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.

Guided by Enterprise Sales Specialist Sarah Kordulewski and Sales Engineer, Chris Anderson, the class starts off with background information on ShareFile and how the service fulfills the file transfer needs of enterprise customers. After a brief overview, Sarah moves into a demonstration of our most popular tools like the Outlook Plugin, ShareFile Sync and the mobile apps. For technical attendees, Chris jumps in throughout the presentation to discuss the architecture of the application in more detail. In addition, each class ends with a Q&A session open to all attendees and no question is off limits!

“It’s a great opportunity for companies to see a demonstration of the ShareFile Enterprise product while also getting a technical overview of the architecture,” says Sarah. “I love being able to have a virtual meeting where people all over the world can come and see the product as we update it and add new features. [The class] not only helps educate potential customers, it helps educate current Citrix employees, customers, and partners on the ShareFile product.”

Want to learn more about StorageZones? Interested in integrating ShareFile with Active Directory? Have some technical questions about how ShareFile works? Sign up for the ShareFile Master Class and get the answers to all of your questions. Click here to see upcoming classes.

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.

Citrix Receiver allows users to access their published applications from any number of devices, including their tablets, phones or PC. With ShareFile now playing a part, your documents are available along with all of your applications. Need to edit that PowerPoint presentation before you get in? Receiver with ShareFile integration will allow you to open up Microsoft PowerPoint on your tablet and then open any PowerPoint files you may have saved within your ShareFile account! With a quick edit and save, the presentation is saved back into your ShareFile account and ready to be opened in the conference room PC where you are giving your presentation.

With Citrix’s acquisition of the collaboration application Podio, ShareFile brings further value into the evolving Citrix world. Now if you are working with your team on a project, you can easily store and share the necessary files that you may all need access to, right in your team’s Podio workspace. Files are still stored using ShareFile’s secure encryption methods with all the functionality users are used to and can be easily worked on by your team.

ShareFile’s constantly expanding integration into current popular applications is a key factor in the Citrix vision. It will be exciting to see where the vision leads to next.

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.

Integration with Citrix ShareFile makes it possible for ShareFile users to access files stored in the cloud, edit PDF files, sign contracts and agreements, or fill out PDF forms in PDF Expert on the iPad and save documents back to storage.

“PDF Expert is a perfect tool for ShareFile users, who aim to get work done right away having only iPad on hand,” says Igor Zhadanov, Readdle CEO. “Integration between Citrix ShareFile and PDF Expert is focused on increasing people’s productivity by providing a complete solution for editing corporate PDF documents on the iPad anytime, anywhere.”

We are excited about this integration and look forward to hearing your feedback on it soon!

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.

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.

“ShareFile iOS applications have already seen major momentum with downloads more than doubling each quarter,” said Jesse Lipson, VP and GM, Data Sharing, Citrix. “At Citrix, we’re focused on empowering mobile workers, and today’s ShareFile app for iPhone release provides them with the latest in content sharing and security on any iPhone, including the soon-to-be-released iPhone 5.”

Check out what is new:

Unauthorized access alert: New feature that tracks files viewed in ShareFile for iPhone (and ShareFile for iPad) after a remote wipe is activated, even when the user is offline. The app generates a log, indicating whether files were viewed so that users can determine whether data was compromised – providing critical insight in the event of a lost or stolen device.

Intelligent device security policies: New “poison pill” option enables IT to set data expiration policies, plus multiple preferences settings allow IT to decide whether files can be opened in third-party applications or saved offline.

Enterprise Active Directory integration: ShareFile for iPad connects to Active Directory and SAML enterprise identities for a more seamless and secure user experience.

Improved auditing and reporting: Enhanced capabilities help IT to track and log user activity.

Offline access: Advanced options allow users to save files locally for offline access and editing.

Quickoffice integration: Integration with Quickoffice enables users to edit Microsoft Office documents and save them back to ShareFile.

Easy access to multiple accounts: Redesigned interface makes it simple to view multiple ShareFile accounts and folders, providing users with easy access to all of their data.

Take a sneak peek at screen shots of the updated app:

Want to know how ShareFile customers are currently using the mobile apps?

The Salinas Police Department Deputy Chief challenged his team to improve their process for submitting police reports. They were using cassette recorders with a standard tape, which proved to be difficult to manage. The department now uses ShareFile mobile apps to easily file reports from the field.

Babington Technology, a manufacturer of military equipment, uses ShareFile mobile apps to streamline daily operations. The company is required by its government clients to provide weekly written and visual progress reports. With ShareFile’s iOS apps, the process of gathering and sharing images is quick and efficient for the company.

Want to start sharing on-the-go? ShareFile for iPhone is available for download from the App Store in time for the iPhone 5 launch.

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.

“The ability to access and share files from anywhere is quickly becoming a critical requirement for today’s mobile workers,” said Jesse Lipson, VP and GM, Data Sharing, Citrix. “The strategic collaboration between ShareFile and Primadesk is designed to make it even easier for businesses to share data and exchange files securely across any device.”

Primadesk leveraged ShareFile’s API portal to rapidly scale its open platform and integrate with ShareFile within just a few days. ShareFile’s API portal is an online resource featuring tools and documentation that make it easy for partners, developers and customers to integrate their applications or services with ShareFile.

“We are always looking for ways to bring our users additional functionality and increased productivity,” said CEO of Primadesk Srinivasa (Venky) Venkataraman. “Adding ShareFile to our growing list of services that we manage, organize, and backup will tremendously increase this functionality and also allow users to access ShareFile on the go – through Primadesk’s mobile applications.”

For more information about how to integrate applications or services with ShareFile, please visit: http://api.sharefile.com/.

Print n Share Pro is a top 20 iPad app in the Business category and was featured in Apple’s global “Office” commercial. It enables you to print from your iPad directly to any printer (not just AirPrint). Now you can connect to your files in ShareFile and print them straight from your iPad without having to touch your PC or Mac.

WritePDF is a full-featured PDF app that now allows you to securely access, annotate and fill in PDF files from ShareFile. Work on your PDF documents on the go and save back to ShareFile to sync across all your devices. WritePDF features include:

-Fill in PDF forms

-Add customized signatures

-Add arrows, circles, squares and other shapes

-Add text; highlight text

-Merge or convert numerous file formats including MS Office, PDF, iWork, web pages, emails and contacts

Check out the screenshots below:

Print n Share Pro is available in the App Store here.

WritePDF is available in the App Store here.

With this new partnership, ShareFile customers have even more flexibility in managing and sharing documents on the go. Look out for other exciting partnerships coming soon to enhance your experience with ShareFile.

SaaS: Software as a service (SaaS) is a model for cloud computing where software and data are hosted remotely on the software provider’s servers. Users connect to the service via the Internet. Web-based email clients are a popular example of SaaS, allowing users to log in to their inbox from an Internet browser rather than opening an installed client on their desktop.

Uptime: Storing data in the cloud is only helpful if you can get to information when you need it. Cloud service providers should be able to give you an idea of how reliable their service has been in the past. Uptime guarantees should account for scheduled maintenance that may affect the availability of the service.

Encryption: Business-focused cloud services will have security measures in place to protect data from being intercepted or hacked. For peace of mind, make sure that your provider encrypts data during transfer to and from their servers. If you send, upload, or download information with the service, it should be protected. Many providers will also encrypt your information while it is at rest on their servers.

Data Portability: Business needs change, and you may find that you need to retrieve all of your data from a cloud provider someday. Ask providers if it is possible to completely remove your information should you no longer require the service or decide to move to a different provider.

While you continue to use the service, ensure that you can remove any data that is out of date or no longer in use. A service should allow you to completely remove files so that you don’t have information stored when it’s no longer necessary.

Redundancy: A cloud service provider should have detailed plans for managing disaster scenarios. While your own business may be tied to a specific location, many SaaS providers maintain multiple server locations and back up data for their primary servers to protect again data loss. Ask providers how they would manage a server failure to verify that they have the infrastructure to get the service back online in a reasonable timeframe.

BYOD: “Bring Your Own Device” has become a popular phrase. As consumers buy tablets and phones to increase connectivity, they naturally want to integrate work functions with their new mobile devices.

Businesses are smart to allow employees to use mobile devices for work. Working remotely can improve productivity and lead to a happier workforce. In order to take advantage of the benefits of convenient mobile work, companies can look into securing their mobile workflow so that data security is not compromised.

Visit ShareFile to learn more about how our secure, cloud-based file transfer solution can benefit your business.

According to the Computerworld article, ShareFile uploaded a 100MB file containing PDF documents, JPG images and TIFF images in 7 min. 27 sec., over 20% faster than YouSendIt (9 min. 23 sec.) and over 39% faster than Box (12 min. 24 sec.).

Upload speed is the rate at which your data is uploaded to the Internet. Standard transmission speed is 500 to 900 Kbps (Kilobits per second). That speed is affected by a variety of factors. Internet network connection, the upload speed provided by your ISP, location and file size all determine the time it takes to upload information.

ISPs give priority to downloading information because the majority of users do more downloading than uploading. Therefore, upload speeds are generally slower than download speeds.

However, timely file uploads are especially important to those using a cloud-based file sharing solution. Waiting for a file to upload can be a seriously frustrating problem, and it can slow business during mission critical moments. That’s why it’s important to use a file sharing solution that solves the problem of slow upload speeds but doesn’t restrict file size.

To learn more about how to send and receive large files up to 10GB, check out the full list of ShareFile features, start a free trial or give us a call today 1-800-441-3453.

*Source: Computerworld, 10 file-sharing options July 13, 2012

The costs associated with shipping documents can be quite expensive and very time consuming.  Due to the USPS announcement to close more than 200 processing centers, you will likely (if not already) experience rising costs, making it cumbersome if your firm relies specifically on shipping as a method of document delivery.

Not only are costs of courier services a concern, but time is as well. In today’s fast-paced economy, it’s more important than ever to have documents and important information sent as quickly as possible. Sending through methods like snail mail can be time sucking.

Wouldn’t it be convenient to be able to deliver documents (even the large and sensitive ones) to your clients and colleagues instantly? You can. With ShareFile, you can quickly and easily send documents securely. You can set up a web portal with your own branding that can be accessed through any web browser.

Forget about spending time and money with courier services. Sign up for a ShareFile trial.

You may be wondering what it means to be “in the cloud.”  Cloud computing offers your firm all of the same benefits as traditional legal services do, with the convenience of being able to send or receive your files from virtually anywhere.  It also offers you piece of mind knowing that the confidential case information you are storing is locked away safe online in a password-protected portal.

ShareFile may be the cloud solution you never knew existed – allowing you to store, send, and receive your legal clients’ important documents seamlessly.  By simply logging on to your personal ShareFile account, you can organize your clients by name and create subfolders for each specific set of documents.  You can also send and request files to and from your clients directly through ShareFile, without ever having to pick up the phone or close your browser window to notify the client by email.  Sign your law firm up for a free ShareFile trial today – the only drawback you’ll experience is wondering what took you so long to manage your clients in the cloud.

It’s a pretty cool concept. Workshifting allows employees to perform their jobs at the time and location of their choice and even hold meetings online with someone on the other side of the world. Did you know that last year, more than 100 million people experienced a virtual meeting or support session powered by Citrix? Talk about global reach! Outdated is the thought that an employee is married to a single computer in a single location for work.

With the adoption of smartphones, tablets, laptops and other mobile devices; mobility is essential.  It’s easy for employees to access their information remotely with tools like GoToMyPC and in the cloud with ShareFile. The ability to work from anywhere at any time allows employees to have more flexible work schedules and experience a positive work-life balance. The benefit is not only for the employee; the business benefits by implementing workshifting as well. When employees have the flexibility to work outside of their traditional space, satisfaction is increased which results in increased productivity and retention. It’s a win-win.

Has your business thought about implementing a workshifting policy?

Many firms in the legal sector are in fear of security issues. However, the article suggests that, “In many ways there is more risk associated with a law firm attempting to secure and protect its own computing infrastructure, as compared to leveraging the expertise of a cloud computing provider.” That’s where ShareFile comes into play.

When Doyle Raizner, a Houston-based law firm, was in search of a cloud-based solution to fit its file sharing needs, the firm wanted a system that worked seamlessly with its current system. That’s when it found ShareFile. The firm practices with 13 employees, including 7 attorneys.  With ShareFile, the firm saves time, money and also remains a paperless firm. The firm eliminated the need to have a videographer in the courtroom making edits on the fly; it can now instantaneously make edits back in the office and send it via ShareFile to the courtroom.

If you’d like to learn more about how law firms can use ShareFile, check out this quick one minute video.

ShareFile fits perfectly into the Follow-Me-Data vision of anywhere, anytime access to data and collaboration. The ShareFile service will continue to make it easy for businesses of all sizes to securely store, sync and share business documents and files, both inside and outside the company. Our centralized cloud storage capability allows users to share files across multiple devices and access them from any location, hence “Follow-Me-Data.”

Citrix customers will be able to enjoy ShareFile as a standalone service in a browser, on a desktop as a separate app and within Microsoft Outlook. ShareFile capabilities will also be available as a ‘Workspaces’ feature within the GoToMeeting collaboration product. Customers can expect to see this feature arrive in early 2012 at no extra cost for GoToMeeting customers. Cool, right?

Tune in here to check out a Synergy demo video of ShareFile by Jesse Lipson. You can also enjoy a virtual Synergy experience by simply logging into your favorite social media account. Follow updates @sharefile.

Is your data following you?

Then click “Java Uploader” and Save. As long as your internet connection can handle the speed, you should see significantly faster uploads.

To learn more about enhanced uploading, I went straight to the source, Josh Smith, our Infrastructure Developer.

When I asked Josh, he stated the idea actually came from a potential customer. A large company needed to upload large 2GB+ files many times a day. Anything we could do to improve upload speeds would save a lot of time and give them the ability to free up more resources. Knowing this would help all of our clients, our development team went right to work. The “potential” customer is now an actual customer.

How the Java Uploader works is very interesting. There is obviously much more complex logic and factors involved, but to put it into easy-to-understand terms, our development team created a way for the Java Uploader to look at files differently. The uploader looks at numerous factors, including your internet connection, file size, and much more. The new uploader no longer sees one huge massive file, it sees many smaller files that get uploaded much faster. Not only do you now have the ability to upload entire folders quickly and easily, but the Java Uploader has an auto-resume feature that will pick up where it left off if for some reason your internet connection fails.

Clients have claimed they have seen increases in upload speeds of over 50%. Competition? We just went from being faster to significantly faster.

Did you know that each day some 5,760 hard drives will crash? An easy way to avoid the nightmare of lost data is to improve your practice with SaaS. Such services allow businesses to go on about their daily routine without the worry of file transfer and storage. Services that offer a portal are quickly becoming popular due to the easy to use delivery tool for clients. Accountants can easily post electronic versions of past tax returns and other relevant data so clients can access the documents 24/7 without interrupting workflow. Because that’s the goal, right?

ShareFile offers a client portal that allows firms to securely transfer files that are either too large or too confidential to send via e-mail. ShareFile for Accountants was specifically designed with Accounting Professionals to securely exchange confidential documents and large business files. Accounting firms can make documents available to clients through an encrypted, password-protected, custom-branded client portal or securely though email with a Microsoft Outlook Plug-in. The portal serves as an easy way for Accountants to create online folders which allow clients to see only those folders where specific access is granted.

Want to learn more about how we help accounting firms safely exchange their most sensitive files with state-of-the-art encryption for both file transfer and file storage? Contact us; we’d love to hear from you! Interested in trying ShareFile? Enjoy a free 30-day trial.

Layer 1: As a ShareFile user, the first layer of security is in regard to accessing your account. Each user of the system has a unique login and password. All user passwords are hashed in the ShareFile database, meaning that not even the ShareFile support personnel have the ability to view or in any way determine a user’s password. To access your sensitive documents, you are prompted to sign into your account with your email and password. This serves to protect your information from unauthorized users.

Layer 2: The second layer of security is default privacy settings. By default, your files are only accessible if you choose to share them with others. When ShareFile users create folders in the system, only the specified users that are designated by owner of the folder are able to access the contents of those folders. Users who do not have access to the folder will not even see the folder in their view of the system. So, you can rest assured knowing that your information is kept confidential.

Layer 3: ShareFile’s servers are located in facilities that are managed by Windstream Hosted Solutions and Amazon Web Services, trusted providers of secure and reliable data centers. Our data centers feature computer network security measures such as:

• Ballistic-proof exterior, including doors & windows
• Fingerprint scanners and ID checking for all entry and exit of the facility
• Double Man Traps force double verification and provides extra secure data center entry
• Redundant off-site monitoring of all security systems
• Locked Cabinets and Cages

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Layer 4: Our privately managed server farm is equipped with the latest firewalls and computer internet security updates to help keep your data completely safe. Third-party SAS 70 Type II certification verifies that all data center facilities operate with strict security procedures. Servers are protected with a dedicated firewall, which constantly scans for and protects against malicious threats. The firewall protects ‘zero-day’ protection against any traffic that does not conform to standard Internet protocols, behaviors, or patterns.

Layer 5: All communications between ShareFile and the user are encrypted using the SSL (Secure Socket Layer). This is the same functionality used by banks and popular e-commerce services for secure communication. ShareFile also offers the ability to store your files encrypted when they are at rest on our servers, adding an additional layer of security. Additionally, all uploaded files are scanned by anti-virus software. Any files that are flagged as potential viruses are denoted with a red exclamation point icon within the application, and a warning is displayed before users attempt to download these files.

Layer 6: We also have several corporate policies in place that help protect the security of data in the system. All support functions are conducted by ShareFile employees, and access is restricted by IP address so that support functions can only be performed from within the secure ShareFile physical office facilities. Additionally, it is company policy that ShareFile support engineers only access client data when such support has been specifically requested by a user. All login and upload/download activity by support engineers here at ShareFile is logged in our activity log, which is completely viewable by administrators on each account.

Layer 7: Our latest layer of security features an advanced security set, focused on enterprise-level capabilities, including granular control over password strength requirements and number of failed logins before user is locked out, and forced reset of password after defined number of days to help comply with PCI and other security requirements and best practices.

If you’re interested in learning more about how your data is protected with ShareFile, download our security report.