In recent years, more and more publishing companies have turned to the internet for marketing and distribution, and many of the editorial process steps are being replaced with technological advances. Technology has allowed them to skip many of the traditional steps in the editorial process. For instance, many publishers receive proposals or manuscripts online, through email or some other means, instead of having to be printed and sent to their location via postal services. This process requires trust. To uphold their integrity, every publisher has to assume responsibility for protecting clients’ files if they are going to be trusted. Clients expect their files would remain safe with the organization, and versions won’t end up being leaked to the internet.
However, secure file sharing is an essential function for any modern publishing company. To enable optimal performance, there should be an effective file system for consolidation between the various departments such as sales, marketing, management, development, and editorial.
This begs the question, “How do you ensure the smooth running of operations if file sharing is a stinging concern?” Surely wanting both security and file-sharing flexibility is an impossibility paramount to eating one’s cake and having it.
Well, Triofox says it is not. In this piece, we review a case study and analyze how the Triofox solution proved to be an effective, secure file server access integration that delivers on both ends.
Use Case – Technology Publishing Firm
Outlined below are the operations of a tech publishing firm, and how a tweak in their file-sharing solution inspired by the lead qualification process could optimize their operations.
- Company A is a Tech publishing Firm that set up a VMware environment in a local data center to maintain control over data. However, because they require potential clients to submit files for estimation as a prerequisite to closing a deal, they need a client-facing application for those potential clients to upload their files.
- They tried Juniper Extranet, but the interface wasn’t quite flexible, so they tried Dropbox. The latter didn’t quite work for them either.
- They settled for having clients/ external users work directly from the file server. The external users are added to Active Directory under a specific organizational unit (a container object created within a Microsoft Active Directory domain on a server for holding different objects such as users and groups).
- External user access is disabled/removed if the contract doesn’t fall through. But when a deal closes, they set up a site-to-site VPN for the customer to share data with them.
Two issues identified with this workflow include:
- Multi-platform data redundancy
- Scalability limitation of VPN
In the next section, we break down these issues and show why they found Triofox an optimal solution.
Multi-Platform Data Redundancy
Dropbox provides a very convenient and nearly unrivaled solution to file sharing among groups of individuals. It’s free and instant, which is great for multi-device file access and backup. However, Dropbox has certain security limitations for enterprises, two of which, in this case, are privacy and data redundancy. This establishes the need to maintain a centralized data center and explains why many organizations opt for a private file server to keep a tight rein on their data. A process that entails developing custom permissions for each department as well as limiting access based on roles within those departments.
As with company A, to ensure the company has control over their data, data from Dropbox is replicated back to the file server, further burdening the IT administrators. The data redundancy limitations, if left unchecked, can lead to inconsistency issues for publishing firms (Multiply this issue with multiple writers and editors working on different projects in the organization, which could lead to multiple versions of the files existing on both Dropbox and the file server, making it difficult to keep track of file updates).
Meanwhile, when employees work with Dropbox, given the laxity in which data is being stored and shared, a slight oversight could lead to data falling into the wrong hands, a dicey situation in publishing as it can greatly tamper with profits.
Scalability Limitation Of VPN
Setting up a site-to-site VPN is not scalable. Site-to-site VPNs are established by connecting two gateways in separate locations via the internet. To create a site-to-site VPN, two VPN gateways, which could be routers or VPN connection devices, are set up in each location. This is neither scalable nor sustainable, especially with remote working gaining ground.
How Triofox Addresses These Problems
- Minimizes Duplication
Triofox is an enterprise file-sharing alternative to Dropbox. It eliminates the need to copy files to external cloud file-sharing platforms and maintains control over file access when shared with external clients, eliminating the visibility issue of Dropbox.
Also, extending the server’s functionality to include remote file access or a private cloud-like file sharing feature prevents data from being replicated on other servers or applications, reducing file duplication. This private file sharing option preserves the company’s integrity, as customers expect their data to be handled with confidentiality.
- Keep Track of File Updates
Whatever department needs to cooperate, having a system where each party can collaborate without overwriting each other’s work is crucial. Triofox has a file locking feature that ensures no one can edit a file being worked on by another person. Its versioning feature also ensures that at any point in time, previous versions can be restored, keeping all parties working in sync as well as serving as a backup in the case data is erroneously deleted. Like with company A, once leads are converted to customers, they can easily collaborate with others on the project. If they are not, access can still easily be revoked.
- Maintain Control Over Data
With Triofox, they don’t have to source external cloud file-sharing services to enable remote collaboration. Data remains on the file server, while external users can access files from the web browser via their devices (data is securely sent over the HTTP/SSL protocol).
- No Need to Set Up VPN to Access File Server
Users with existing permissions retain access to file shares and can access their files via the drive letter, while external users, who can be in any location in the world, can access the file server network shares with their mobile browsers without using a VPN to connect back to the corporate network. Also, integrating the solution is a seamless process. Minimal training is needed to get users adept at the new process.
Conclusion
Users can have the convenience of a Dropbox solution and the encryption security of a VPN tunneling solution, without the security and performance challenges of both. Other departments are also sure to utilize the advantages of Triofox as it guarantees timely and easy access to data or resources needed to carry out their functions, particularly in a remote-working setting.