Syncplicity

Syncplicity Mobile World-Ready!

It’s an exciting day at Syncplicity as we release updated mobile apps for iOS and Android devices in 4 different languages – French, Italian, German and Spanish.

Usage of enterprise apps in the mobile market are increasing at a rapid phase in this post-PC era. In a study published by International Data Corporation (IDC) the Western European mobile enterprise application platform (MEAP) market is set to grow at a rate of over 25% over the next five years. Not surprisingly, usage of our mobile apps is sky rocketing around the world and we are thrilled with the positive ratings you are giving us. That’s why we are so excited to now offer these localized versions of our iOS and Android apps.

To install or update Syncplicity for iOS (iPhone and iPad) visit the iTunes Store and download the Syncplicity app in the language of your choice.

To install/update Syncplicity for your Android-powered app for smartphones tablets visit Google Play. You can also install/update Syncplicity for the Amazon Kindle Fire from the Amazon Kindle store.

We are extremely excited about  this announcement and would love to hear what you think. Click here to send us your feedback!

The Syncplicity Team

( Syncplicity Mobile iOS App - French)

(Syncplicity Mobile iOS App - Italian)

( Syncplicity Mobile Android App- German)

Syncplicity Mobile Android App- Spanish

Syncplicity for Android 2.1 Now Available!

Our latest version of Syncplicity for Android is now available through Google Play (download it here). We're excited about this release because it brings automatic push synchronization of "favorite" files and folders and notifications of favorite file changes to the Android platform (it was available for iOS last month). 

Here's what's included in this new release:

• Automatic, push-based file and folder synchronization for anytime instantaneous access to files, even offline. Just look for the green checkmark to see which files have been synced
• Synchronize files and folders on device even when the Syncplicity app isn’t running in the foreground
• Selective sync support for ultimate control over which files and folders automatically synchronize
• A faster and more responsive application helping you access and sync all your files even quicker
• Granular network- and power source-based controls over when synchronization happens to conserve battery and data plans
• New Favorites section for one-tap access to important files and folders in users’ Syncplicity accounts
• Push notifications notify users when team members edit files in shared folders users added to Favorites
• Admin policy controls over synchronization capabilities and settings on mobile devices

We're especially excited about the way push synchronization works even if Syncplicity is not running in the foreground of your Android device. As long as Syncplicity is running on the device, if a file changes in your Syncplicity account (either you or someone else changes it) the new file will be synced to your Android device without having to do a thing! And, we give user-based and central admin controls (with Syncplicity Business Edition) to protect battery life or use of your data plans.

If you haven't already tried Syncplicity on your Android device, now is the time to try it. Download it here.

The Syncplicity Team 

Syncplicity Mobile Version 2.1 for iOS

We are excited to announce availability of Syncplicity Mobile Version 2.1 for iOS!

The big news: this release enables true, automatic push synchronization of selected ("favorited") files and folders to mobile devices so you always have the most recent version of a file available online or offline without requiring you to re-download the file. We also provide you push notifications on you iPhone or iPad whenever a favorited file, or file in a favorited folder, is available.

Here's a summary of what's in the release: 

• Automatically push synchronization of files and folders to mobile devices whenever updates occur so you get offline access to the latest content without having to download it first (compare to others: when a file changes you need to re-download it to get the latest)
• Push notifications let you know whenever a new version is available on your device
• Selective sync using "favorites" gives you control over which files and folders automatically synchronize
• Favorited files are right at your fingertips
• Enhanced IT admin controls conserve device memory and power and protect against overusing data plans

The new release for Apple iPad and iPhone devices is immediately available for download in the Apple Store.

An update for Android devices will be available soon. Stay tuned!

Introducing Syncplicity Group Sharing and Permissions

We are excited to launch our Group Sharing and Permissions beta! 

Businesses are rapidly adopting file sync, sharing and mobility solutions as a new way to enable employees to access their files on all of their devices (online or offline) and more seamlessly collaborate without having to drag-and-drop files to special folders or file servers, or check them in and out of content management systems.

This trend has led many business users to adopt consumer-oriented tools but there are many drawbacks, including the lack of centralized policies to control sharing and lack of visibility for Admins to see what company files are being shared (and to whom). As the business scales, these tools can also create information silos as new users are added but don't have access to the information they need. And they put the business at risk if members leave a group but still have access to files. 

Syncplicity Group Sharing and Permissions builds upon our existing business/enterprise-class security and compliance features to allow IT/Admins to centrally manage groups of users, make sure they have access to shared folders they need, and make sure they are removed from ones they do not. Here is a quick overview of the new capabilities:

Easy Group Sharing

• Users can easily share folders with centrally created group(s) and/or individuals
• Auto-fill makes selection quick and easy
• Granular permissions allow users to share folders with groups in read-only or read-write mode
• New group members gain access to all previously shared folders and can sync them anywhere on their computer
• Removed members lose access to shared folders
• Users don’t have to un-share folders when group members leave
• Syncplicity protects users from permanent deletions as folders are shared to larger groups because only a folder owner can permanently delete files

For IT professionals and Admins Syncplicity makes group management a breeze:

• Admins create and manage groups centrally
• New users can be added to groups and gain immediate access to all folders previously shared with the group
• Admins can see which folders have been shared with each group including who owns the folder and permission level
• Users who are removed from a group lose access to shared folders automatically
• Groups adhere to existing Syncplicity security and compliance policies
• Data retention policies (remote wipe of data) can be enforced for removed users
• Admins can share folders from on-premise file servers so members of the group get online, offline, and mobile access to those folders without having to map drives or configure a VPN

We are excited about how these new features make it easier for businesses to deploy organization-wide, secure file sync, sharing and mobility solutions while avoiding the pitfalls of consumer-based solutions or rigid content management solutions. 

Syncplicity customers interested in participating in the beta program can register at https://syncplicity.wufoo.com/forms/m7x1s1/ for additional details. 

The Syncplicity Team

Upcoming Syncplicity Webinar: Win an iPad!

Learn How to Enable Secure Cloud Storage, File Sync, Sharing and Mobile Access For Your Business

Attend our free webinar, and you will be entered to win a new iPad2!

You'll learn about:

• How businesses are securely enabling users to store, sync, share and access files from the cloud on all their computers and mobile devices
• IT best practices for secure file storage in the cloud
• Case studies of how other businesses benefit from cloud file sync and sharing

Title: "Secure File Sync, Sharing and Mobile Access for Business"

Date: Wednesday, February 22 at 12 Noon (Pacific Time)

Featured Speaker: Leonard Chung, Syncplicity Chief Product Strategist and Co-founder

Register for the Webinar

To get the most out of the webinar and Q&A with Leonard and be eligible for the drawing we suggest that you try Syncplicity Business Edition for free before the webinar.

 

Tip of the Week: Go Ahead and Buy That MacBook Air for Travel!

There's no question that the MacBook Air is a great tool for business travel. But we've often heard the objection that it's not practical because people don't want to risk taking a computer on the road and not having access to all their files. 

Fortunately, Apple's iCloud is making it easier to have a travel computer fully loaded with all your photos and music, but what about you work files? iCloud is not where you (or your IT folks) want business documents. It's not made for that and it doesn't have the security and Admin capabilities businesses need. 

What about other consumer tools and web portals? They're not a great solution either. They also lack proper business-level security and controls. And, they require you to "think ahead" and save your files somewhere so you can access them later. That's exactly the "extra work" that prevents us from buying that travel computer!

Enter Syncplicity.

With Syncplicity you can sync all the folders you work in on your work computer and have them syned to exactly the same folder structure on your travel computer! Your entire universe of work files will be with you without having to think ahead, drag-and-drop them, or check them in to a web content management system. And, if it's mobile file access you are looking for, they will also be available to you on your iPhone, iPad or Android devices... automatically and seamlessly.   

Here's a short video that shows you how to set up Syncplicity to sync your entire Documents folder. And, don't worry, if you want to not sync some folders, it's easy to exclude them.

So, go ahead and buy that MacBook Air (or whatever notebook you prefer)! And, rest assured that if you have to run out of the office, all your work will be ready for you, exactly where you left it.  

Syncplicity Version 1.6 for iPhone and iPad Now Available

We're excited to announce Version 1.6 of Syncplicity for iOS (iPad and iPhone)! Here's what's new:

• Upload files to Syncplicity from other iPhone and iPad apps with the click of a button! Any app that supports Apple’s built-in "Open In…" feature – such as Safari, Mail, and Documents To Go – can now send files directly to any folder in your account. Save email attachments, online PDFs, and edited documents to your cloud with ease!

• The passcode feature we added in our last release to our iPhone app is now also available on the iPad. Protect access to the Syncplicity app with a unique 4-digit passcode that must always be entered, even if the iPad’s device passcode is absent or known.

• A new Filter option on the Files tab now lets you sort files and folders by name, type, size, or date they were last modified on. Plus, you can instruct Syncplicity to display deleted files and folders as well, something that may come in handy the next time you need to open, undelete, or permanently delete these files and folders right from your device.

• You’ll find a new Filter button on the News Feed. Use it to zero in on events in a specific Syncplicity folder and/or skip events you yourself generated.

• For additional security and compliance, Syncplicity now makes use of Apple’s latest encryption technology (named Data Protection) on iPhones and iPads. This further enhances and strengthens Syncplicity’s existing encryption process by doubly protecting sensitive data with your device’s passcode.

To download the latest version of Syncplicity for your iPhone or iPad simply go to the App Store on your device and update your apps. If you don't already have the app, you can get it fro the Apple App Store.

The Syncplicity Team

Announcing the Syncplicity Security and Compliance Console

We are excited to announce the Syncplicity Security and Compliance Console! Several new enhancements, coupled with previously existing security policy controls, in our Business Edition allow businesses of all sizes to safely deploy cloud-based file sync, mobile access, sharing and back up that gives users access to all the files they need, wherever they are.  And give IT administrators the centralized tools they require to protect corporate assets and dramatically reduce infrastructure and support costs.

There is no question that business users are demanding more and more flexibility in accessing their files wherever they are: on different computers, mobile devices, business apps like SharePoint, and cloud apps like Salesforce and Google Apps/Docs.

Syncplicity has always been at the forefront of enabling a simple, seamless user experience-- one that doesn't require users to spend time configuring collaboration spaces, checking files in and out of a portal, or dragging-and-dropping files to a folder or shared drive. We've also built our architecture from the ground up to give Admins and IT professionals the security, control and support functions they need.

This new release, coupled with our recently announced mobile security features, further demonstrates our commitment to bring file sync, sharing and mobile access to businesses of all sizes. 

New capabilities include:

• Access Restriction Policies. Centralized control over which devices – either computers or mobile – inside or outside the company may be used to access, sync and share files and folders. 
• Automatic Remote Wipe of unshared folders. This provides easy enforcement of data retention policies, enabling shared files and folders to be automatically and permanently deleted from user devices when that information is un-shared with a user, whether they are an employee, contractor or anyone outside of the company.
• Remote wipe of any computer or device. This gives users or Admins the ability to remote wipe any user account, including their individual computers or mobile devices, of all corporate data managed under Syncplicity, in the event a device is lost, an employee is terminated, a contractor is finished with their assignment, or for any other information compliance reason.
• Scalable enterprise-wide deployment with optional 2-factor authentication and single-sign on.  The Syncplicity Security and Compliance Console enables native support for single sign-on (SSO) against any SAML or OpenID based federated identity provider to enable use of existing credentials such as Active Directory/LDAP, Google Apps, and OneLogin.

We have posted several "Getting Started" guides in our User Manaul as well as the Resources section of our website. 

You can also check out our latest video demos:

• Data retention and folder remote wipe demo
• Client access restrictions demo
• Remote wipe devices demo

Terri McClure, senior analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group said it well:

“Consumerization and mobility are driving a growing need for online file sharing and collaboration solutions. IT needs to address security and control up front to better enable the mobile workforce. Solutions like Syncplicity, that meet the combination of IT requirements for centralized administration and security with end user requirements for ease of access and use are well positioned to truly enable IT to offer its user base a secure mobility solution. IT would be well served to get in front of this trend proactively rather than waiting to get dragged in once its users have made their own personal bets on preferred services.”

The new features can be accessed from the IT Administration Console from any Syncplicity Business Edition account. 

We hope you are as excited about these new features as we are and we look forward to your feedback! We can't wait to show you what's in store after the Holidays! 

The Syncplicity Team

Tip of the Week: Mail Files From Your Home or Office Computer Using Your Android!

Have you ever been on the road and gotten a call that someone needs a file you've been working on?
And needs it immediately?

No more grappling with corporate firewalls or remembering a VPN password. No need to remember in advance to copy your file to a cloud service. It's all there for you, and secure, on your Android. 

Here's what you do:

1. Log on to Syncplicity using the free Syncplicity for Android app
2. Click "Files and Folders"
3. Navigate to the file you need. Notice the folder structure is exactly the same as your computer!
4. Click on the arrow to the right of the file you need to send. This will display file options. 
5. Click on the "Share" option. 
6. You now have 3 choices:

• Share Link: Creates a shareable link that you can then email or SMS to someone
• Copy Link: Creates a shareable link and copies it into your clipboard to paste in another app
• Share File: Downloads the file to your device and attaches it to an email

With just a few clicks you can access any file in your own Virtual Private Cloud wherever you have an Internet connection. Without having to think about it in advance!

Click here get Syncplicity for Android.

Mailing a file is not available for the iPhone or iPad yet but we are looking at it. However, you can email or text a shareable link from those apps. Stay tuned!

Enjoy!

The Syncplicity Team

 

 

 

 

 

Tip of the Week: Migrating Your On-Premise File Servers to the Cloud

Do you have an investment in NAS storage or file servers that you want to move to Syncplicity?  There are many reasons why you might want to do this:

• Access to files and folders without mapping drives, re-authenticating or requiring a VPN.
• Get automatic offline access to files and folders. Your users can work on files when they have no network connectivity and changes will be automatically synced back to the file server when the user goes online (no need to drag and drop!).
• Get automatic backup of every file every time a file changes, with the ability to recover those files as-needed. No need to rely on daily backups or cumbersome restore processes.

Here's how you set up Syncplicity to migrate your on-premise file servers to the cloud:

1. Create an "Corporate Share" Admin Account on Syncplicity Business Edition or Syncplicity Enterprise Edition specifically for "owning" the folders from the server. This account should be different from your primary Syncplicity Admin account.
2. Connect to the file server that owns the folder hierarchies you want to share using a Remote Desktop Connection.
3. Install Syncplicity on the file server and log on to using the "Corporate Share" Admin Account.
4. Find the folders on the file server you want to share using the Syncplicity client (Windows) or your Finder (Mac).
5. Right click on the top-level folders and select "Add to Syncplicity". 
6. Once this is done, the folders you selected will all be uploaded to Syncplicity.
7. Your folders are now migrated to Syncplicity! You can shut down Syncplicity on the remote server and even delete the folders. All of the files and folders are stored, accessible and backed up on Syncplicity. Simply use the new Admin Account to grant access to the folders to new users or remove access when users leave. Your corporate share folders are now completely in Syncplicity. 

To add new users to the new Syncplicity "Corporate Share":

1. Go to https://my.syncplicity.com and log on using the "Corporate Share" Admin Account that was set up to sync the on-premise file servers.
2. Go to the "Console" tab.
3. Select "Manage Users".
4. Select the user that you wish to add to the corporate shared folders.
5. Scroll down until you see "Joined Folders" and select "Manage".
6. You will now see a list of all shared folders in the Syncplicity Business Edition Account. From here, you can give your new user access to the shared corporate folders. Simply find the folders from the on-premise file server and set the permission level ("Collaborator" = Read/Write access, "Reader" = Read Only access).
7. The user will then receive an invitation to download the corporate shared folders. Once they are downloaded the user will have access to the files and folders stored on the on-premise file servers, even if offline or on a mobile device!

Questions? Contact us and we'll be happy to help you get set up.