Secure file sharing firm Egnyte announced Isis Innovation, the technology transfer and commercialisation arm of Oxford University, is its latest customer win.
Isis manages 700 intellectual property license agreements and has helped form 79 spin-off companies, including Oxonica, the company behind Optisol UV absorber which protects holidaymakers in the sun, and NaturalMotion, whose animation software is behind mega hits Grand Theft Auto IV and Troy.
Since the value of intellectual property is so closely related to its security, Isis was particularly concerned with insuring its file sharing wasn’t compromised. One breach could give access to years of research, which might result in millions of pounds in funding going to waste.
Nelson Sa, business consultant, Isis Innovation, explained: "We needed a solution we could trust to store our ideas. Isis employees spend a significant proportion of their time working at our clients’ sites so we needed a secure, real-time file sharing service between our offices in Hong Kong and Oxford. Egnyte’s approach to cloud security ensures users only have access to the correct folders and its compliance with the EU Safe Harbor framework means staff can collaborate with colleagues across the world effectively, on a secure solution which is built for the enterprise."
Isis also struggled with managing a workforce many of whom consulted off-site, and while mobile devices allowed consultants to theoretically access data quickly and securely, their Oxford-based VPN gateway was slow and cumbersome. After a trial, Isis deployed Egnyte in conjunction with local storage in its Oxford and Hong Kong offices, running in hybrid mode for fast, behind-the-firewall access using Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices synced with Egnyte’s European cloud. The new system is claimed to have been up and running within a few days.
"Innovation is the lifeblood of any business and there are great ideas coming out of Isis, so keeping them secure is a priority," said Vineet Jain, CEO, Egnyte. "We pride ourselves on giving customers a choice when it comes to where their data is stored, on local storage or in the cloud, and how it’s accessed. We are very excited to see our technology driving UK innovation globally from this most prestigious academic institution."
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