File-sharing provider Egnyte has a new offering that is sure to be popular with businesses and even may help out if the National Security Agency (News - Alert) wants to inspect your files.
Along with the release of Storage Connect, Egnyte has a website with a “PRISM prevention program.” It tells how files can be protected – if the government is interested in them.
A key benefit with Storage Connect is how it gives users access to files behind a firewall without a Virtual Private Network.
“The addition of Storage Connect makes Egnyte's solution the industry's only file sync and sharing platform to address the full range of enterprise file-sharing needs, enabling businesses to easily access their most sensitive files, while still meeting their industry's regulatory requirements,” according to a company statement.
Storage Connect lets businesses access and share files by using a computer, smartphone, or tablet. There is no need to go to the cloud. Files can be shared just as if they were on a cloud service, but with Storage Connect the files do not leave an enterprise’s own network, according to news reports.
There are many files which contain valuable content that a business never wants to be seen by others. Examples could include product designs, proposed deals or information about customers, and more.
“We recognized that about 90 percent of a company’s files are still held behind the firewall,” Egnyte CEO Vineet Jain told All Things D. “Not everything belongs in the cloud, and not everything belongs on-premise.”
Overall, there is concern among businesses about security risk and file sharing. IDG reports that three fifths of companies surveyed worry that cloud file sharing compromises their security over data. In addition, IDG says the survey found that an average of 61 percent of files are stored locally because of worries about cloud-only storage methods.
"Enterprises will always have files that cannot be stored in the cloud due to government regulations, privacy issues or intellectual property concerns," Jain said in a statement. "These files are often the most valuable to an organization, so providing private access to these files when and where business happens is critical. We believe the addition of Storage Connect will enable companies of all sizes to fully embrace the cloud era without compromising their privacy or security."
Egnyte has 33,000 enterprise customers and more than 1.2 million individual users. Its customers tend to be small- and medium-sized companies interested in the firm’s hybrid approach. More recently it is targeting larger enterprises, according to VentureBeat.
There are some better-known file sharing companies out there. Box and Dropbox (News - Alert) are examples.
Yet, Egnyte has seen growth from increased sales and definite interest from investors. Egnyte has raised $10 million from Kleiner Perkins and $16 million from Google (News 
- Alert) Ventures.
As of this month, Egnyte is looking for $25 million from investors, which would bring total raised to $58 million. An IPO may take place in 2015, VentureBeat said.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi
