Risk Management

7 strategic guidelines for an effective EFSS solution

Over time, an Enterprise File Sync and Share (EFSS) solution developed into dominant platforms. EFSS solution helps to drive business operations and innovation to the next level.

Nowadays, the words cloud, Dropbox and OneDrive, are synonymous terms within our daily vernacular. Yet, it’s important to note that these platforms are not always a great combination for your business. Why? Simply put, today businesses need a more secure, modern experience to bring about strong digital transformation.

EFSS solution to CCP

Staying in the past is a bad idea for a business that still utilizes these platforms, “security issues or regulatory requirements” must be a real concern. It’s important to note that having certain criteria in place for a modern EFSS solution, what Gartner now calls “CCP,” is necessary to make an educated decision for a modern digital workplace.

Seven criteria for a modern EFSS solution (CCP)

1.   User Experience

Let’s start with the basics! The design is the key to a great user experience. It must be undetectable for a smooth CCP solution. Deficient design factors slow down work progress and impede the bottom line. You will always run into hassles when your workers don’t have quick access to a reliable solution. Workers tend to veer off course and fall back on handy crutches such as the cloud, etc. These days, organizations still require remote workers to access documents through a VPN—bad idea! If you want to be fully protected, it’s important that they access files through an app that lets them stream and share content without having to log on, download or e-mail files.

These implementations promote a modern way to deliver a secure digital transformation experience.

2.   GDPR

The General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR) is causing many businesses headaches because of the confusion around the new laws. You can spend all day trying to figure out the maze.

Bottom-line takeaway: “Companies based outside the EU must comply if they do business with even one business or individual inside the EU. Penalties are steep if not followed.”

To avoid these penalties, businesses need “data sovereignty.”  This is the “idea that content is subject to governance according to the law of where it is stored.”

The good news is that Axway’s Syncplicity[JM2] supports data sovereignty. The Syncplicity solution provides “built-in location control that gives customers the choice of where their data is stored.” This helps with governance controls. Note that “zero content knowledge is a mandatory requirement for a GDPR-compliant CCP solution.” This simply means that a vendor “encrypts customers’ files so they can be read ONLY by the customer.”

To meet GDPR requirements, companies must have a solution in place that supports which data can be accessed and shared—end of story. Many EU-based companies usually have their data on site. This allows them to keep private data within the EU.

3.   Ransomware

Ransomware is no joke! Back in the day, ransomware was an easy way for small-time crooks to steal information. They have now become savvier (sadly) and are now a serious threat to organizations that are not protected. Ransomware doesn’t take your data. They go one step further and they encrypt it. This means the owner cannot use it. This is a disaster all around if you’re not protected.

A company-wide CCP solution helps to get rid of ransomware threats. Note, no option can stop ransomware all together, but it helps to make the attack irrelevant and mitigate the loss for your company. “Syncplicity aids in ransomware mitigation across industries.”

With a CCP solution in place, you can replicate and restore files back to where they started in the first place. This solution supports quicker retrieval times, as well as reducing costs and lost income.

4.   Cloud vendor lock-in

What is a cloud vendor lock-in? This happens when “a company that has moved part of its business to the cloud and now they can’t move out because migration will be too painful.”

A company should only consider CCP solutions that are “decoupled from storage choice.” A good example is the GDPR. Companies that used US data centers are now required to have their data stored in the region that they are based.

 5.   External sharing

External sharing is a big concern if you’re not protected at the highest level. Compliance and security certainly are important factors, but they are not the only ones for a better solution. Usability must be well-maintained for users on both sides of the coin. Companies that share files with other partners need to look for four features to be protected:

•    Security and user-friendly external sharing capabilities

•    Zero costs for external sharing

•    Control levels of trust

•    Rights management and DLP controls that prevent content from being shared accidentally

This helps to enable a much smoother CCP solution.

6.   Machine collaboration

It’s a fact of life that automation is here to stay. Just go to the corner pharmacy and you end up checking and paying for your own items. Gone are the days of a human doing the work for you in most cases. Companies need to be able to work with automated apps to compete. This is simply a fact of life. This requires a CCP solution that works—and works well.

A company can only work efficiently when automation works in tandem with content collaboration. Syncplicity has improved “operation efficiency, as well as the customer experience, improved utilization, being mobile within existing systems, external sharing which is added to the existing systems, cloud-based distribution capabilities added to existing systems.” All these points help to bring about a smooth CCP solution.

7.   Customer success

To have smooth customer success, you need to have the users and IT teams on board. The IT teams will need help understanding the CCP solutions features and what their full agenda is for a smooth transition. At that time, the system is ready for deployment and configuration.

Thanks to Syncplicity, IT-readiness is available to set up security and administrative controls. Further, Syncplicity drives adoption by delivering guidance and support.

The result is you need user adoption for a positive outcome. To have a real digital transformation all around, companies with regulatory, security and supply chain concerns require a CCP solution that works from the ground up.

Be sure to choose a solution that is designed to leverage technology and not hinder it. These are the ideal foundational steps that you need to have in place to bring about a smooth transition.

Read our White Paper to learn more about the CCP solution.