Modern, Secure Data Access with Egnyte and Salesforce

Every sales and marketing interaction — regardless of where it happens — generates data. Every note written on a salesperson’s computer and every contract or presentation that is uploaded into a CRM system produces valuable signals sales teams use to secure leads and close deals.

Managing and gaining access to all that data, at the critical moment in time when its needed, is not always easy - especially with large volumes of both unstructured and structured data comprising the full history of a particular account or prospect. 

This blog explores some of the challenges associated with managing and accessing large data volumes, implications for revenue organizations, and how Egnyte’s integration with Salesforce is helping companies achieve more cost-effective, modern and secure access to critical account documents.

For many mid-sized organizations, its not uncommon to have millions of rows of data and documents inside their Salesforce deployment. Storage limits can quickly exceed limits, for which organizations are must make the choice between deleting records to free up space or purchasing additional storage.

Additional storage in Salesforce can cost as much as $125 per month for 500MB. For users that require access to this data - even those that are outside of the sales organization and may only need to view documents - Salesforce requires a dedicated license, adding another $25 per user, per month charge. 

In addition to these cost implications, Salesforce’s file management system leaves a lot to be desired. Its search tools and version control features were not built with traditional file systems in mind, making it increasingly difficult for users to find what they need when they need it.  

How does Egnyte Help?

Egnyte has partnered to build a secure API between the Salesforce cloud and the Egnyte cloud, so that account data is securely integrated between the two. This means that Salesforce users can directly access files stored in Egnyte from within the Salesforce application. And the same folders and files are also accessible directly through Egnyte’s UI. By storing those files in Egnyte, businesses gain immediate benefits: 

• Document storage cost savings. While there is a small integration charge, you’ll save money every month on storage.  Differences exist in pricing models between Salesforce and Egnyte, but its clear that the storage savings (Egnyte currently charges $350 for 1TB at the time of this post), is significant especially for companies with large volumes of data.
• Wider access footprint. All employees with access to the Egnyte repository also have access to the files, not just those with a Salesforce license. This means that more expensive Salesforce licenses can be reserved for your sales team, while supporting employees from finance, legal, service, and marketing departments can use the lower-cost Egnyte option.
• Advanced collaboration and sharing. Your sales team can more easily find and collaborate on contracts, share documents securely, and provide links for customers to upload documents. Users get the convenience of accessing files in a familiar way from the desktop as well as  mobile devices for teams in the field.

As a secure file repository, there are additional benefits of storing files in Egnyte: 

1. Visibility and control over sensitive information 
2. Automated retention, archival and deletion policies 
3. Access controls
4. Workflows for review and approval of documents
5. Unusual behavior and malware detection 

How It Works

Once the integration has been completed between your Salesforce account and your Egnyte account, your sales team will be able to access files from within Salesforce without leaving the application. At the bottom of a typical customer screen, an Egnyte window appears in the Salesforce interface as shown in the image below.

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When setting up a new customer, you can use templates to establish standard folder structures as well as populating them with template files for your sales team use. Sales teams can access and store files for a customer with little to no training. More importantly, the integration allows your sales teams to securely share files with customers using Egnyte file sharing controls, like link expiration, watermarking, notification when opened, specific email recipients, and encryption. This is a valuable capability when sharing sensitive pricing quotes externally. 

For your employees who don’t need access to Salesforce, they can still access the files by going directly to Egnyte. This allows users in other departments of the company to access files to support the sales process. For instance, finance and legal teams can collaborate on quotes, while service and support can review terms and delivery.

The Egnyte and Salesforce integration helps to streamline quote-to-cash workflows, and at the same time, saves money in storage and licensing costs for supporting personnel. With advanced Egnyte search capabilities, documents are at your teams’ fingertips, allowing them to respond more quickly and effectively, increasing customer satisfaction and accelerating revenue capture.

For more information, see our Salesforce Helpdesk Integration article. and contact your Egnyte representative for more information.

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