Egnyte Integrates iPhone for Mobile, Turns into Hosted Workgroup File Server

Egnyte has become an "online file server." The provider of on-demand file server solutions announced today the launch of Egnyte 2.0 featuring a mobile drive (m Drive), integrating Apple’s iPhone, a new user interface and faster access to files. The developers had in mind a solution for small businesses – meaning that you can now opt for renting a server access from Egnyte instead of having to buy a file server to be used within your workgroup.

Each user receives a private folder and can access a common folder for sharing files with colleagues. Moreover, the service is even easier to manage than with a Windows-based server, the company network is easily accessible from outside, and in addition, Egnyte throws in other services as well which otherwise you might not miss, such as an archive of file revisions and iPhone access (a new feature) to the file stores.

Integrating iPhone requires no purchase or download of any additional software. What Egnyte proposes is to provide the only integrated service for small businesses, combining online file storage, file sharing software and permanent backup in one solution.

Vineet K. Jain, CEO of Egnyte emphasized the advantages their service offer to professionals everywhere:
“The rise of the distributed, mobile workforce creates a greater need for business-class server solutions that are hosted on the cloud. With the shift toward a virtual office, small businesses and professionals need services that work from any location. In particular, for a growing number of professionals, the iPhone functions as their primary Internet access point. With Egnyte 2.0, iPhone users have secure and immediate access to all their files no matter where they are.”

If you’re a "power user," you’ll have to pay $15 per month which means you’ll have access to all Egnyte's features including backup and a virtual hard drive app for their desktop (versions for Windows, Mac, and Linux are provided). Another good news is that no cap on storage space is imposed. As Jain puts it, "Storage is the cheapest part of our cost equation."

Here are several options for file sharing and document teamwork that come with the iPhone integration:

• Share folders. Grant colleagues or clients access to designated folders within your Egnyte file server. The Egnyte system automatically sends an invitation email with access information. This enables quick collaboration on-the-go.
• Share files. Rather than emailing large files, share the file using the iPhone by simply emailing a link to the file. There is an option of setting an expiration time on the link for additional security. The recipient clicks on the link to download the file without having to log into Egnyte.
• Send attachments. Email files from Egnyte as email attachments.
• Version control. If multiple versions of a file exist on the server, Egnyte enables the review of older versions of the files as well as any comments associated with a file.
• Improved User Interface — New, powerful configuration capabilities allow users to set their viewing options such as field widths, field positions and sorting criteria easily.
• Enhanced Backup Capabilities ensure critical data is safe and secure through improved controls such as bandwidth throttling, file type exclusions and scheduling.
• Faster Performance — improved caching in the application tier gives users even faster access to the data they need and reduces latency for overseas connections.

Contacts
Egnyte
Carolyn Adams, 415-963-4174
carolyn (at) bordersgratehouse.com