56% of businesses have adopted secure file-sharing tools

More than half of global businesses have adopted secure file-sharing and collaboration technologies, with a further 19% planning to do so in the next 12 months, according to data from Forrester's Global Business Technographics Security Survey.

But concerns about data security and protection against cybercrime are a serious concern for 60% of global software decision makers when considering software-as-a-service (SaaS) file-sharing offerings.

The enterprise file sync and share (EFFS) market is divided into two parts; products that support hybrid cloud or on-premises deployments, and products that are cloud-based SaaS offerings.

Cloud security is top priority for 83% of organisations

EFFS encompasses technologies that allow organisations to share and replicate content across multiple devices, allowing distribution of files to employees, customers or partners outside the enterprise.

The cloud may seem like an obvious way to do this, but not all enterprises are interested in cloud-only solutions for their document-centric collaboration or file-sharing needs. Regulations or policies may restrict cloud storage of sensitive information types, and increasingly rigorous data protection and privacy laws may require firms to use in-country data centres.

Enterprise architects who manage terabytes of documents on network drives, SharePoint sites or content management applications may object to the migration or duplication efforts required to use all-cloud EFFS services.

In cases like this, a hybrid EFFS tool may be the best fit for a company. Most hybrid EFFS services provide integrations and connectors with major systems of record, eliminating the need to migrate or duplicate content, and are also a great deal more flexible around where businesses store their data - it can be kept in the cloud - many vendors now partner with one or more major public cloud providers - but also locally, ensuring a business stays compliant with local industry or data regulations.

While hybrid deployment models will continue to serve firms that are not ready for full cloud applications, this segment is expected to grow slowly.

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Esther is a freelance media analyst, podcaster, and one-third of Media Voices. She has previously worked as a content marketing lead for Dennis Publishing and the Media Briefing. She writes frequently on topics such as subscriptions and tech developments for industry sites such as Digital Content Next and What’s New in Publishing. She is co-founder of the Publisher Podcast Awards and Publisher Podcast Summit; the first conference and awards dedicated to celebrating and elevating publisher podcasts.