Workshare Enterprise takes the data classification aspect of security a step beyond simply classifying data. It applies classifications in the context of a collaborative environment and lets collaborators decide how files are shared. This is important because many collaborations include sensitive aspects and documents, and it is beneficial to limit the scope of distribution before, during and after the project's completion.
Often, in addition to creating documents collaboratively, work groups use data collaboratively. Ironically, this type of data use is most susceptible to compromise. For example, a group could be auditing users where there is a substantial risk of revealing personal identifiable information (PII), but there are no controls beyond the admonition to "be careful how you use this." Workshare addresses this issue head on, with an admin console that provides IT with visibility into - and control over - all users and devices connected to the account. Security settings define whether recipients can share or forward documents, and file access can be set to expire after a predefined length of time.
Another area of support that Workshare addresses is the current habit of sending collaborative documents to a cloud location, such as Dropbox. These documents may be prevented from being sent in the first place based on a policy or are encrypted using a secure link. There is a lot of flexibility in this service. Workshare even has its own secure Dropbox-like cloud storage as a secure - and preferred - alternative.
Workshare Enterprise is reasonably priced and does its job well. Its focus on collaborative environments is part of the company's legacy that goes back to when it was founded. Today, Workshare is used to securely share, based on classified policies, an average of five to 10 million documents per day. This legacy feeds some of the most useful functions of the current product and those functions simply add to the granularity of the feature set, the policy engine and the modes of use, such as mobile, email, etc. A strong product, certainly worth your consideration if collaboration is important in your environment.
At a glance
Product Workshare Enterprise
Company Workshare
Price $150 per user/per year.
What it does SaaS-delivered secure collaboration application.
What we liked Easy to use, easy to deploy and priced attractively.
