Gartner thinks Enterprise file sync and share is dead, or will be soon. We agree, it is an incomplete solution to a complex problem and it is being subsumed by adjacent markets. That is why ownCloud provides much more, a single pane of glass over all enterprise files that solves the enterprise File Access problem.
Typical enterprises have decades of investments deployed in the data center. Files stores are scattered and there is no easy way to find and use this information. Worse, these files consume storage and backup space, but are long forgotten. Billions of dollars are wasted every year on storage for files in silos that no one wants to risk updating or removing, and that deliver no value to the business. In this environment, typical enterprise file sync and share solutions can’t solve the problem – only modernizing access to enterprise files can. What enterprises need is a secure way for users to access file silos – such as Windows Network Drives, object stores, SharePoint and more – in a secure, auditable, and compliant manner. Further, when they choose to consolidate and migrate storage to address cost, they need a way to make it seamless for end users. This way, enterprises can bridge silos and simplify management complexity, without sacrificing visibility or control.
This is how ownCloud and File Access differ from Enterprise File Sync and Share: ownCloud provides a single pane of glass into all enterprise files, regardless of where they are stored. That pane of glass is a simple, frictionless user experience that enables users to find and leverage information previously hidden across many systems, while simultaneously reducing risk and cost. Better yet, ownCloud is designed to drop into a customer data center and integrate with what they have beyond just file storage – from security tools to databases, business processes to backup processes. In the end, the real problem isn’t about giving employees file sync and share, it is about giving users secure, controlled access to enterprise files from any device, in a manner that can be integrated into the existing environment, managed to policy, audited, and controlled – this is File Access, and this is the problem ownCloud solves.