Egnyte adds PRISM Protection to its cloud service

With so many file-sharing programs already successfully on the market (such as Box and Dropbox), it’s a little surprising to see another one popping up. However, Egnyte the new file sharing service trying to break into the market sets itself apart with its hybrid approach to file storage and sharing.

Unlike Dropbox and Box, Egnyte do not offer its customers free storage, it prides itself on being a service that caters more to business customers. The key difference with Egnyte file sharing is that customers can both store and share files and data from the cloud and from inside the firewall.

What’s drumming up even more interest in the service is the promotion of its PRISM Prevention Program. Following the hysteria of the NSA’s PRISM program, business customers and consumers approach cloud storage with some trepidation.

However, Egnyte have promised that the PRISM Protection Program is designed to detect any activity or file sharing that hasn’t been authorised by the company’s IT department in order to prevent the government’s (or any other) prying eyes tapping into private or sensitive data.

[youtube url=”http://youtu.be/lSkq-lMO9Hw” disablekb=”1″ rel=”0″ showsearch=”0″ showinfo=”0″]

The file types are allocated a colour to differentiate between privacy levels of the data or file. Green files (such as sales products sheets) are stored in the cloud as are yellow files (such as design notes) for archival purposes only. Red files (which contain private or sensitive data) are kept behind the firewall. Company employees can then access any of these files from mobile, browsers or desktop aps through use of the service Storage Connect.

CEO of the company, Vineet Jain believes that more companies are interested in using cloud storage facilities for their business but have concerns regarding the security of their information. After word of the NSA’s PRISM program got out back in June of this year, it’s only natural that many businesses are hesitant to entrust cloud storage programs with their data.

The service is already used by over 30,000 businesses and recent hires have included high profile clients such as VMware and EMC. With a significant rebranding including a change of logo and website overhaul as well as a strong marketing strategy, Jain is aiming to compete with other leading brands like Box to win huge contracts with the likes of Microsoft.