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Page 1: Info tech cloud_file_sharing_market_report (1)

11Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group, Inc. Is a global leader in providing IT research and advice.Info-Tech’s products and services combine actionable insight and relevant advice with

ready-to-use tools and templates that cover the full spectrum of IT concerns.© 1997-2013 Info-Tech Research Group Inc.

Vendor Landscape: Cloud File SharingWhen email attachments fail you, look up to the Cloud for your file collaboration needs!

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22Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group

As file sizes have increased and document-centric collaboration needs have become more complex, many organizations are turning to cloud file sharing (CFS) products to provide end users with a lightweight but effective solution.

Introduction

IT leaders who want to understand how document-centric collaboration can be enabled via CFS solutions.

Application managers looking to complement their existing ECM ecosystems with cloud file sharing applications.

Enterprises seeking to select a specific vendor for cloud file sharing. Their CFS use case may include:• Need to enable document collaboration for

remote workers.• Need a product for persistent team

communication.

Understand what’s new in the CFS market.

Review the feature sets and functionality offered by market-leading CFS vendors and their products.

Evaluate CFS vendors and products for your enterprise needs.

Determine which products are most appropriate for particular use cases and scenarios.

This Research Is Designed For: This Research Will Help You:

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33Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group

Executive Summary

Info-Tech evaluated eight competitors in the cloud file sharing solution market, including the following notable performers:

Champion:• Box, a vendor that offers a strong enterprise-ready product,

combined with an excellent third-party application ecosystem.

Value Award:• Google, the vendor that provides the most bang for the buck with

its unparalleled search capabilities.

Trend Setter Award:• Infrascale, a vendor that boasts a CFS solution with military-grade

security with its three-layer encryption.• Citrix, a vendor that offers unique on-premise or hybrid

deployment models for its CFS solution.

1. It’s easier than SharePoint and can integrate with SharePoint on the back end.Knowledge workers are embracing CFS more rapidly than other content collaboration tools, like SharePoint, because the file/folder metaphor is well-understood by knowledge workers and is mobile-ready out of the box.

2. Collaboration features are most important.The ability for employees to act upon content shared through CFS provides the value. Look for features like follow, comment, assign task, and co-edit.

3. The enterprise security gap is almost closed.Over half of the vendors in this report support full IT admin, security, and audit controls. Some support private/public data storage options. However private, enterprise-controlled cloud encryption remains absent at this time.

Info-Tech Insight

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44Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group

Market Overview

How it got here Where it’s going

As the market evolves, capabilities that were once cutting edge become default and new functionality becomes differentiating. File syncing has become a Table Stakes capability and should no longer be used to differentiate solutions. Instead focus on collaboration capabilities and advanced security features (such as multiple layers of encryption and single sign on) to get the best fit for your requirements.

• Internet file hosting services have been around for a long time, but only after the advent of Box and Dropbox in 2006 did the market gain mainstream traction from consumers.

• The massive end-user adoption was mainly due to the ease of use achieved from automated syncing capabilities, as well as a “files and folders” metaphor that end users embraced over more complicated ECM paradigms.

• As the market started to mature in recent years, existing vendors began to shift focus from consumers to businesses. Many of the newest entrants to the market are completely enterprise-focused.

• In preparation to pitch towards businesses, many CFS vendors were quick to add administrative capabilities over sharing files with internal teams and external recipients. They have also put in effort to secure files in transit and at rest.

• Following the “consumerization of IT” trend, adoption of CFS solutions by businesses is mostly initiated bottom-up. However, sales and marketing effort from vendors is slowly changing the purchase pattern, and Info-Tech is seeing more and more CFS adoption as an enterprise initiative.

• The core technology around file storing/syncing is fully mature. Vendors are now focusing on social collaboration. Some innovators today are already offering features such as threaded discussions, personalized activity streams, tasks, and synchronous editing of files.

• However, the movement towards collaboration introduces much overlap with social collaboration platforms, which is an already mature market. Therefore, Info-Tech predicts the two markets will converge within the next five years. We also predict that managed file transfer and cloud backup vendors will be making major plays in the CFS market in the next 12 to 18 months.

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CFS vendor selection / knock-out criteria: market share, mind share, and platform coverage

• Box: An extremely popular business-ready alternative to the more unsecure consumer offerings.

• Citrix ShareFile: An innovative solution with an on-premise option for risk or compliance-minded organizations.

• Dropbox for Business: Better known in the consumer space, Dropbox now has an enterprise play as well.

• Google Drive: Originally a popular consumer offering, Drive is now finding itself being used by E2E teams as well.

• Infrascale FileLocker: A newer entrant, but one with a powerful and compelling story around file security.

• Microsoft SkyDrive: Microsoft is joining the fray, integrating SkyDrive with Office 365 and SharePoint.

• SugarSync: A compelling offering with an extremely consistent interface across multiple devices.

• Hightail (formerly YouSendIt): A best-of-breed option for deep email integration and attachment replacement.

Included in this Vendor Landscape:

• Vendors in this report are some of the most prominent and well-recognized CFS vendors from a business-focus standpoint. We also evaluated a few juggernauts with a strong consumer presence, but that are making enterprise plays as well. Excluded were purely consumer-focused offerings (such as iCloud).

• For this Vendor Landscape, Info-Tech focused on those vendors that offer broad capabilities across multiple platforms and that have a strong market presence and/or reputational presence among mid- and large-sized enterprises.

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6Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group

1234

Criteria Weighting:

Cloud File Sharing criteria & weighting factors

20%

20%

20%

40%

30%

70%

Vendor is committed to the space and has a future product and portfolio roadmap.Strategy

Vendor offers global coverage and is able to sell and provide post-sales support. Reach

Vendor is profitable, knowledgeable, and will be around for the long term.Viability

Vendor channel strategy is appropriate and the channels themselves are strong. Channel

The three-year TCO of the solution is economical.Affordability

The delivery method of the solution aligns with what is expected within the space.Architecture

The solution’s dashboard and reporting tools are intuitive and easy to use.Usability

The solution provides basic and advanced feature/functionality.Features

30%

30%

15%

25%

Features Usability

Architecture Affordability

Product

Vendor

Viability Strategy

Channel Reach

Product Evaluation Criteria

Vendor Evaluation Criteria

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77Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group

The Info-Tech CFS Vendor Landscape:

The Info-Tech Cloud File Sharing Vendor Landscape

Champions receive high scores for most evaluation criteria and offer excellent value. They have a strong market presence and are usually the trend setters for the industry.

Market Pillars are established players with very strong vendor credentials, but with more average product scores.

Innovators have demonstrated innovative product strengths that act as their competitive advantage in appealing to niche segments of the market.

Emerging Players are comparatively newer vendors who are starting to gain a foothold in the marketplace. They balance product and vendor attributes, though score lower relative to market Champions.

For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Vendor Landscape is created, see Information Presentation – Vendor Landscape in the Appendix.

The Zones of the Landscape

Box

Citrix

Dropbox

Google

Infrascale

Microsoft

SugerSync

Hightail

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99Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group

What is a Value Score?

The Info-Tech Cloud File Sharing Value Index

4050

6070

8090

3020

10

The Value Score indexes each vendor’s product offering and business strength relative to their price point. It does not indicate vendor ranking.

Vendors that score high offer more bang for the buck (e.g. features, usability, stability, etc.) than the average vendor, while the inverse is true for those that score lower.

Price-conscious enterprises may wish to give the Value Score more consideration than those who are more focused on specific vendor/product attributes.

On a relative basis, Google maintained the highest Info-Tech Value ScoreTM of the vendor group. Vendors were indexed against Google’s performance to provide a complete, relative view of their product offerings.

Champion

For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Value Index is calculated, see Information Presentation – Value Index in the Appendix.

For an explanation of how Price is determined, see Information Presentation – Price Evaluation in the Appendix.

100

77 7364

48 4535

13

Google

High

tail

Micro

soft

Infrascale

SugarSyn

c

Dropbox

Citrix

Box

15

Average Score: 57

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1010Vendor Landscape: Cloud File Sharing Info-Tech Research Group

Table Stakes represent the minimum standard; without these, a product doesn’t even get reviewed

If Table Stakes are all you need from your cloud file sharing solution, the only true differentiator for the organization is price. Otherwise, dig deeper to find the best price to value for your needs.

The products assessed in this Vendor LandscapeTM meet, at the very least, the requirements outlined as Table Stakes.

Many of the vendors go above and beyond the outlined Table Stakes, some even do so in multiple categories. This section aims to highlight the products’ capabilities in excess of the criteria listed here.

The Table Stakes What Does This Mean?

Files can be ordered/structured in some hierarchical manner according to users needs.

Basic Content Management

The product provides some mechanism for updating files across devices.Basic Sync

Files or folders can be easily shared between different users.

Sharing Capabilities

The solution provides a cloud-based file repository structure for storing content.

Cloud File Repository

What it is:Feature

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Advanced Features are the capabilities that allow for granular market differentiation

Native apps, preview function, inline editing, remote wipe on mobile devicesMobile Sync

Extent of control over shared file admin (passcode lock, link expiry, file self-destruct)

File Administration

Contextual integration (e.g. right-click features), search integration with Explorer or Finder)Desktop Sync

How content is handled (e.g. ability to check documents in and out, how many versions, etc.)Library Services

AD LDAP integration, user roles, group memberships, broadcast messaging

User Administration

Basic in-transit and at-rest encryption: advanced points awarded for double-blind encryptionContent Security

Ability to follow folders and files, commenting and liking, workflow, synchronous editing

Collaboration Capabilities

In-depth capabilities to log and track user activity and file history, compliance reports

Reporting Capabilities

End-user friendly integration with productivity tools or email clients and other enterprise apps

Front-End App Integration

What we looked for:Feature

Advanced FeaturesScoring Methodology

For an explanation of how Advanced Features are determined, see Information Presentation – Feature Ranks (Stop Lights) in the Appendix.

Info-Tech scored each vendor’s features offering as a summation of their individual scores across the listed advanced features. Vendors were given one point for each feature the product inherently provided. Some categories were scored on a more granular scale with vendors receiving half points.

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Each vendor offers a different feature set; concentrate on what your organization needs

Microsoft

Dropbox

Citrix

Google

Infrascale

Box

Hightail(formerlyYouSendIt)

SugarSync

Lbry Srvcs Desktop Mobile File Admin User Admin Cont Security Collab Cap Audit/Report App Int

Evaluated Features

=Feature Absent=Feature partially present/pending=Feature fully presentLegend

For an explanation of how Advanced Features are determined, see Information Presentation – Feature Ranks (Stop Lights) in the Appendix.

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Scenario 1: On-premise or hybrid deployment

Why Scenarios?

32

On-Premise or Hybrid Deployment1

For an explanation of how Scenarios are determined, see Information Presentation – Scenarios in the Appendix.

By far offers the most flexibility in regards to deployment models. Customers can store data wherever they want to. Roughly 40% of their client base is using a fully customer-managed model or a hybrid model.

Infrascale FileLocker can be deployed on Infrascale’s cloud, third-party public cloud, or private cloud.

Microsoft SkyDrive Pro can sync its library with either SharePoint online or on-premise deployments of SharePoint Server 2013.

In reviewing the products included in each Vendor LandscapeTM, certain use cases come to the forefront. Whether those use cases are defined by applicability in certain locations, relevance for certain industries, or as strengths in delivering a specific capability, Info-Tech recognizes those use cases as Scenarios, and calls attention to them where they exist.

These vendors support deployment options other than Software-as-a-Service using public cloud.

Exemplary Performers

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Scenario 2: Enterprise application integration

Why Scenarios?

Box natively integrates with many enterprise applications such as CRM, Single Sign On (SSO) solutions, Social Collaboration platforms, etc. Its app marketplace is very mature, with numerous partners.

Many enterprise applications, especially cloud solutions such as Salesforce.com and Zoho, integrate with Dropbox. However, Dropbox lacks a central catalog of integrations.

Both Hightail and Microsoft SkyDrive Pro offer deep integration with Microsoft SharePoint.

3

1

Enterprise Application Integration2

For an explanation of how Scenarios are determined, see Information Presentation – Scenarios in the Appendix.

In reviewing the products included in each Vendor LandscapeTM, certain use cases come to the forefront. Whether those use cases are defined by applicability in certain locations, relevance for certain industries, or as strengths in delivering a specific capability, Info-Tech recognizes those use cases as Scenarios, and calls attention to them where they exist.

The features of CFS solutions alone might not be enough for your enterprise needs. Certain vendors excel at integrating with enterprise applications.

Exemplary Performers

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Your company might want the features of CFS solutions to work under the hood of your custom application.

Scenario 3: Custom application integration

Why Scenarios?

Box invests heavily on its API strategy. It boasts a community of 25,000 developers, and supports roughly 700 million third-party API calls per month.

Google offers an extensive set of APIs. Its Optical Character Recognition (OCR) API deserves a special mention, allowing it to pull in “pen and paper” content and seamlessly index it.

21

Custom Application Integration3

For an explanation of how Scenarios are determined, see Information Presentation – Scenarios in the Appendix.

In reviewing the products included in each Vendor LandscapeTM, certain use cases come to the forefront. Whether those use cases are defined by applicability in certain locations, relevance for certain industries, or as strengths in delivering a specific capability, Info-Tech recognizes those use cases as Scenarios, and calls attention to them where they exist.

Exemplary Performers

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Product:Employees:

Headquarters:Website:

Founded:Presence:

Box800+Los Altos, CAbox.com2005Private

Box offers a strong, enterprise-ready product, combined with an excellent third-party application ecosystem

Champion• A first-mover in the enterprise CFS space, Box is a vendor that

offers a great out-of-the-box experience with a massive portfolio of third-party applications that integrate with the Box platform, such as ECM, CRM, and Single-Sign On applications.

• Box is an excellent go-to vendor for those seeking a secure, enterprise version of a consumer-centric platform like Dropbox.

Overview

• The maturity of Box API enables Box to be easily embedded in custom applications. The company claims to have 25,000+ developers and 700 million third-party API calls a month.

• For an ecosystem that is only a year old, Box OneCloud is outstandingly mature. There are 500+ application partners who offer their integrated products in Box’s version of an app store.

• Box offers extremely robust administrative and security controls for IT professionals. Its security architecture was also one of the better ones we’ve seen.

Strengths

• Contextual integration is lacking in the Mac (though not PC) desktop client. The client does not support right-click features, nor menu bar features.

• Compared to other vendors on the market, the enterprise version of Box is not always the most cost-conscious choice available.

Challenges

Pricing provided by vendor

3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 6, between $100,000 and $250,000

$1 $2.5M+

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Vendor Landscape

Box is trying to become more of a platform, and is quite successful with its mature app marketplace

138th out of 8

Value Index

Info-Tech Recommends:

Box offers an outstanding product, and should be on the shortlist for any organization looking to replace unsecure consumer-centric versions of popular consumer solutions like Dropbox. However, it can be pricier than other platforms.

Collaboration Features of Box

Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel

3 3 4 1 3 3 3 4 3 3

Product Vendor

Features

Document collaboration Discussions Activity streamNo synchronous editing

availableCommenting on files, threaded discussions

Personalized activity stream, assigning tasks

Lbry Srvcs Desktop Mobile File Admin User Admin Cont Security Collab Cap Audit/Report App Int

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Product:Employees:

Headquarters:Website:

Founded:Presence:

Google Drive53,000Mountain View, CAgoogle.com1998NASDAQ: GOOG

Google has a strong product, but requires orgs to live in its platform

Market Pillar• Google established itself as a go-to vendor for those who do not

want to invest heavily on desktop productivity applications. Google Drive is what connects the suite of applications offered in Google Apps, and it’s very familiar to consumers.

Overview

• Google Drive provides users with powerful web-based search. Search terms are applied to not only document names, but also to the content of documents. This can apply to PDF files and image files, as Google uses OCR to index the content of files.

• Cross-device capabilities are impressive. Google has made significant investments in the mobile app space, and applications for Google Drive are best of breed.

Strengths

• Files are not encrypted at-rest on Google’s servers. This is required for Google to be able to provide such strong search capabilities. However, it opens the possibility of intruders (or even Google employees) viewing your company files.

• The tight integration with Google Apps can be a disadvantage if your company is already invested in other office productivity applications.

• Drive fails to offer strong administrative enterprise controls; it’s definitely on the consumer side of the equation.

Challenges

Pricing solicited from public sources

3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 4, between $25,000 and $50,000

$1 $2.5M+

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Vendor Landscape

Google Drive provides unparalleled search capabilities, and it’s a hit with firms pursuing an “Office alternatives” strategy

1001st out of 8

Value Index

Info-Tech Recommends:

Google Drive provides good bang for the buck, but encryption and administrative control concerns will prevent it from being a strong contender for security-minded organizations.

Collaboration Features of Google Drive

Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel

3 2 2 4 2 3 4 2 3 3

Product Vendor

Features

Document collaboration Discussions Activity stream

Synchronous editing Commenting on files Basic file access log

Lbry Srvcs Desktop Mobile File Admin User Admin Cont Security Collab Cap Audit/Report App Int

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Product:Employees:

Headquarters:Website:

Founded:Presence:

Microsoft SkyDrive Pro90,000Redmond, WAmicrosoft.com1993NASDAQ: MSFT

Microsoft bets on its flawless vendor strength and power of its Office portfolio, but it’s too tied to the MS ecosystem

Market Pillar

3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 5, between $50,000 and $100,000

• Microsoft Office is used by all sizes and types of companies. Microsoft is betting big on the adoption of the latest versions of Office, especially with its fully cloud-based Office 365 which includes SkyDrive Pro.

Overview

• Microsoft SkyDrive Pro offers strong file editing capabilities and administrative capabilities via integration with Microsoft Office applications and Microsoft SharePoint.

• The solution works seamlessly within the Office environment (particularly Office 2013), making it a great choice if your teams only need to collaborate around documents produced via the Office ecosystem.

Strengths

• Although SkyDrive Pro can be integrated with Microsoft’s social collaboration platform Yammer, on its own, collaboration capabilities are lacking.

• SkyDrive Pro can be a powerful file sharing solution, but only when paired with Microsoft’s platforms.

• Microsoft’s positioning around SkyDrive is still confusing – it’s not entirely clear if it’s meant to supplant or complement older ECM solutions, including SharePoint.

Challenges

Pricing solicited from public sources$1 $2.5M+

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Vendor Landscape

Microsoft SkyDrive Pro is a great choice for those who use SharePoint and Office extensively, but others should beware

733rd out of 8

Value Index

Info-Tech Recommends:

Microsoft SkyDrive Pro provides advanced features only through integration with the latest Microsoft Office suite, which comes with an even heftier price tag. If you need to collaborate extensively around non-Office files, there are better options out there.

Collaboration Features of Microsoft SkyDrive Pro

Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel

3 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 4

Product Vendor

Features

Document collaboration Discussions Activity stream

Synchronous editing Commenting only on Office documents Not supported

Lbry Srvcs Desktop Mobile File Admin User Admin Cont Security Collab Cap Audit/Report App Int

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Product:Employees:

Headquarters:Website:

Founded:Presence:

SugarSync60San Mateo, CAsugarsync.com2004Private

SugarSync provides exemplary desktop syncing capabilities and a refreshingly consistent UX across multiple devices

Market Pillar• SugarSync targets the “working individual.” In other words, they

are betting heavily on the consumerization of IT. Such a strategy is successful with companies with a highly mobile workforce, an area of key interest for SugarSync.

Overview

• SugarSync’s desktop client is top class. It enables users to sync and share any folder (not just a single designated folder) in their system. The contextual integration is also above par.

• SugarSync provides native mobile apps for iOS, Android, BlackBerry OS, and Windows Phone OS. Users can easily edit, share, and manage files with these apps.

• Interface consistency between applications was above-and-beyond what we saw from other vendors.

Strengths

• While its mobile apps are powerful, SugarSync’s web application ironically does not support previewing documents.

• The built-in activity log is quite basic. Download activity is not logged, and filters are not supported.

• As a smaller vendor, SugarSync does not have the same global reach offered by some of its more entrenched competitors in the CFS space. Application integration capabilities aren’t as well-developed vis-à-vis the big players.

Challenges

Pricing solicited from public sources$1 $2.5M+

3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 5, between $50,000 and $100,000

$1 $2.5M+

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Vendor Landscape

Companies that place paramount importance on user-friendliness and desktop sync should look at SugarSync

485th out of 8

Value Index

Info-Tech Recommends:

SugarSync offers a product that includes an exceptional desktop client, but its application integration capabilities may be a hang up for some organizations, as well as its smaller vendor footprint.

Collaboration Features of SugarSync

Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel

2 2 4 2 2 3 4 3 3 2

Product Vendor

Features

Document collaboration Discussions Activity streamNo synchronous editing

available

Available via integration with social networks (e.g. Facebook)

Basic file access log

Lbry Srvcs Desktop Mobile File Admin User Admin Cont Security Collab Cap Audit/Report App Int

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Product:Employees:

Headquarters:Website:

Founded:Presence:

Infrascale FileLocker110El Segundo, CAinfrascale.com2006Private

Infrascale boasts a CFS solution with military-grade encryption – a clear winner for the security-minded!

Innovator• Infrascale focuses successfully on industries that require high

security, such as government, healthcare, and finance. • Its FileLocker product pairs tight double-blind encryption and

robust administrative controls with an easy-to-use end-user interface.

Overview

• Infrascale is the only vendor to support encryption at end point natively. Not only are your company’s files encrypted in transit and at rest on Infrascale’s cloud, they can be encrypted at your company’s endpoint. As the encryption key will reside in local machines, it would be impossible even for Infrascale to view your company files. This gives FileLocker a distinct edge for those who don’t want to “trust the vendor” to ensure content is completely secure.

Strengths

• Infrascale FileLocker scored poorly on integration. The list of application integrations available currently is Zoho, LinkedIn, Autodesk, and Scribd. The vendor’s app catalog is still lacking when compared to major competitors. If you value a wide-range of integrations alongside tight security, Infrascale will be a balancing act.

• Price is above average, though cheaper with private cloud.

Challenges

Pricing provided by vendor$1 $2.5M+

3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 5, between $50,000 and $100,000

$1 $2.5M+

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Vendor Landscape

With its three layer encryption, Infrascale FileLocker is making a splash with firms with high security requirements

644th out of 8

Value Index

Info-Tech Recommends:

Infrascale offers a great product with exceptional security. Although it’s newer to the party and third-party integrations are lacking, double-blind encryption and powerful administrative controls create a strong value proposition for those who need best-of-breed file security.

Collaboration Features of Infrascale FileLocker

Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel

3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 2

Product Vendor

Features

Document collaboration Discussions Activity streamSynchronous editing

available Commenting on files Notification of team activities for team managers

Lbry Srvcs Desktop Mobile File Admin User Admin Cont Security Collab Cap Audit/Report App Int

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Product:Employees:

Headquarters:Website:

Founded:Presence:

Hightail200Campbell, CAhightail.com2004Private

With strong Office integration and a modest price tag, Hightail is making waves in the SMB space

Innovator• Hightail (formerly YouSendIt) is a favorite among users who

spend much of their working hours on Outlook. The vendor is having tremendous success with verticals such as advertising, media, legal, and architecture. Outlook support is above par.

Overview

• Hightail is great for business users who use Outlook and/or SharePoint extensively. Deep integration with Outlook and SharePoint eliminates the need to change the workflow of such users. For example, almost every feature can be accessed right from the user’s Outlook client. It’s a clear winner as an “email attachment alternative” vendor.

• Hightail provides granular activity logs. Details (e.g. who, when, how) around uploading, downloading, and sharing files are all logged.

Strengths

• Apart from support for synchronous editing via integration with Office, Hightail seriously lacks collaboration capabilities.

• Its application integration catalog is relatively limited as well.• From a market positioning standpoint, Hightail needs to place

more emphasis on expanding beyond “just an attachment alternative.” Its capabilities are robust, but its marketing needs to catch up.

Challenges

Pricing provided by vendor$1 $2.5M+

3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 5, between $50,000 and $100,000

$1 $2.5M+

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Vendor Landscape

Hightail is not a “rip and replace” solution; it offers deep integration with SharePoint, Exchange, and Outlook

772nd out of 8

Value Index

Info-Tech Recommends:Hightail’s integration with Outlook and SharePoint is outstanding. However, the product’s shortcomings can be found in lacking collaboration capabilities and an extensive list of third-party integrations. However, if you need an attachment alternative or support for ECM integration, Hightail needs to be in your consideration set.

Collaboration Features of Hightail

Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel

3 2 3 3 2 3 3 3 1 3

Product Vendor

Lbry Srvcs Desktop Mobile File Admin User Admin Cont Security Collab Cap Audit/Report App Int

Features

Document collaboration Discussions Activity stream

Synchronous editing Built-in signature capabilities Not available

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Product:Employees:

Headquarters:Website:

Founded:Presence:

Citrix ShareFile8,000Santa Clara, CAcitrix.com/sharefileCitrix 1989, ShareFile 2005NASDAQ: CTXS

With a strong vendor profile, Citrix remains a good choice for those who value viability and reach

Innovator• Citrix ShareFile offers a solid all-around product, but it is

especially well received from enterprises that wish to keep their files on internal private clouds or on-prem deployments.

• Citrix is making moves to integrate ShareFile in their broader collaboration portfolio, including Podio and GoToMeeting

Overview

• ShareFile StorageZones provide the flexibility to choose between on-premise deployments that are fully customer managed, or Citrix-managed cloud deployments. A hybrid model of the two is also possible.

• Citrix provides mobile apps for iOS, Android, BlackBerry OS, and Windows Phone OS. The apps support PDF annotation and built-in mobile editors.

• Post-acquisition, ShareFile benefits from Citrix’s large sales and support team.

Strengths

• Although ShareFile can be natively integrated with Citrix’s social collaboration platform Podio, on its own, collaboration capabilities are lacking vis-à-vis other solutions.

• Deep integration with enterprise applications is limited to Citrix products. It lacks the extensive third-party app store of some of its competitors.

Challenges

Pricing provided by vendor

3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 6, between $100,000 and $250,000

$1 $2.5M+

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Vendor Landscape

Citrix ShareFile is a reliable cloud file sharing product that offers unique on-premise or hybrid deployment models

357th out of 8

Value Index

Info-Tech Recommends:

Those who want the simplicity of cloud file sharing solutions but also wish to keep their data inside internal networks should look into Citrix ShareFile. Their StorageZone concept is unique among CFS vendors, and deserves credit for its innovativeness in meeting the needs of cloud-averse organizations.

Collaboration Features of Citrix ShareFile

Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel

3 3 4 1 3 3 3 2 3 3

Product Vendor

Features

Document collaboration Discussions Activity streamNo synchronous editing

availableAvailable through integration

with Citrix PodioAvailable through integration

with Citrix Podio

Lbry Srvcs Desktop Mobile File Admin User Admin Cont Security Collab Cap Audit/Report App Int

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Product:Employees:

Headquarters:Website:

Founded:

Dropbox for Business220San Francisco, CAdropbox.com2007

Dropbox is a CFS pioneer and a vendor with a proven track record, but it lacks the enterprise focus most companies need

Emerging Player• Dropbox is arguably the pioneer of the cloud file-sharing market.

It’s the most easily recognized vendor from a consumer perspective. However, its enterprise play is almost an afterthought, and it doesn’t stand at competitive parity with more enterprise-focused offerings.

Overview

• Numerous enterprise applications integrate with Dropbox. Notable examples may include Salesforce.com and Zoho, but the list is not limited to cloud-based solutions.

• Application integration is not limited to front-end integration such as plug-ins either. Its mature API makes it easy for companies to integrate Dropbox into their custom enterprise applications.

• Dropbox is extremely well known with end users, and is an easy sell from an adoption angle.

Strengths

• Despite offering Dropbox for Business, Dropbox remains focused on the consumer market. Administrative controls and security functionality aren’t on parity with enterprise-exclusive offerings.

• Despite the long history of integrating with other applications with its great API, Dropbox does not provide a central catalog of enterprise applications that can be integrated.

Challenges

Pricing solicited from public sources$1 $2.5M+

3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 5, between $50,000 and $100,000

$1 $2.5M+

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Vendor Landscape

Dropbox for Business is a solid product, but needs significant custom integration for true enterprise use

456th out of 8

Value Index

Info-Tech Recommends:

Dropbox offers a great end-user product with a proven track record, but the vendor’s focus on improving the out-of-the-box enterprise capabilities is lacking. Organizations that place security as top of mind will also want to avoid Dropbox due to security architecture that’s not airtight.

Collaboration Features of Dropbox for Business

Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel

2 2 3 2 3 3 4 3 2 2

Product Vendor

Features

Document collaboration Discussions Activity streamNo synchronous editing

available Not available “Events” tab

Lbry Srvcs Desktop Mobile File Admin User Admin Cont Security Collab Cap Audit/Report App Int

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The Info-Tech Cloud File Sharing Vendor Shortlist Tool is designed to generate a customized shortlist of vendors based on your key priorities.

Identify leading candidates with the Cloud File Sharing Vendor Shortlist Tool

• Overall Vendor vs. Product Weightings

• Individual product criteria weightings:FeaturesUsabilityAffordabilityArchitecture

• Individual vendor criteria weightings:ViabilityStrategyReachChannel

This tool offers the ability to modify:

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Appendix

1. Vendor Landscape Methodology: Overview

2. Vendor Landscape Methodology: Product Selection & Information Gathering

3. Vendor Landscape Methodology: Scoring

4. Vendor Landscape Methodology: Information Presentation

5. Vendor Landscape Methodology: Fact Check & Publication

6. Product Pricing Scenario

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Vendor Landscape Methodology:Overview

Info-Tech’s Vendor Landscapes are research materials that review a particular IT market space, evaluating the strengths and abilities of both the products available in that space, as well as the vendors of those products. These materials are created by a team of dedicated analysts operating under the direction of a senior subject matter expert over a period of six weeks.

Evaluations weigh selected vendors and their products (collectively “solutions”) on the following eight criteria to determine overall standing:• Features: The presence of advanced and market-differentiating capabilities.• Usability: The intuitiveness, power, and integrated nature of administrative consoles and client software components.• Affordability: The three-year total cost of ownership of the solution.• Architecture: The degree of integration with the vendor’s other tools, flexibility of deployment, and breadth of platform applicability.• Viability: The stability of the company as measured by its history in the market, the size of its client base, and its financial performance.• Strategy: The commitment to both the market-space, as well as to the various sized clients (small, mid-sized, and enterprise clients).• Reach: The ability of the vendor to support its products on a global scale.• Channel: The measure of the size of the vendor’s channel partner program, as well as any channel strengthening strategies.

Evaluated solutions are plotted on a standard two by two matrix:• Champions: Both the product and the vendor receive scores that are above the average score for the evaluated group.• Innovators: The product receives a score that is above the average score for the evaluated group, but the vendor receives a score that is

below the average score for the evaluated group.• Market Pillars: The product receives a score that is below the average score for the evaluated group, but the vendor receives a score that

is above the average score for the evaluated group.• Emerging Players: Both the product and the vendor receive scores that are below the average score for the evaluated group.

Info-Tech’s Vendor Landscapes are researched and produced according to a strictly adhered to process that includes the following steps:• Vendor/product selection• Information gathering• Vendor/product scoring• Information presentation• Fact checking• Publication

This document outlines how each of these steps is conducted.

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Vendor Landscape Methodology:Vendor/Product Selection & Information Gathering

Info-Tech works closely with its client base to solicit guidance in terms of understanding the vendors with whom clients wish to work and the products that they wish evaluated; this demand pool forms the basis of the vendor selection process for Vendor Landscapes. Balancing this demand, Info-Tech also relies upon the deep subject matter expertise and market awareness of its Senior, Lead, and Principle Research Analysts to ensure that appropriate solutions are included in the evaluation. As an aspect of that expertise and awareness, Info-Tech’s analysts may, at their discretion, determine the specific capabilities that are required of the products under evaluation, and include in the Vendor Landscape only those solutions that meet all specified requirements.

Information on vendors and products is gathered in a number of ways via a number of channels.

Initially, a request package is submitted to vendors to solicit information on a broad range of topics. The request package includes:• A detailed survey.• A pricing scenario (see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Price Evaluation and Pricing Scenario, below).• A request for reference clients.• A request for a briefing and, where applicable, guided product demonstration.

These request packages are distributed approximately twelve weeks prior to the initiation of the actual research project to allow vendors ample time to consolidate the required information and schedule appropriate resources.

During the course of the research project, briefings and demonstrations are scheduled (generally for one hour each session, though more time is scheduled as required) to allow the analyst team to discuss the information provided in the survey, validate vendor claims, and gain direct exposure to the evaluated products. Additionally, an end-user survey is circulated to Info-Tech’s client base and vendor-supplied reference accounts are interviewed to solicit their feedback on their experiences with the evaluated solutions and with the vendors of those solutions.

These materials are supplemented by a thorough review of all product briefs, technical manuals, and publicly available marketing materials about the product, as well as about the vendor itself.

Refusal by a vendor to supply completed surveys or submit to participation in briefings and demonstrations does not eliminate a vendor from inclusion in the evaluation. Where analyst and client input has determined that a vendor belongs in a particular evaluation, it will be evaluated as best as possible based on publicly available materials only. As these materials are not as comprehensive as a survey, briefing, and demonstration, the possibility exists that the evaluation may not be as thorough or accurate. Since Info-Tech includes vendors regardless of vendor participation, it is always in the vendor’s best interest to participate fully.

All information is recorded and catalogued, as required, to facilitate scoring and for future reference.

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Vendor Landscape Methodology:Scoring

Once all information has been gathered and evaluated for all vendors and products, the analyst team moves to scoring. All scoring is performed at the same time so as to ensure as much consistency as possible. Each criterion is scored on a ten point scale, though the manner of scoring for criteria differs slightly:

• Features is scored via Cumulative Scoring• Affordability is scored via Scalar Scoring• All other criteria are scored via Base5 Scoring

In Cumulative Scoring, a single point is assigned to each evaluated feature that is regarded as being fully present, partial points to each feature that is partially present, and zero points to features that are deemed to be absent or unsatisfactory. The assigned points are summed and normalized to a value out of ten. For example, if a particular Vendor Landscape evaluates eight specific features in the Feature Criteria, the summed score out of eight for each evaluated product would be multiplied by 1.25 to yield a value out of ten.

In Scalar Scoring, a score of ten is assigned to the lowest cost solution, and a score of one is assigned to the highest cost solution. All other solutions are assigned a mathematically determined score based on their proximity to / distance from these two endpoints. For example, in an evaluation of three solutions, where the middle cost solution is closer to the low end of the pricing scale it will receive a higher score, and where it is closer to the high end of the pricing scale it will receive a lower score; depending on proximity to the high or low price it is entirely possible that it could receive either ten points (if it is very close to the lowest price) or one point (if it is very close to the highest price). Where pricing cannot be determined (vendor does not supply price and public sources do not exist), a score of 0 is automatically assigned.

In Base5 scoring a number of sub-criteria are specified for each criterion (for example, Longevity, Market Presence, and Financials are sub-criteria of the Viability criterion), and each one is scored on the following scale:

5 - The product/vendor is exemplary in this area (nothing could be done to improve the status).4 - The product/vendor is good in this area (small changes could be made that would move things to the next level).3 - The product/vendor is adequate in this area (small changes would make it good, more significant changes required to be exemplary).2 - The product/vendor is poor in this area (this is a notable weakness and significant work is required).1 - The product/vendor is terrible/fails in this area (this is a glaring oversight and a serious impediment to adoption).

The assigned points are summed and normalized to a value out of ten as explained in Cumulative Scoring above.

Scores out of ten, known as Raw scores, are transposed as-is into Info-Tech’s Vendor Landscape Shortlist Tool, which automatically determines Vendor Landscape positioning (see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Information Presentation - Vendor Landscape, below), Criteria Score (see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Information Presentation - Criteria Score, below), and Value Index (see VendorLandscape Methodology: Information Presentation - Value Index, below).

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Vendor Landscape Methodology:Information Presentation – Vendor Landscape

Info-Tech’s Vendor Landscape is a two-by-two matrix that plots solutions based on the combination of Product score and Vendor score. Placement is not determined by absolute score, but instead by relative score. Relative scores are used to ensure a consistent view of information and to minimize dispersion in nascent markets, while enhancing dispersion in commodity markets to allow for quick visual analysis by clients.

Relative scores are calculated as follows:1. Raw scores are transposed into the Info-Tech Vendor Landscape Shortlist Tool

(for information on how Raw scores are determined, see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Scoring, above).

2. Each individual criterion Raw score is multiplied by the pre-assigned weighting factor for the Vendor Landscape in question. Weighting factors are determined prior to the evaluation process to eliminate any possibility of bias. Weighting factors are expressed as a percentage such that the sum of the weighting factors for the Vendor criteria (Viability, Strategy, Reach, Channel) is 100% and the sum of the Product criteria (Features, Usability, Affordability, Architecture) is 100%.

3. A sum-product of the weighted Vendor criteria scores and of the weighted Product criteria scores is calculated to yield an overall Vendor score and an overall Product score.

4. Overall Vendor scores are then normalized to a 20 point scale by calculating the arithmetic mean and standard deviation of the pool of Vendor scores. Vendors for whom their overall Vendor score is higher than the arithmetic mean will receive a normalized Vendor score of 11-20 (exact value determined by how much higher than the arithmetic mean their overall Vendor score is), while vendors for whom their overall Vendor score is lower than the arithmetic mean will receive a normalized Vendor score of between one and ten (exact value determined by how much lower than the arithmetic mean their overall Vendor score is).

5. Overall Product score is normalized to a 20 point scale according to the same process.

6. Normalized scores are plotted on the matrix, with Vendor score being used as the x-axis, and Product score being used as the y-axis.

Vendor Landscape

Champions:solutions with above average Vendor scores and above average Product scores.

Innovators:solutions with below average Vendor scores and above average Product scores.

Market Pillars:solutions with above average Vendor scores and below average Product scores.

Emerging Players:solutions with below average Vendor scores and below average Product scores.

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Harvey Balls

Vendor Landscape Methodology:Information Presentation – Criteria Scores (Harvey Balls)Info-Tech’s Criteria Scores are visual representations of the absolute score assigned to each individual criterion, as well as of the calculated overall Vendor and Product scores. The visual representation used is Harvey Balls.

Harvey Balls are calculated as follows:1. Raw scores are transposed into the Info-Tech Vendor Landscape Shortlist Tool (for information on how Raw scores are determined, see

Vendor Landscape Methodology: Scoring, above).2. Each individual criterion Raw score is multiplied by a pre-assigned weighting factor for the Vendor Landscape in question. Weighting

factors are determined prior to the evaluation process, based on the expertise of the Senior or Lead Research Analyst, to eliminate any possibility of bias. Weighting factors are expressed as a percentage, such that the sum of the weighting factors for the Vendor criteria (Viability, Strategy, Reach, Channel) is 100%, and the sum of the Product criteria (Features, Usability, Affordability, Architecture) is 100%.

3. A sum-product of the weighted Vendor criteria scores and of the weighted Product criteria scores is calculated to yield an overall Vendor score and an overall Product score.

4. Both overall Vendor score / overall Product score, as well as individual criterion Raw scores are converted from a scale of one to ten to Harvey Ball scores on a scale of zero to four, where exceptional performance results in a score of four and poor performance results in a score of zero.

5. Harvey Ball scores are converted to Harvey Balls as follows:• A score of four becomes a full Harvey Ball.• A score of three becomes a three-quarter full Harvey Ball.• A score of two becomes a half full Harvey Ball.• A score of one becomes a one-quarter full Harvey Ball.• A score of zero becomes an empty Harvey Ball.

6. Harvey Balls are plotted by solution in a chart where rows represent individual solutions and columns represent overall Vendor / overall Product, as well as individual criteria. Solutions are ordered in the chart alphabetically by vendor name.

Overall Harvey Balls represent weighted aggregates.

Criteria Harvey Balls represent individual Raw

scores.Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel

Product Vendor

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Stop Lights

Vendor Landscape Methodology:Information Presentation – Feature Ranks (Stop Lights)

Info-Tech’s Feature Ranks are visual representations of the presence/availability of individual features that collectively comprise the Features’ criterion. The visual representation used is Stop Lights.

Stop Lights are determined as follows:1. A single point is assigned to each evaluated feature that is regarded as being fully present, partial points to each feature that is partially

present, and zero points to features that are deemed to be fully absent or unsatisfactory. • Fully present means all aspects and capabilities of the feature as described are in evidence.• Fully absent means all aspects and capabilities of the feature as described are missing or lacking.• Partially present means some, but not all, aspects and capabilities of the feature as described are in evidence, OR all aspects and

capabilities of the feature as described are in evidence, but only for some models in a line.

2. Feature scores are converted to Stop Lights as follows:• Full points become a Green light.• Partial points become a Yellow light.• Zero points become a Red light.

3. Stop Lights are plotted by solution in a chart where rows represent individual solutions and columns represent individual features. Solutions are ordered in the chart alphabetically by vendor name.

For example, a set of applications is being reviewed and a feature of “Integration with Mobile Devices” that is defined as “availability of

dedicated mobile device applications for iOS, Android, and BlackBerry devices” is specified. Solution A provides such apps for all listed platforms and scores “Green,” solution B provides apps for iOS and Android only and scores “Yellow,” while solution C provides mobile device functionality through browser extensions, has no dedicated apps, and so scores “Red.”

Feature 1 Feature 2 Feature 4 Feature 5Feature 3

FeaturesFeature 6 Feature 7 Feature 8

Yellow shows partial availability (such as in some models in a line).

Green means a feature is fully present; Red, fully absent.

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Value Index

Vendor Landscape Methodology:Information Presentation – Value Index

Info-Tech’s Value Index is an indexed ranking of solution value per dollar as determined by the Raw scores assigned to each criteria (for information on how Raw scores are determined, see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Scoring, above).

Value scores are calculated as follows:1. The Affordability criterion is removed from the overall Product score and the

remaining Product score criteria (Features, Usability, Architecture) are reweighted so as to retain the same weightings relative to one another, while still summing to 100%. For example, if all four Product criteria were assigned base weightings of 25%, for the determination of the Value score, Features, Usability, and Architecture would be reweighted to 33.3% each to retain the same relative weightings while still summing to 100%.

2. A sum-product of the weighted Vendor criteria scores and of the reweighted Product criteria scores is calculated to yield an overall Vendor score and a reweighted overall Product score.

3. The overall Vendor score and the reweighted overall Product score are then summed, and this sum is multiplied by the Affordability Raw score to yield an interim Value score for each solution.

4. All interim Value scores are then indexed to the highest performing solution by dividing each interim Value score by the highest interim Value score. This results in a Value score of 100 for the top solution and an indexed Value score relative to the 100 for each alternate solution.

5. Solutions are plotted according to Value score, with the highest score plotted first, and all remaining scores plotted in descending numerical order.

Where pricing is not provided by the vendor and public sources of information cannot be found, an Affordability Raw score of zero is assigned. Since multiplication by zero results in a product of zero, those solutions for which pricing cannot be determined receive a Value score of zero. Since Info-Tech assigns a score of zero where pricing is not available, it is always in the vendor’s best interest to provide accurate and up to date pricing. In the event that insufficient pricing is available to accurately calculate a Value Index Info-Tech will omit it from the Vendor Landscape.

Those solutions that are ranked as Champions are differentiated for point of reference.

E

10

D

30

C

40

B

80

A

100 Average Score: 52

Vendors are arranged in order of Value Score. The Value Score each solution achieved is displayed, and so is the average score.

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Vendor Landscape Methodology:Information Presentation – Price Evaluation

Info-Tech’s Price Evaluation is a tiered representation of the three year Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a proposed solution. Info-Tech uses this method of communicating pricing information to provide high-level budgetary guidance to its end-user clients while respecting the privacy of the vendors with whom it works. The solution TCO is calculated and then represented as belonging to one of ten pricing tiers.

Pricing tiers are as follows:1. Between $1 and $2,5002. Between $2,500 and $10,0003. Between $10,000 and $25,0004. Between $25,000 and $50,0005. Between $50,000 and $100,0006. Between $100,000 and $250,0007. Between $250,000 and $500,0008. Between $500,000 and $1,000,0009. Between $1,000,000 and $2,500,00010. Greater than $2,500,000

Where pricing is not provided, Info-Tech makes use of publicly available sources of information to determine a price. As these sources are not official price lists, the possibility exists that they may be inaccurate or outdated, and so the source of the pricing information is provided. Since Info-Tech publishes pricing information regardless of vendor participation, it is always in the vendor’s best interest to supply accurate and up to date information.

Info-Tech’s Price Evaluations are based on pre-defined pricing scenarios (see Product Pricing Scenario, below) to ensure a comparison that is as close as possible between evaluated solutions. Pricing scenarios describe a sample business and solicit guidance as to the appropriate product/service mix required to deliver the specified functionality, the list price for those tools/services, as well as three full years of maintenance and support.

Price Evaluation

Call-out bubble indicates within which price tier the three year TCO for the solution falls, provides the brackets of that price tier, and links to the graphical representation.

Scale along the bottom indicates that the graphic as a whole represents a price scale with a range of $1 to $2.5M+, while the notation indicates whether the pricing was supplied by the vendor or derived from public sources.

3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 6, between $100,000 and $150,000.

$1 $2.5M+

Pricing solicited from public sources.

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Vendor Landscape Methodology:Information Presentation – Scenarios

Info-Tech’s Scenarios highlight specific use cases for the evaluated solution to provide as complete (when taken in conjunction with the individual written review, Vendor Landscape, Criteria Scores, Feature Ranks, and Value Index) a basis for comparison by end-user clients as possible.

Scenarios are designed to reflect tiered capability in a particular set of circumstances. Determination of the Scenarios in question is at the discretion of the analyst team assigned to the research project. Where possible, Scenarios are designed to be mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive, or at the very least, hierarchical such that the tiers within the Scenario represent a progressively greater or broader capability.

Scenario ranking is determined as follows:1. The analyst team determines an appropriate use case.

For example:

• Clients that have multinational presence and require vendors to provide four hour onsite support.2. The analyst team establishes the various tiers of capability.

For example:

• Presence in Americas• Presence in EMEA• Presence in APAC

3. The analyst team reviews all evaluated solutions and determines which ones meet which tiers of capability.For example:

• Presence in Americas – Vendor A, Vendor C, Vendor E• Presence in EMEA – Vendor A, Vendor B, Vendor C• Presence in APAC – Vendor B, Vendor D, Vendor E

4. Solutions are plotted on a grid alphabetically by vendor by tier. Where one vendor is deemed to be stronger in a tier than other vendors in the same tier, they may be plotted non-alphabetically.For example:

• Vendor C is able to provide four hour onsite support to 12 countries in EMEA while Vendors A and B are only able to provide four hour onsite support to eight countries in EMEA; Vendor C would be plotted first, followed by Vendor A, then Vendor B.

Analysts may also elect to list only the most Exemplary Performers for a given use-case. One to three vendors will appear for each of these purchasing scenarios with a brief explanation as to why we selected them as top of class.

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Vendor Landscape Methodology:Information Presentation – Vendor Awards

At the conclusion of all analyses, Info-Tech presents awards to exceptional solutions in three distinct categories. Award presentation is discretionary; not all awards are extended subsequent to each Vendor landscape and it is entirely possible, though unlikely, that no awards may be presented.

Awards categories are as follows:

• Champion Awards are presented to those solutions, and only those solutions, that land in the Champion zone of the Info-Tech Vendor Landscape (see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Information Presentation - Vendor Landscape, above). If no solutions land in the Champion zone, no Champion Awards are presented. Similarly, if multiple solutions land in the Champion zone, multiple Champion Awards are presented.

• Trend Setter Awards are presented to those solutions, and only those solutions, that are deemed to include the most original/inventive product/service, or the most original/inventive feature/capability of a product/service. If no solution is deemed to be markedly or sufficiently original/inventive, either as a product/service on the whole or by feature/capability specifically, no Trend Setter Award is presented. Only one Trend Setter Award is available for each Vendor Landscape.

• Best Overall Value Awards are presented to those solutions, and only those solutions, that are ranked highest on the Info-Tech Value Index (see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Information Presentation – Value Index, above). If insufficient pricing information is made available for the evaluated solutions, such that a Value Index cannot be calculated, no Best Overall Value Award will be presented. Only one Best Overall Value Award is available for each Vendor Landscape.

Vendor Awards

Info-Tech’s Champion Award is presented to solutions in the Champion zone of the Vendor Landscape.

Info-Tech’s Trend Setter Award is presented to the most original/inventive solution evaluated.

Info-Tech’s Best Overall Value Award is presented to the solution with the highest Value Index score.

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Vendor Landscape Methodology:Fact Check & Publication

Info-Tech takes the factual accuracy of its Vendor Landscapes, and indeed of all of its published content, very seriously. To ensure the utmost accuracy in its Vendor Landscapes, we invite all vendors of evaluated solutions (whether the vendor elected to provide a survey and/or participate in a briefing or not) to participate in a process of Fact Check.

Once the research project is complete and the materials are deemed to be in a publication ready state, excerpts of the material specific to each vendor’s solution are provided to the vendor. Info-Tech only provides material specific to the individual vendor’s solution for review encompassing the following:

• All written review materials of the vendor and the vendor’s product that comprise the evaluated solution.• Info-Tech’s Criteria Scores / Harvey Balls detailing the individual and overall Vendor / Product scores assigned.• Info-Tech’s Feature Rank / Stop Lights detailing the individual feature scores of the evaluated product.• Info-Tech’s Raw Pricing for the vendor either as received from the vendor or as collected from publicly available sources.• Info-Tech’s Scenario ranking for all considered scenarios for the evaluated solution.

Info-Tech does not provide the following:• Info-Tech’s Vendor Landscape placement of the evaluated solution.• Info-Tech’s Value Score for the evaluated solution.• End-user feedback gathered during the research project.• Info-Tech’s overall recommendation in regard to the evaluated solution.

Info-Tech provides a one-week window for each vendor to provide written feedback. Feedback must be corroborated (be provided with supporting evidence), and where it does, feedback that addresses factual errors or omissions is adopted fully, while feedback that addresses opinions is taken under consideration. The assigned analyst team makes all appropriate edits and supplies an edited copy of the materials to the vendor within one week for final review.

Should a vendor still have concerns or objections at that time, they are invited to a conversation, initially via email, but as required and deemed appropriate by Info-Tech, subsequently via telephone, to ensure common understanding of the concerns. Where concerns relate to ongoing factual errors or omissions they are corrected under the supervision of Info-Tech’s Vendor Relations personnel. Where concerns relate to ongoing differences of opinion they are again taken under consideration with neither explicit not implicit indication of adoption.

Publication of materials is scheduled to occur within the six weeks immediately following the completion of the research project, but does not occur until the Fact Check process has come to conclusion, and under no circumstances are “pre-publication” copies of any materials made available to any client.

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Product Pricing Scenario

CFS Pricing ScenarioInfo-Tech Research Group is providing each vendor with a common pricing scenario to enable normalized scoring of Affordability, calculation of Value Index rankings, and identification of the appropriate solution pricing tier as displayed on each vendor scorecard.Vendors are asked to provide list costs for cloud file sharing solution licensing to address the needs of a reference organization described in the pricing scenario. Please price out the lowest possible three-year Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) including list prices for software and licensing fees to meet the requirements of the following scenario.

Three-year total acquisition costs will be normalized to produce the Affordability raw scores and calculate Value Index ratings for each solution.

The pricing scenario: A mid-sized professional services organization is looking to implement a cloud-based file sharing solution to aid with employee collaboration. They have 250 end users spread across three different offices, as well as 15 full-time IT staff. The organization requires a solution that will allow its employees to effectively collaborate around files from multiple devices, both desktop and mobile.

The expected solution capabilities are as follows:• The solution must be available on Windows desktops, as well as iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. Desktop sync is mandatory.

• Each end user will require 4GB of storage (1TB total), with a monthly bandwidth allowance of 1GB per end user and a maximum allowed file size of at least 1GB.

• The solution must have file version history capabilities.• The solution must offer a complete suite of IT administrative and security controls.

• There must be the ability to share files both internally (within the organization) and with external partners.

• The product must have proven points of integration with other content management and collaboration products.