Citrix Amplifies Enterprise “Follow-me Data” Strategy with New ShareFile Innovations

Introduces StorageZones, StorageZone Connectors and On-demand Sync to Accelerate Enterprise-wide Adoption

BARCELONA, Spain – Today at Citrix Synergy™, the conference where mobile workstyles and cloud services meet, Citrix announced the immediate availability of Citrix ShareFile™ with StorageZones. This innovative new solution gives employees all the ease and flexibility of popular cloud-based data sharing solutions, while providing IT with the ability to choose where data is stored, including on-premises within their own secure datacenters. This “best-of-both-worlds” approach gives users true “follow-me data” services across all corporate and personal mobile devices, while allowing the business to meet strict security, data sovereignty and compliance requirements. ShareFile with StorageZones also allows IT to take advantage of the economic benefits and effortless management of a cloud-based service. In addition, the company announced a new innovation that provides a single point of access to user data residing across various data platforms and a new sync feature optimized for virtual desktops.

Trends such as BYOD and workshifting are driving the need to collaborate and share data across a global, mobile workforce and with third parties. According to an August 2012 Enterprise Strategy Group report*, a vast majority (70 percent) of organizations know or suspect their employees are using personal online file sharing accounts without formal IT approval. As a result, organizations are facing significant security and compliance risks.

To address these demands and extend access to data wherever it is stored, Citrix announced six new capabilities to ShareFile Enterprise, the company’s follow-me data solution for storing, syncing and sharing data securely, both within and outside organizations.

ShareFile with StorageZones – Organizations now have the flexibility to manage their data on-premises in customer-managed StorageZones or choose Citrix-managed StorageZones (secure cloud options available in seven locations around the world) or a mix of both. With customer-managed StorageZones, IT can place data in their organization’s own datacenter to help meet unique data sovereignty and compliance requirements while optimizing performance by storing data in close proximity to the user. By defining where data should be stored, IT is able to build the most cost-effective and customized solution for their organization. Customer-managed StorageZones can be easily integrated with an organization’s existing infrastructure as it is designed to support any Common Internet File System (CIFS)-based network share.
ShareFile StorageZones MPX Appliance – To further simplify deployment of customer-managed StorageZones in a customer’s private datacenter, Citrix will deliver a new purpose-built StorageZones MPX appliance powered by Citrix NetScaler®. The device will add value to customer-managed StorageZones deployments by offering integrated security and optimizing networks and will work effortlessly with existing storage environments.
StorageZone Connectors – The company’s follow-me data strategy now extends beyond the data stored in ShareFile. Working in conjunction with customer-managed StorageZones, StorageZone Connectors let IT create a secure connection between the ShareFile service and user data stored in existing network shares. This innovative capability makes it easy for end users to securely access their work documents on mobile devices through ShareFile apps for iPad and iPhone (support for other devices coming soon), regardless of where the data is actually stored. This approach extends all the simplicity and mobile access benefits of ShareFile to existing data storage platforms, without the need for data migration. Using the new ShareFile StorageZone Connectors, it is now possible to securely view and share documents from network file shares, which otherwise cannot be accessed outside of corporate networks or on mobile devices.
On-demand Sync – The new on-demand sync capability of ShareFile for Windows is designed for pooled and hosted shared virtual desktop environments, including those powered by Citrix XenDesktop® and Citrix XenApp®. Typically in such environments, users sync all their data every time they log into their virtual desktops, putting substantial load on the network, bandwidth and storage. With on-demand sync, users will continue to view all their files and folders within their virtual desktop just like they do today. However, files download and sync only when the user views, edits, saves or shares, resulting in huge reductions in Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) and slashing storage requirements.
Windows 8 Compatibility – Citrix announced availability of compatible versions of ShareFile Sync for Windows and Microsoft Outlook Plug-in.
ShareFile for Microsoft Azure – To provide more cloud storage options to customers, Citrix announced plans to deliver Citrix-managed StorageZones on Microsoft Azure in 2013. This integration will allow ShareFile customers to leverage all the reliable and powerful capabilities of Microsoft Azure by letting them designate data across a seamless global network of Microsoft-managed datacenters. These additional locations will also allow IT to place data close to users to enhance performance.

Availability

Storage center software for on-premises deployment is available today for download. ShareFile Enterprise customers with Citrix-managed StorageZones can start using customer-managed StorageZones today.
StorageZone Connectors tech preview is available today for download and will be generally available in Q4 2012.
On-demand sync will be available in Q4 2012.
Windows 8 compatible versions of ShareFile Sync for Windows and Microsoft Outlook Plug-in are available today.
ShareFile StorageZones MPX Appliance and ShareFile for Microsoft Azure will be available in 1H 2013.

We’ve already seen significant interest in StorageZones from customers, especially those in Europe, where enterprises often require that sensitive documents be stored on premises or in particular legal jurisdictions. ShareFile with StorageZones empowers IT with choice, providing the ability to mix and match and create the right data storage solution for their business. Today’s addition of StorageZone Connectors furthers our vision of allowing users to access all of their important enterprise data securely from any device.

- Jasse Lipton

VP and GM, Data Sharing

Citrix

About Citrix

Citrix (NASDAQ:CTXS) transforms how businesses and IT work and people collaborate in the cloud era. With market-leading cloud, collaboration, networking and virtualization technologies, Citrix powers mobile workstyles and cloud services, making complex enterprise IT simpler and more accessible for 260,000 organizations. Citrix products touch 75 percent of Internet users each day and it partners with more than 10,000 companies in 100 countries. Annual revenue in 2011 was $2.21 billion. Learn more at www.citrix.com.

For Investors

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*Source: ESG Research Report, Online File Sharing and Collaboration: Security Challenges and Requirements, August 2012

ShareFile with StorageZones empowers IT with choice, providing the ability to mix and match and create the right data storage solution for their business. Today’s addition of StorageZone Connectors furthers our vision of allowing users to access all of their important enterprise data securely from any device.

- Jesse Lipson