With the COVID-19 pandemic having spurred a huge increase in remote working, professionals in the media and entertainment industry have had to confront new challenges in storing, sharing and accessing large video, audio and image files. Shipping tapes and hard drives is no longer an option with facilities closed, and virtual private networks (VPN) are stretched to their limits with the surge in remote workers.
To enable remote work and collaboration while keeping content secure and compliant with company policies, object storage provider Cloudian has partnered with Storage Made Easy (SME), a multi-cloud management solution, on a cost-effective storage solution that meets this need.
Securing content
Unlike most cloud-based file sharing services, the solution from Cloudian and Storage Made Easy lets IT managers control their data’s physical location and manage access permissions via existing company authentication frameworks, such as Active Directory and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. The solution also provides secure file sharing controls, such as password-protected links, configurable download limits, and expiration dates after which links will be disabled automatically. IT departments can customize security and access policies for remote workers, enable two-factor authentication to confirm user identity, complete virus scans and leverage an audit trail to search user and system activities. Remote workers have secure access to content regardless of where it is stored and where they are working from, reducing friction while enabling a streamlined workflow as if they were back in the office.
Collaborating with ease
The secure, Dropbox-like solution allows remote workers to access files stored on network filesystems back in the office without having to use VPN or expensive virtual desktops. By enabling users to access these files directly from within their applications, the joint solution alleviates the need to transfer files back and forth, and minimizes company data being stored on desktops.
Field workers, such as news cameramen or photographers, can also share data with others quickly and securely, increasing overall productivity. The joint solution enables cloud sync, which synchronizes files and folders needed to be viewed or edited offline, and also enables file access from mobile applications, allowing users to find, open and share files directly from their iOS and Android mobile devices. The solution also uses cloud copy, eliminating the need to download/upload large image and video files.
New capabilities without increasing costs
Well suited for remote collaborators, such as graphic designers and producers, the solution eliminates the need for expensive cloud services (which charge users for accessing files) by providing secure sharing links. Users can create links where external collaborators can drop files and restrict access to “view only” with trackable digital watermarks. Users also have the capability to revoke shared links when projects end or team members change.
With the COVID-19 pandemic necessitating new capabilities to ensure business can continue as usual, having a secure, cost-effective storage solution that enables ready access to existing tools and applications from home is essential. Cloudian and Storage Made Easy have partnered to help users meet this challenge.
Jon Toor is the CMO for San Mateo, CA’s Cloudian (https://cloudian.com).