Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting
an Enterprise File Sync and Share
Product, 2014–2015
Publication Date: 28 Aug 2014
Richard Edwards
|
Product code: IT0021-000018
Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
Summary
Catalyst
Ovum’s 2014 global study of 5,187 full-time employees indicates that 89% of those using file sync and
share technology at work are using at least one consumer product, and 29% are using three or more
consumer and/or commercial products. Only 9% of file sync and share users are satisfied with a
single commercial product, and 44% of employees are not using file sync and share products at all,
relying on other methods such as email attachments to move documents around the business and
their mobile devices. These figures paint an anarchic picture of file sharing and document-centric
collaboration within the workplace, and support Ovum’s thesis that while there may be an enterprise
file sync and share solution to address almost every business need, there is no product that meets
them all.
Ovum view
File sync and share technology supports the need of knowledge workers to keep important files, such
as documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, close to hand, and to share these items when
needed. However, "enterprise file sync and share" is about so much more than the phrase suggests.
It is about: getting work done wherever you are and with whomever you are working; using any device
suitable or available to read, review, author, or correct a document; sharing work-in-progress with a
few, and publishing authoritative content to the many; protecting intellectual property and sensitive
information (whether at rest or in transit) on-premise, in the cloud, or on a device; satisfying the
different needs of the casual user and the power user; being as useful on a mobile device as on a
traditional computer; and working with line-of-business and collaboration systems that the business
already owns, as well as those that it is thinking of getting.
Business efficacy, regulatory compliance, information security, and employee productivity are all
affected by the way knowledge workers create, edit, process, and share documents, so the selection
of enterprise file sync and share products is very much on the critical path of IT-related business
investments. Ovum’s market analysis suggests that only 5% of employees are using a single
commercial product to sync and share their files. This supports Ovum’s thesis that no single file sync
and share product – consumer of otherwise – is able to address all of the needs of a large enterprise.
This highlights the challenge facing CIOs and IT managers as they try to regain control of enterprise
content.
Despite bold vendor claims, no commercial enterprise file sync and share product is dominating the
workplace. The wide-scale use of Dropbox among knowledge workers highlights the power and
impact of IT consumerization, while the pervasiveness of Google Drive (and Apple iCloud)
demonstrates the effects that mobile devices are having on the enterprise. Heritage, legacy, and
pervasiveness continue to influence the market too, with Microsoft the omnipresent force in the enduser computing realm. Three user-oriented themes – ease-of-use, mobile-first design, and integration
with existing products – feature heavily in the products that have found their way into the "market
leaders" category of the Ovum Decision Matrix, highlighting the importance of the user experience in
product selection.
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
All but one of the vendors in the market leaders category offer on-premise (or hybrid) deployment
options, reflecting the belief of vendors that they need to store at least some documents and files in
the corporate data center for compliance, data sovereignty, and pure practicality reasons. Small and
medium-sized organizations differ from large enterprises and multinational organizations in this
regard, hence the market is likely to polarize into two distinct segments in the near and medium term.
Key findings
 Unmanaged consumer services are the most widely used file sync and share technology
within the enterprise, with 89% of users employing consumer tools.
 Of enterprise file sync and share product users, only 9% are satisfied with a single
commercial offering; 29% of users employ three or more products.
 A plethora of file sync and share solutions are targeting the enterprise market, and every
offering appears to have something unique to offer.
 WatchDox ranks highest on the Ovum Decision Matrix for Enterprise File Sync and Share in
terms of features that address end-user and IT management requirements, but the vendor’s
market impact is very low.
 The consumer-centric offerings from Dropbox and Google Drive are the most widely used file
sync and share products in the enterprise, yet the commercial products from these vendors
rank among the lowest in terms of addressing end-user and IT management requirements.
 Organizations, especially large enterprises, evaluating enterprise file sync and share products
must be mindful of the deployment, administration, and support burdens that these systems
place on the corporate IT department.
 Vendors in the enterprise file sync and share market most frequently cite Box as their primary
competitor, followed by Accellion, Citrix, Dropbox, and Microsoft.
 The file sync and share capabilities of Alfresco, Salesforce.com, and Huddle are likely to be
considered "good enough" by the majority of general business users.
 Box is the vendor in the spotlight, while Google and Dropbox are the vendors lurking in the
shadows. Microsoft is the vendor that is omnipresent.
Vendor solution selection
Inclusion criteria
Enterprise file sync and share is a general product term to describe offerings that enable the storage
of, and access to, electronic documents and files from a range of devices and interfaces. These
products enable a selection of files stored on the user’s desktop computer to be synchronized to an
on-premise or cloud-based content store, and thereafter to be accessed on other devices either on
demand or via synchronization. These files can be shared with third parties through links or other
mechanisms. Additional features extend file sync and share functionality to enterprise content
management systems, line-of-business applications, and collaboration environments. Enterprise file
sync and share products differ from consumer alternatives by providing additional administration,
audit, and security features. The primary reasons for inclusion are as follows:
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
 The product identifies with the enterprise file sync and share market: The products
exhibit clear enterprise file sync and share functionality, as detailed in the relevant sections of
this Ovum Decision Matrix.
 The product is relevant to Ovum's enterprise clients: The vendor’s product features in
client enquiries, information requests, workshops, events, and advisory sessions.
 The vendor or product is established in the enterprise market: The product is from a
startup vendor and has been generally available for 36 months, or is from an established
vendor and has been generally available for 12 months.
Exclusion criteria
The enterprise file sync and share market is dynamic and continuously in flux. A number of mergers
and acquisitions have taken place in the past 18 months, and some vendors are realigning and
redefining their product strategies in response to market and economic forces. File sync and share
capabilities are being added to all manner of products and solutions, but it would be inappropriate at
this time to include all of these offerings in this report. The primary reasons for exclusion from this
report are:
 the vendor did not wish to participate in the report at this time
 the product has file sync and share features, but these are not currently central to its core
offering
 the product is new to the market and is not yet commercially proven.
Methodology
Technology assessment
In this assessment dimension, Ovum considers a series of data points that identify features of note
and areas of product differentiation within the enterprise file sync and share market. Essentially, it is
an assessment of end-user product functionality. Vendors were asked to complete Ovum's Enterprise
File Sync and Share Features Matrix, which comprises 241 product functionality data collection points
divided into eight distinct categories. The more data collection points a category has the more
differentiation among products there is in this area. The categories are as follows:
 File synchronization features: The product’s core attributes as an enterprise file sync and
share solution (comprises 46 data collection points).
 File sharing features: The product’s core attributes as an enterprise file sync and share
solution (comprises 28 data collections points).
 Collaboration features: The product’s ancillary collaboration features and the extent to
which the offering helps users to work with others (comprises 22 data collection points).
 Content management features: The product’s level of integration with, and enhancement of,
existing enterprise file and document management infrastructure (comprises 22 data
collection points).
 Search features: The product’s ability to help users find their documents and those created
by others (comprises 38 data collection points).
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
 Social features: The extent to which the product embraces expected enterprise social norms
and mechanisms (comprises 35 data collection points).
 Desktop features: The extent to which the product enhances the purpose and usefulness of
a computer running Microsoft Windows or Apple OS X (comprises 14 data collection points).
 Mobile features: The extent to which the product enhances the purpose and usefulness of a
mobile device, be it a smartphone or tablet (comprises 36 data collection points).
Execution
In this dimension, Ovum considers a series of data points for features and functions that are important
to CIOs, IT departments, and those with IS/IM responsibilities. Essentially, it is an assessment of
"enterprise fit" and the ability to execute a successful rollout of the product. Vendors were asked to
complete Ovum's Enterprise File Sync and Share Features Matrix, which comprises 194 "enterprise
fit" data collection points divided into eight categories. The more data collection points a category has
the more differentiation among products there is in this area. The categories are as follows:
 Deployment features: Assesses the product’s on-premise and cloud deployment options,
regional presence, and directory integration facilities (comprises 23 data collection points).
 Administration features: Assesses the degree to which enterprise administrators can control
aspects of the product and the manner in which it is used (comprises 65 data collection
points).
 Information security management features: Assesses the degree to which the product can
address matters relating to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of corporate files and
data (comprises 22 data collection points).
 Governance, risk, and compliance features: Assesses the extent to which the product can
help organizations address government and industry regulations (comprises 12 data
collection points).
 Systems integration features: Assesses the reach and range of the product’s integration
capabilities (comprises 30 data collection points).
 Licensing features: Assesses the vendor’s approach and flexibility to product licensing
(comprises 17 data collection points).
 Developer features: Assesses the options open to corporate developers and independent
software vendors in terms of APIs and standards support (comprises 12 data collection
points).
 Management reporting features: Assesses the extent to which the product can support
general management reporting requirements (comprises 13 data collection points).
Market impact
In this dimension, Ovum considers the global market impact of a product based on six market
indicators. This is the most challenging dimension to ascertain, as vendors continue to play their cards
close to their chest, only sharing glimpses of business performance and sales data when it
complements and supports their marketing message. As the market matures, Ovum expects market
impact data to become more revealing. The six categories relating to market impact are:
 Revenue: Private companies seldom disclose revenues, and established enterprise vendors
do not usually disclose product revenue unless it is substantial, sustainable, and commercially
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
in their best interests to do so. Also, product and vendor revenue profiles are changing with
the advent of SaaS and freemium models, so Ovum is very cautious in its weighting of this
factor.
 Market competitiveness: Ovum’s examination of the enterprise file sync and share market
includes a detailed look at the competitive landscape. Every vendor has a few competitors
that it competes against on a regular basis, and Ovum’s research methodology captures this
information, using it to rank vendors accordingly.
 Customer deployments: The potential business value of enterprise file sync and share
products is proportional to the number of employees or participants that have access to them,
so one must try to determine the extent to which end users are engaging on these platforms.
Vendors provide only indicative numbers when talking about paying customers and total
number of end users, so Ovum tempers these figures with its own market survey data and
publically available data, such as mobile app downloads and installs.
 Geographical penetration:Where the information is provided, Ovum is able to establish the
geographical reach of the product, both in terms of regional brand recognition and physical
presence. Data center locations, sales operations, and provision of local support are also
given merit.
 Vertical industry penetration:Some vendors provide industry-specific solutions and/or
implementation expertise, while others partner with industry specialists and consultancies to
extend their reach and range. Where provided, this information is considered along with other
market impact indicators.
 Market segment focus: Small, medium, and large enterprises often have very different
business and technical requirements, and vendors deal with these segments of the market in
different ways. Contract negotiation, bespoke service level agreements, customized support
options, and tailored billing arrangements are important considerations for large companies
and public sector organizations. Ovum considers the extent to which vendors are realistically
able to address these areas.
Ovum ratings
 Market leaders: This category is reserved for enterprise file sync and share products that
score significantly above the combined group average. The primary metrics considered are
those derived from assessing product functionality and enterprise fit as described above.
Vendors appearing on this list do so based on Ovum's weightings and general market
assumptions. Organizations evaluating the enterprise file sync and share market should pay
particular attention to vendors in this category.
 Market challengers:This category is reserved for enterprise file sync and share products that
score on or around the combined group average. The primary metrics considered are those
derived from an assessment of product functionality and enterprise fit as described above.
Ovum recognizes the significance of market impact, but it is given less weighting as it is not
an easily verifiable measure.
 Market followers: This category is reserved for enterprise file sync and share products that
generally score below the combined group average. All dimensions and their constituent
categories are included. Vendors appearing on this list do so based on Ovum's weightings
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
and general market assumptions. Businesses and institutions evaluating the enterprise file
sync and share market should consider the market and product strategies of the vendors
listed in this category, as they may well align with the business and technical strategies of the
organization.
Ovum Decision Matrix Interactive
The Enterprise File Sync and Share Ovum Decision Matrix Interactive is an online tool that provides
Ovum clients with the product and IT management features that Ovum believes are crucial
differentiators for leading products in this area. Access to this tool is via the Ovum Knowledge Center.
Market and product analysis
Ovum Decision Matrix: Enterprise File Sync and Share
A plethora of file sync and share solutions are targeting the enterprise market, yet every offering
appears to have something unique to offer. As always, the challenge for CIOs and IT managers is to
identify the solution that best meets the organization's current and future requirements, with regard to
a broad set of employee roles and business use cases. Herein lies the problem, as no single product
on the market today offers everything that a large enterprise is likely to need.
Ovum has discussed the provision of file sync and share products with CIOs and IT managers across
a broad cross section of industries, and while there is no universal pattern, it seems that small and
medium-sized companies are finding it easier to adopt a single offering from the more familiar
commodity end of the market, while larger enterprises are combining products and solutions to meet a
diverse range of business needs.
Many organizations have invested in virtual private networks (VPNs) and remote access solutions to
support field-based employees and home-working arrangements, but these solutions are typically
designed to connect only company-owned and managed Windows PCs to the corporate network, not
employee-owned laptops, smartphones, or tablets via the Internet. An employee on a personal device
trying to remotely access a Microsoft Office document stored on a central file server or document
management system, located behind a corporate firewall, is not going to have much success, hence
the need for integrated enterprise file sync and share solutions.
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
Figure 1: Ovum Decision Matrix: Enterprise File Sync and Share, 2014
Source: Ovum
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
Figure 2: Expanded view of Ovum Decision Matrix: Enterprise File Sync and Share, 2014
Source: Ovum
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
Table 1: Enterprise File Sync and Share: market leaders, challengers, and followers
Market leaders
Market challengers
Market followers
AirWatch (by VMware) Secure Content
Locker
Accellion Kiteworks
Acronis Access
Box Enterprise Edition
Alfresco One
Dropbox for Business
Egnyte Enterprise File Sharing Suite
Citrix ShareFile
Google Drive for Work
EMC Syncplicity
Hightail for Enterprise
OpenText Tempo Box
IBM Connections and IBM SmartCloud
Connections
Huddle
WatchDox
Intralinks VIA
Microsoft OneDrive for Business
Salesforce Files
Workshare Connect
Source: Ovum
Market leaders: vendor products
The market leaders group of this Ovum Decision Matrix reflects the broad range of products and
solutions available in this segment of the enterprise collaboration market. This group contains the
following vendors:
 AirWatch– a recently acquired vendor specializing in mobile device management, mobile
application management, and mobile content management solutions.
 Box – a fast-growing, cloud-native, collaborative content management service for enterprises,
business professionals, and individuals.
 Egnyte– a cloud-first vendor providing access to on-premise storage and content.
 EMC Syncplicity – a company founded by former Microsoft employees and now an integral
part of a leading enterprise IT infrastructure vendor.
 IBM– an industry mega-vendor and supplier of enterprise IT products, solutions, and services.
 WatchDox– a small, SaaS-based document-centric security vendor specializing in protecting
access to sensitive digital assets via modern devices.
Figures 1 and 2 display the relative positioning of the 19 enterprise file sync and share products
assessed for this report. The x-axis is a measure of each product’s ability to satisfy a range of usercentric requirements, while the y-axis is a measure of how well a product meets the requirements of
IT departments, system administrators, and developers. The size of each bubble indicates the relative
impact that each product is having on the market, including the consumer market where applicable, as
every enterprise employee is first and foremost a consumer. Vendors are placed in the market leaders
category if they significantly outperform the group average in the technology assessment (x-axis)
dimension and the execution (y-axis) dimension.
The enterprise file sync and share market is being carried along by the enterprise mobility wave, so
mobile-first vendors, or those with strong mobile propositions, are well represented in the market
leaders category. The file sync and share products of AirWatch, Box, Egnyte, EMC Syncplicity, and
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
IBM all outperformed the group average for enterprise mobility features based on Ovum’s detailed
feature assessment.
Information security management continues to be of great importance to enterprises, thus vendors
that are able to demonstrate practical features in this regard gain extra credit for their efforts.
AirWatch, Egnyte, EMC Syncplicity, IBM, and WatchDox all outperformed the group average when
Ovum assessed their information security management features.
Multinational organizations and large enterprises still find cloud-only solutions restrictive when it
comes to dealing with complex business requirements, so products that support hybrid deployment
options are eagerly sought by CIOs and corporate IT managers. Box is the only vendor in the market
leader category unable to support this requirement natively.
Conceptually, file sync and share products straddle the content management and collaboration
markets, so vendors already established in these domains usually have complementary products,
features, and functionality that add value to their proposition. Somewhat surprisingly, only AirWatch,
Box, and WatchDox scored equal to or above the group average in both content management and
collaboration features assessment categories.
Based on Ovum’s assessment criteria, WatchDox is the product that best addresses the combined
requirements of the end-user and IT department, but its market impact has yet to be felt. Product
marketing plays a significant role in the world of enterprise IT, so it will be interesting to see if
WatchDox can break out of the niche market position in which it sits today. Earlier this year the vendor
launched a freemium offering – LockDox – to showcase the capabilities of WatchDox, so it will be
interesting to see if the industry’s most secure, most complete file sharing technology has general
market appeal.
Market challengers: vendor products
The market challengers category is comprised of nine vendors, each offering a different starting point
and value proposition for organizations evaluating enterprise file sync and share functionality.
 Accellion provides private cloud file sharing and mobile collaboration facilities and is favored
by IT managers. It needs to enhance the search and social capabilities of its offering to move
into the market leaders category.
 Alfresco provides enterprise content management solutions with strong document
management and collaboration features. It is a browser-friendly product and a good allrounder from a file sync and share perspective. It now needs to advance its desktop and
mobile features.
 Citrix is a major player in the enterprise infrastructure market, and its astute investments
have resulted in an interesting set of discrete collaboration and communication products. If it
could better ally these investments, it would move into the market leaders category.
 Hightail, a pure-play file sync and share vendor, established its market presence under the
brand YouSendIt. It needs to find new ways to differentiate its enterprise offerings in order to
advance on the market leaders.
 Huddle provides its file sync and share facilities as an integral part of its cloud-based
collaboration and content management solution. The product’s web-based user interface
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
meets the needs of desktop and laptop users, but the vendor must focus on bringing the full
power of Huddle to all of its mobile device users.
 Intralinks has extended the reach and range of its inter-enterprise content management and
collaboration platform by developing a well-balanced enterprise file sync and share product.
The vendor looks set to challenge the market leaders with its innovative ideas and attractive
enterprise services.
 Microsoft has said that it will "reinvent productivity for people who are swimming in a growing
sea of devices, apps, data, and social networks." Office 365 will be the collective focus of this
reinvention and is the company’s vehicle toward the market leaders group.
 Salesforce.com is well known for its customer relationship management product, the market
success of which is underpinned by the ancillary features that the vendor provides. Ovum’s
assessment of Salesforce Files shows it to be an excellent fit for most enterprise file sync and
share requirements, and equal to most products on the market.
 Workshare provides secure enterprise file sharing and collaboration applications. The vendor
has a stronghold in business sectors that have a particular focus on document-centric
processes. Workshare Connect is a good all-rounder from an enterprise file sync and share
perspective, and future iterations of the product are sure to challenge the market leaders
group.
Market followers: vendor products
The market followers category is comprised of four vendors, two of which ( Dropbox and Google)
dominate the enterprise market with their consumer-focused offerings. Ovum’s 2014 global study of
5,188 full-time employees indicates that the consumer offerings of these companiesare used
extensively in the workplace. Extrapolating from Ovum’s survey data, 45% of the employees that use
file sync and share technology in the workplace use Dropbox, and 48% use Google Drive. Apple
iCloud and Microsoft OneDrive are also used in the workplace, with figures of 25% and 21%
respectively. Dropbox and Google would have similar market shares to Box (12%) if they could upsell
25% of their workplace user base into their respective enterprise products.
Enterprise content management (ECM) vendors have realized that file sync and share apps provide
casual business users with the perfect interface to their "industrial" products. OpenText provides
qualifying customers with Tempo Box – the company’s enterprise file sync and share product – free of
charge. OpenText is iterating rapidly to bring new features and functions to Tempo Box users, and its
efforts will unlock the value of the content stored within its popular ECM platform.
Business continuity is often viewed from a department or an organizational perspective, but the loss of
an employee’s files or documents can also impact operations, product delivery, and customer service.
It is not surprising, therefore, that backup and recovery vendors, such as Acronis, have entered the
market, focusing on the core essentials of enterprise file sync and share.
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
Market leaders
Market leaders: technology assessment
Figure 3: Ovum Decision Matrix: Enterprise File Sync and Share market leaders – technology
assessment
Source: Ovum
Organizations evaluating enterprise file sync and share products should focus on the vendor's stated
direction, roadmap, evolutionary progress, and general business relevancy, rather than fixating on the
offering's current level of functionality. However, every organization has its own minimum viable
feature set that will make for a successful deployment, so this report should be used to shortlist
possible solutions.
Figure 3 shows how the products presented in this report compare to one another in terms of the
functionality they provide to the end user. The dotted blue line marks the combined group average,
revealing the products that currently offer above-average end-user functionality.
AirWatch, Box, Citrix, Egnyte, EMC Syncplicity, IBM, Microsoft, Salesforce, WatchDox, and
Workshare are the front runners in providing the features that matter most to end users: file
synchronization, file sharing, collaboration, content management, search, and social. It is important
that this functionality is available to the devices and computers used by enterprise employees.
Figure 3 illustrates the competitive nature of the enterprise file sync and share market, and highlights
the attention being given to the end-user experience. Dropbox has the lowest relative score in Ovum’s
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
analysis, yet 45% of employees using file sync and share products at work are using the company’s
consumer-oriented offering – nearly four-times that of any "commercial" product. Indeed, Ovum’s
2014 Employee Mobility survey indicates that 89% of employees using file sync and share technology
for work purposes rely on consumer-oriented offerings, such as Apple iCloud, Baidu Pan, Dropbox,
Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive. If they are to make headway, enterprise file sync and share
products must delight end users as much as, if not more than, the consumer products they are
currently using.
Market leaders: execution
Figure 4: Ovum Decision Matrix: Enterprise File Sync and Share market leaders – execution
Source: Ovum
Organizations, especially large enterprises, evaluating enterprise file sync and share products must
be mindful of the deployment, administration, and support burdens that these systems place on the
corporate IT department. Even products offered as software-as-a-service (SaaS) have an overhead,
which could be significant if issues such as compliance, information governance, user management,
and management reporting are not carefully considered. Deployment options vary among the
products presented in this report, and integration with existing collaboration systems and line-ofbusiness applications is patchy once one moves away from popular applications, such as SharePoint
and Salesforce.
Figure 4 shows how the vendors presented in this report compare to one another in terms of their
execution and, more specifically, their enterprise fit. The dotted blue line marks the combined group
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
average, revealing the products that offer above-average functionality in terms of meeting CIO and IT
department requirements.
AirWatch Secure Content Locker, Box Enterprise Edition, Egnyte Enterprise File Sharing Suite, EMC
Syncplicity, IBM Connections, and WatchDox are the standout products based on the vendor
response to Ovum’s features matrix. These products are generally mature and have been developed
with enterprises in mind. The products from Accellion, Citrix, Intralinks, Salesforce.com, and
Workshare also deserve mention, as they also address important IT management requirements. To
its detriment, Microsoft did not have the resources to fully complete the Ovum features matrix for
Enterprise File Sync and Share, so Ovum would advise close inspection of the vendor’s offering,
especially in the area of management reporting, developer support, systems integration, and overall
systems administration.
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
AirWatch (by VMware) Secure Content Locker – Ovum
Decision Matrix: market leader
Figure 8: AirWatch (by VMware) Secure Content Locker
Source: Ovum
Ovum SWOT assessment
Strengths
Merits "best-in-show" for product functionality and range of end-user features– Enterprise file
sync and share solutions must of course satisfy the management requirements of the corporate IT
department, but all this will be to no avail if the end user finds the product difficult to use and lacking in
capabilities. AirWatch Secure Content Locker currently merits the title of "best-in-show" in terms of
features that matter to users of computers and mobile devices.
Extends powerful search capabilities to mobile devices – The AirWatch Secure Content Locker
app enables full-text search on mobile devices and can be used to search metadata of popular file
formats, such as Microsoft Office documents. The product also provides the more advanced user with
proximity and "fuzzy" search capabilities, the results of which can also be sorted. Search terms can be
restricted to file names, folder names, and branches of a folder tree.
Native content management features complement direct access to third-party document
management systems – AirWatch Secure Content Locker users on computer and mobile devices
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
can access content stored in third-party enterprise content management systems, such as Microsoft
SharePoint, EMC Documentum, OpenText, and IBM FileNet.
Weaknesses
Support for some important system integration features is patchy – Developers expect modern
products and infrastructure components to offer good support for commonly used standards,
protocols, and programmatic interfaces, so there could potentially be some disappointments with this
offering, as AirWatch support for OpenID, OAuth, WebDAV, and SAML is patchy. AirWatch supports
OAuth and WebDav for repository integration and permits SAML for authentication via SSO with its
agent. The company is currently working on SAML for repository integration.
AirWatch has yet to develop out-of-the-box integrations with line-of-business applications –
"Enterprise-fit" is an important aspect of any IT purchasing decision, and the more boxes a vendor
can tick in terms of supporting line-of-business systems the better. Currently, AirWatch has not
integrated Secure Content Locker with any on-premise or cloud-based ERP, CRM, SCM, or MRP
solutions. Moreover, there are no pre-built integrations with workflow systems.
Opportunities
New vendors have a chance to change the way work gets done – An Ovum survey of IT
professionals indicates that 23% of organizations are either adopting a wait-and-see approach when it
comes to enterprise mobility or have no foreseeable plans in this regard. This presents a real
opportunity for AirWatch and other newcomers to the enterprise collaboration market, as it means that
offerings from incumbent vendors are not hitting the mark or sparking business innovation.
AirWatch to boost VMware’s credentials in the mobile-first, end-user computing space –
VMware’s acquisition of AirWatch in January 2014 for $1.54bn is undoubtedly more strategic than its
2011 acquisition of Socialcast, an enterprise social networking product, but it still points to a desire to
be a provider of end-user computing products. It will be interesting to see how VMware leverages the
AirWatch acquisition as enterprises seek to develop their mobile-first, enterprise collaboration
strategies.
Threats
AirWatch must reestablish its identity and offerings as a VMware subsidiary – The enterprise
file sync and share market is not an easy one in which to compete. However, there is almost an
expectation that, as a VMware brand, AirWatch will now take on all-comers, but at what risk? As
enterprises go about selecting strategic suppliers to power their mobile-first strategies, AirWatch may
have to decide which battles it chooses to fight: enterprise file sync and share or mobile device
management (MDM)?
© 2014 Ovum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
Appendix
Further reading
Enterprise File Sync and Share Fundamentals for Business Managers, EI024-000005 (April 2014)
Enterprise File Sync and Share Fundamentals for IT Managers, EI024-000004 (April 2014)
The New Digital Workspace: An Opportunity Not to Be Squandered, IT0021-000016 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: Accellion Kiteworks, EI0024-000013 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: Acronis Access Version 6.1, IT0021-000015 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: AirWatch, by VMware, Secure Content Locker Version 7.1, IT0021-000012 (July
2014)
SWOT Assessment: Alfresco One Version 4.2; Alfresco in the cloud, EI0024-000014 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: Box Enterprise Edition, EI0024-000007 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: Citrix ShareFile, EI0024-000009 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: Dropbox for Business, EI0024-000008 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: Egnyte Enterprise File Sharing Suite, EI0024-000004 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: EMC Syncplicity, IT0021-000014 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: Google Drive for Work, EI0024-000017 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: Hightail for Enterprise, EI0024-000015 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: Huddle, EI0024-000016 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: IBM Connections Version 5.0 and IBM SmartCloud Connections, EI0024-000011
(August 204)
SWOT Assessment: Intralinks VIA Enterprise, Version 1.6, EI0024-000005 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: Microsoft OneDrive for Business, EI0024-000019 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: OpenText Tempo Box Version 10.5, EI0024-000018 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: Salesforce.com – Salesforce Files, IT0021-000013 (July 2014)
SWOT Assessment: WatchDox, Version 4, EI0024-000012 (August 2014)
SWOT Assessment: Workshare Connect, EI0024-000010 (July 2014)
Author
Richard Edwards, Principal Analyst, Enterprise Mobility and Productivity
[email protected]
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Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting an Enterprise File Sync and Share Product, 2014–2015
Ovum Consulting
We hope that this analysis will help you make informed and imaginative business decisions. If you
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about Ovum’s consulting capabilities, please contact us directly at [email protected].
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