Egnyte in the News
"The Cloud Provides a Silver Lining for Mobile"By Vineet JainFOX BusinessJuly 11, 2011The use of mobile devices has gained incredible momentum over the past decade. Businesses are major mobile adopters, with 6% per year enterprise growth for mobile handsets and 24% per year growth for big-screen mobile devices like tablets. When you add up business and consumer adoption, there will be about one mobile device per person on the planet by 2015.Businesses, Mobile, and the CloudAs mobile usage proliferates, users are also increasing their data needs. The average smartphone user uses 89% more data per month this year compared to last year and business users find increased data to be a necessity. Because they increasingly employ remote, distributed workforces, small and large companies need to provide their mobile users with fast, around-the-clock access to important data. Demand is ripe for mobile applications that can help businesses stay agile and responsive, without sacrificing security or reliability in the process.Cloud-based applications address this need as users can store, back up and share even the largest data files on these services through mobile devices, anytime and anywhere. Files can be shared using links or attachments, freeing users from the size limitations of email.In effect, the cloud and mobile have a symbiotic relationship. According to a Gartner report, 60% of server workloads will be virtualized by 2014 and we know that 40% of Egnyte users access the cloud using a mobile device.Security Where it Matters MostWithout security, the ease and convenience of the cloud-mobile mix are moot points. Granted, mobile devices are becoming more secure, with encryption on provider connections, and access to virtual private network (VPN) and secure shell (SSH) tunnels for safe Web surfing. Yet users are adopting consumer-oriented file sharing solutions to access their business files from mobile devices. Cloud file sharing services designed for businesses offer access controls and encryption to protect sensitive data.A company's information technology (IT) administrator must have control over who accesses information and what they can do with it. If that piece is lacking, companies don't know who can see data or what they are allowed to do with it. Businesses can lose control of their data. In addition, encrypted transmission protects confidential business information from unauthorized users. A secure file storage system safeguards against infections and the resultant crashes, which can take days to recover from and may wipe out data completely.The Cloud has a Mobile LiningThe primary concerns of mobile users are convenience and security. Businesses need controls to truly safeguard their mobile networks. A cloud-based file server, with its ease of use, ability to store and share files of all sizes, secure backup, and allowance for centralized control, meets these needs. By all indications, the cloud offers the best way to meet the needs of mobile business.*Sources listed in the original article.
