encourage you to give it a look – you may very well find that Sync can fit your needs perfectly!

Want to know how? Check out the ShareFile security infographic below to learn about our physical and data storage protection, user controls, and advanced mobility features.

1) Send a File

When you need to send a large file fast, log into ShareFile online and use the Send a File link in the top navigation bar. This link will open a Send form, which works just like sending a regular email. Set up your email, upload a file, and ShareFile will send the recipient a link to download the file online.

2) Convert attachments to ShareFile links

When you need to send a file in Outlook that’s too large or too sensitive to attach normally, use the ShareFile plug-in to easily change the attachments to a secure ShareFile link. The Convert to ShareFile button makes it easy to change normal email attachments to secure ShareFile links.

3) Send from your preferred mobile app

ShareFile mobile apps are available for iPad, iPhone, Android phone and tablet, Windows 8 and Windows Phone, and BlackBerry. With so many apps to choose from, you can use ShareFile’s secure sending from any device.

4) Right-click to send

With the ShareFile Plug-in for Microsoft Outlook, you have the option to right-click and send any file via a secure ShareFile link. Just locate the file that you want to send on your desktop or in Windows Explorer, right-click the file and hover over Send to in the menu that will open. Click Mail Recipient with ShareFile, and a new message will open immediately with a link to the file you selected.

5) Send a ShareFile link in your own email software

When you use the Send a File link or the Send option in a folder, you can change the Email Sending Options setting to Give me link I can copy and send using my own email software. This option collapses the Send form, so you can just use the check boxes on the screen to determine how the link will work. Instead of sending an email, ShareFile will simply provide a link to your file that you can copy into a message in your normal email program.

6) Send from the Widget

The ShareFile Desktop Widget features built-in send capabilities. Open the Widget and use the Send option at the top of the screen, or right-click a file and click Send File. A Send form will open so that you can compose a message and send a link to your file, without even opening your email program.

7) Set Outlook preferences to always send large files via ShareFile

With the ShareFile Plug-in for Outlook, you can enable ShareFile to replace any attachments over a given size limit with ShareFile links, or choose to send all of your attachments through ShareFile. Click the Plug-in Options button in your Outlook Inbox toolbar and then click the Attachment Policy option to view and change your automatic attachment settings.

Happy sending!

In an increasingly mature market, for Citrix ShareFile to be shortlisted in the Best SaaS category of the 2012-13 Cloud Awards program is a particular honor, representing a culmination of all the work the team has made to date.

“The standard of entries this year was truly incredible – and we’re still scratching the surface of what the cloud is capable of,” says Cloud Organizer, Larry Johnson. “Efficiency, agility and an ability to leverage all of the positive attributes of cloud technologies are what set the organizations in this shortlist apart from any other.  The competition in the Software as a Service category in particular was high – and although we have more of a long-list than a shortlist in this category, we’re still sad not to be able to include every entry.  With such a high standard of international submissions, look out for some exciting developments for the 2013-14 Cloud Awards program. Due to high levels of demand, the program will include a new category for cloud consultancy services and will accept entries from all international territories, including Australia.”

We are honored to be recognized for Best SaaS company and would like to congratulate all of the Cloud Award finalists!

We are proud to announce that Citrix ShareFile won the gold award for Enterprise Product of the Year. We are honored to receive this award as it reflects the level of ease of use, security, control and administrative functionality that we deliver. Four differentiating features include:

Built for business mobility – ShareFile was designed to meet the increased demand to work anywhere at any time from any device. In recognition of the need for mobile business tools, ShareFile released apps for iPhone, iPad, Android phone and tablet, BlackBerry and Windows Phone later in the year. ShareFile iOS app downloads are more than doubling each quarter.

Secure – ShareFile offers the industry’s first unauthorized data access alert feature of its kind for mobile devices. Administrators can order a remote wipe of files and at the same time obtain a complete report on all files accessed, even while the device was offline, in the case of a lost or stolen phone or tablet. ShareFile also now features a poison pill feature to iOS apps and Android tablet that allows IT to set data expiration policies for mobile devices. Activity audits are available so that administrators can create reports and review access across the account.

Concierge-style customer service – Once you sign up, you get a dedicated rep – unlike competing offerings. This service has continued even as the company doubled its customer base in the past year.

Flexibility – ShareFile with StorageZones provides IT with the ability to choose optimal locations for storing their corporate data – on premises within their private cloud, in secure Citrix ShareFile-managed cloud storage or a hybrid of the two. This optimizes performance and helps organizations meet unique compliance and data sovereignty policies that require them to store data within their datacenter.

Want to learn how ShareFile- Enterprise Edition supports mobile workstyles and enhances productivity? Visit the ShareFile Enterprise product page.

1)      Wake up early

It’s an unfortunate truth for many of us, but an early wakeup can get your day off to a great start and help you save time throughout the morning. Waking up early allows a few minutes to get organized and take care of tasks that otherwise wait for the end of the day, even things like washing and putting away breakfast dishes. Moreover, getting an early start can save time on one of the primary drains on daily productivity. If you commute to work, leaving your house a little early can help you beat the last-minute traffic rush. Extra time at work in the morning can pay off with a more productive day, especially when you get started before any distractions develop.

2)      Start taking notes

Adding a new task may seem like a strange way to make yourself more productive, but go ahead and put this one on your to-do-list: write things down. Keep a calendar of appointments and lists of tasks and projects that need attention. Keeping a planner with this information helps many people visualize what they can realistically get done with the time available for them, and it is much easier to manage long term projects with a running list of individual actions that need to be completed. Taking notes on your ideas, appointments and plans requires a few minutes, but it saves time overall by providing direction and clarity.

3)      Do one thing at a time

We all wish we could do two things at once, but when you need to get more done in less time, multitasking actually slows you down. Instead of seeing individual tasks to completion, multitasking divides your ability to focus on any one task, so you’re more likely to leave things unfinished or waste time mentally shifting between activities. If you must work on two things, go ahead and take a few minutes to work on one, and then take care of the other. You won’t be able to magically get two things done at one time this way, but you will really accomplish more in the same amount of time.

What habits help you do more in less time? Share them with us below.

Our exhibitors, Fletcher Martin and Ted Kirk, had the opportunity to meet and speak with many accounting prospects and clients, demonstrating to them exactly how ShareFile can help them communicate with their clients easily, securely, and professionally.

Did you have the chance to learn about ShareFile at Sleeter Group’s annual Accounting Solutions Conference this year?  If so, tell us about your experience!

So what’s new? Here is list of new features:

-Redesigned interface for an enhanced user experience

-Simple and intuitive navigation through multiple accounts and folders

-Advanced control with “Poison Pill” feature to prescribe data expiration policies

-Robust auditing and reporting capabilities for IT

-Support for Active Directory and SAML login

-Support for StorageZones v1.0

 Check out screenshots of the newly designed ShareFile for Android app:

Want to share large files from your mobile device today? ShareFile for Android is available for download from the Android Market. We also have ShareFile apps for iOS (iPhone and iPad) as well as apps for BlackBerry and Windows Phone.

Cloud computing has been widely accepted as a means for data storage, among other services. Moving to the cloud can be a smart business move, but do you know what questions to ask of a cloud service provider?

Lipson discusses the fear around cloud computing and offers some practical advice for companies thinking about moving business functions to the cloud. Read the full article, “Is Your Data Safe In The Cloud?” to learn more.

Interested in hearing more from the VP & GM of  the Data Sharing product group at Citrix? Follow Jesse Lipson on Twitter.

What’s the quickest way to send a file to a client?

When you need to send a file quickly, log into your account and click Send a File in the navigation bar. This feature will allow you to prepare an email, select the file that you want to send from your computer and upload the file in one simple process. As soon as ShareFile successfully uploads the file, your email, with the file, will be sent to your recipient. It’s an easy way to share information, without any setup or extra steps.

To see a step-by-step guide to sending files, watch our Sending and Requesting Files training video.

Can I provide public access to a folder in my account?

ShareFile does allow you to share a folder without requiring login information. This can be helpful when you need to allow access to files and folders are not private in nature, but may be too large to attach to a regular email message.

Check out our knowledgebase for detailed instructions on allowing public access to a folder.

How will I know when the client has downloaded/uploaded the document?

Email activity notifications are available to let you know as soon as files are uploaded or downloaded from your ShareFile account.

When sending or requesting files, turn on upload or download notifications right in the send or request form. A check box for Email me when the item has been downloaded or Email me when the file has been uploaded will be available so that you can be alerted as soon as your send or request link is used.

You can also enable folder notifications to alert you whenever files are uploaded or downloaded to or from your folders. When you open a folder on ShareFile, scroll to the bottom of the list of contents and use the Email me whenever a file is: check boxes to enable notifications for uploads or downloads. If you do not see these options, contact an administrator on the ShareFile account for help with your notifications settings.

For more information on optional notification settings, please see the comprehensive Email Notification article in our knowledgebase.

Do you have a question about ShareFile that we didn’t answer here? Our support team is available seven day a week. Call us at 1-800-441-3453, send an email, or chat live with support.

Think about an event in terms of a play or a production, because that’s essentially what it is.  There is a script writer, director, stage crew, actors, and audience.  There are practices, dress rehearsals, and then, the final performance.  In the end, the goal is to satisfy your audience and gain new fans.

Here at ShareFile, we are involved in many events on a monthly basis, including trade shows, sponsorships and charity fundraisers.  In my role in marketing and events, I have the opportunity to work behind the scenes, and in doing so, I have learned that there are three basic fundamentals of event planning:

Start planning well in advance.  There are many details that need to be worked out early on to make the show run efficiently.  Consider the following crucial questions in planning: What would you like to present or offer to your customers, prospects or partners?    Who will be the best representative(s) to send to an event?    How much are you willing to spend?  What would you like to take away from the event?  Once these plans are solidified, you can begin taking action.

Organization is key.  In order to put on the best show possible, you have to know the script like the back of your hand.  Prepare your entire agenda early on and be sure to file copies of all contracts, invoices and statements.   It is also important to consistently stay on top of small details such as filling out registrations, arranging for travel, ordering equipment, and preparing sales materials.  This will alleviate last minute stress and issues that come with poor scheduling and budgeting.

Be prepared for anything.  In any event, there is the risk of your key players (whether they are actors or sales reps) having last minute emergencies.  Sometimes, improvisation is the best solution.  Your speaker is late?  Entertain guests in the meantime and offer giveaways.  Your shipping doesn’t arrive on time?  Have your reps rent equipment until you can overnight a backup set.  It’s always important to be flexible and forward thinking when the unexpected occurs.

Interested in learning more about some of the events ShareFile is involved in?  Keep an eye out on the blog for recaps of some of our upcoming trade shows and sponsorships!

Sarah: Can you tell me about your role at ShareFile and how it has changed with the company’s growth?

Nate: I joined ShareFile in fall of 2007 as Vice President of Operations. At the time, we were a company of four employees, so I was responsible for a variety of things, from office management to database design and maintenance. Every employee fielded customer phone calls, and over time we built dedicated teams for account management and customer support. Today, I oversee these teams.

Sarah: Did you have expectations for where the company would be in 2012?

Nate: In my first conversations with Jesse (Lipson, ShareFile founder), he expected to grow the company to seven to nine employees over three to five years. I thought that was pretty conservative, and I expected we could reach twenty employees in that time, which I guess was pretty conservative, too. At almost five years out, we now have 185 employees.

Sarah: How has that growth affected the company’s culture?

Nate: Maintaining consistent company culture has been critical to our success. Our team has a more diverse skill set now, but we still have a culture that’s fun and also very professional. We have always been a customer-centric company, and the needs of our customers continue to shape our development priorities.

Even our start-up background has helped us transition to part of a larger company. As a boot-strapped company, we focused on efficiency. With the resources that we have now, we can bring our service to more companies while maintaining the same lean, results-driven process.

Sarah: What are some of the challenges that you have encountered as a result of ShareFile’s rapid growth?

Nate: It becomes much more difficult to know everyone on the team as we continue to grow. In the early days, we would all walk to a restaurant together and get lunch during staff meetings. Today, all-hands meetings are shared over GoToMeeting, because the company does not fit into one room. I encourage everyone to make an effort to get to know as many coworkers as possible – at least get to know their names.  It’s a small thing, but I think it makes a big difference.

Thanks, Nate! The ShareFile team is thrilled to be able to bring new talent to our team and the ShareFile service to more companies worldwide as we grow. Check out news coverage of Citrix plans for growth in Raleigh.

See below for a ShareFile timeline and picture of the future home of Citrix Raleigh.

Trumpet’s Publisher is easy to use, and helps advisory firms provide speedier delivery of documents to their clients.  The Trumpet Publisher allows for the easy upload from both a Windows® file structure, or a document management application such as Worldox®.  It also makes it simple to publish files from any directory, rather than requiring the files to be organized in per-client folders.

The Trumpet Publisher is the perfect tool for both existing ShareFile users looking for a more automated way of uploading client files, or any advisory firm that is interested in adopting a web portal to share large files with their clients and others in a secure and easy manner.  Advisory firms increasingly want their websites to be the “information hub” for their clients.  As such, Trumpet’s Publisher makes it easy to publish performance reports, custodial statements and other documents for client access, all in one centralized location.

Here’s a word from an early adopter:

“As an early adopter,” states Vilas Naralakattu, Technology Manager for Pinnacle Advisory Group, Inc., Columbia, Maryland, “I’m very pleased about how well the Trumpet Publisher has performed and how simple it is for our users. It has allowed us to publish over 750 reports into the client’s corresponding ShareFile folders with very few mouse clicks.  Without Trumpet’s Publisher, this task would have been burdensome.”

Learn more about ShareFile for Financial and see how financial advisors improve daily workflow with the ability to access their files from anywhere.

1)  Right-click to send

Did you know the plug-in can send files right from your desktop? In the desktop or Windows Explorer, right-click a file title. In the menu that opens, hover the cursor over Send to and click Mail Recipient with ShareFile. An Outlook new message window will open, including a link to the file or files that you selected to send with ShareFile. Enter your recipient and email content, and then send.

2)  Create an automatic attachment policy

If you use ShareFile to send large files, let the plug-in help you automatically. To enable this capability, open Outlook and click the Plug-in Options button in your inbox toolbar. Click Attachment Policy in the left sidebar, and then mark the Automatic option on the screen. ShareFile will automatically convert any attachments larger than the size you determine to a secure ShareFile link. Files smaller than your threshold will still be sent as normal attachments unless you choose to send them via ShareFile manually. Click OK or Apply to save your setting.

3)  Place a request link in your email signature

Create a request link and embed it in your Outlook signature to let your contacts easily send files to you via ShareFile. From the Outlook Plug-in, simply open a new message and click Request a File in the ShareFile toolbar. A request link will be placed in your new message. Copy the link and any associated text. Click Insert in the new message toolbar, and then click Signature. Click the Signatures option and select the signature that you would like to edit. Paste the link and text into the body of your signature and click OK. Your email signature will now include a request link allowing your clients to securely send their files anytime.

*Note: These steps apply to Outlook plug-in version 2.086 and newer. Users with an older version of the plug-in, or who require login to upload via request link, will need to first send a copy of the request link to their own email address and then copy the link to insert into a signature. Older versions of the plug-in insert placeholder links in email messages which are replaced with a working link at the time the email is sent.

Check  out the screenshots below:

Have you found a cool way to use the ShareFile Outlook Plug-in? We’d love to hear from you! Visit the ShareFile Facebook page and let us know how the plug-in works for your business.

Deltex Medical markets and manufactures the CardioQ-ODM (Oesophageal Doppler Monitor), which enables anaesthetists to safely and accurately administer intravenous ­fluids during surgery using minimally invasive Doppler technology. This reduces the rates of post-operative complications as well as the length of critical care and overall hospital stay. The monitor is now being adopted into routine clinical practice in leading hospitals around the world. To date, more than 500,000 patients have benefited from the use of the ODM.

So you may be wondering how ShareFile plays a role in this business day-to-day?Well, prior to ShareFile, requests for artwork, large documents and software revisions were placed on CDs and then sent via the postal system. These CDs were often getting lost in remote parts of the world, delaying the process. “It was a very laborious and frustrating process, not only on our part but also forour clients/customers, not to mention the tight deadlines and costs,” says Tanya. The Company also used the same method of file transfer for intellectual property, FDA documentation, training videos and various other highly confidential documents.

According to Tanya, ShareFile is a “no brainer” for the company. Tanya shared with me that ShareFile has streamlined operations throughout the whole company, saving not only time, but money as well. ShareFile enables the company to eliminate the use of previously favored methods of sending and instead send various types and sizes of files though the client portal, the Outlook Plug-in and mobile apps. “It’s ease of use is a real bonus, not to mention how safe and dependable it is for our company to send and also receive large, important documents wherever you are in the world.  The real-time email notifications are an absolute timesaver for us,” says Tanya.

Want to know how others are using ShareFile? Check out our YouTube channel to learn more.

Use a project management software. A project management software allows you to input your current projects, create tasks, assign tasks to someone, input a deadline and see the project all the way through completion. At any point, it is easy to track the progress of a project. Some software even allows you to pull custom reports to make tracking even easier on your end. Applications like Podio allow you to easily handle tasks, view social activity streams, seamlessly transfer big files, all while eliminating the hassle of actually managing a project.

Schedule email time. Do you respond to emails in real-time? Stop it. Responding to emails may seem quick and easy but if you really add up the amount of time you spend crafting email responses because you live in your inbox all day, you may be surprised. I tried this trick. Prior to scheduling specific times for email communications, I was responding in real time, and at the end of the day, my to-do list was incomplete. Sound familiar? Try scheduling 3-4 time slots throughout your day and dedicate that time solely to email response.

Consider a virtual workspace.  A virtual workspace, like ShareFile, ensures document collaboration by saving all versions of a file uploaded. This allows members of a team to edit and work on the same document at the same time without any threat of data loss. Some virtual workspaces enable team members to share information beyond the content of their files. Users can post notes to share with others in their folders and notes can be tagged to specific files.  By providing a collaborative space, employees can share ideas, feedback and essential project materials in one location.

Have more tips on how to easily manage projects? Share them with us here.