Syncplicity Inc., the provider of file management solutions in the cloud that offers instant synchronization, backup, file sharing and collaboration in one integrated solution, rolled out an iPad app today.  Users can now browse, share and manage files and folders stored on their PC, Mac, SharePoint servers, on the corporate network or in popular cloud-based services such as Google Docs using the Syncplicity app in their iPads.  It’s a centralized solution, and with the iPad app, we’re really seeing Syncplicity’s idea of an all-access app come to fruition.

This universal file access includes shared Syncplicity folders set up for collaboration in businesses or sharing for personal use.  Users can gain secure access to any file and folder anytime while mobile, eliminating the need to email file attachments, use VPNs, or upload files to a new place in order to access them from a mobile device.  It’s another step towards a unified social enterprise solution, and takes current trends and emerging business demands into consideration.

The release of Syncplicity’s iPad app closely follows on the heels of the new Syncplicity for iPhone app, further extending the company’s footprint in the cloud and mobile file management arena.  Going through the demo app prior to launch, it’s clear that Syncplicity put a great deal of thought and planning into the app, from design to security.  It works well as a native iPad app, and looking back at Syncplicity’s extended mobile reach, this is an important aspect of its mobile strategy.  But such dedication doesn’t come without its challenges.

“When we were first looking into this, we noticed there’s a lot of services that provide a hybrid experience, and even though that space is evolving, they’re not native apps,” Leonard Chung, Syncplicity CEO explains.

“It can load slowly or encounter glitches.  So we really wanted a full native app experience…there’s things we wanted to do differently with a native app and on the security front–you have to code correctly.  We found that passwords are stored in plain text in some areas, so we had to encrypt personal data there, as well as on the backend, in addition to file downloads.  We go out of our way to make sure the consumer and company is protected.”

According to a recent Gartner study, by 2013, 80% of businesses will support a workforce using tablets. Companies are seeing the benefits of using tablets in the office and out on the field, from instant access capabilities to its use for document and video delivery, sales, field service and business analytics.  While there are many workers who are opting to use their tablets to deliver presentations, collect and share data, Gartner also identified that workers are still doing the majority of labor-intensive tasks on their desktops or laptops, making the need for an automatic file management solution even more important.

“We have a saying, ‘the vendor with the most connections wins.’ Syncplicity’s ability to create private clouds with Google Apps, SharePoint, VMware Zimbra, and now Salesforce, shows they have taken this strategy to heart and are on a winning path. Taking the cloud to where the users are – on their desktops, mobile devices and tablets – is the right strategy,” commented David Coleman, founder and managing director of Collaborative Strategies.

Syncplicity is used by businesses and customers who want to create their own virtual private cloud to store, manage, backup and share important data, and as as a couple of panelists at VMworld noted earlier this week, companies are going to want their own cloud solutions for internal and external use. Leveraging Syncplicity’s unique approach, companies can give their employees secure anytime, anywhere access to documents and files – regardless of whether the data is stored across multiple computers, mobile devices, corporate servers or cloud applications like Google Docs. Unlike others, Syncplicity is easy and convenient to use, and does not require users to change how they work.  Instead, it works wherever and however users currently keep their files and folders across multiple devices.

“We designed the new Syncplicity iPad app to give companies the most flexibility in supporting their mobile workforce,” stated Chung.  “In today’s always-on, always-connected business environment, Syncplicity eliminates the need for emailing documents or uploading them to a new place in order to gain mobile access. If you save a file on your desktop, SharePoint or anywhere you work, you should be able to simply access or share it anytime from your iPad with no special effort required. Syncplicity makes that easy and painless.”

And Syncplicity’s been on a tear lately, in an effort to provide true anywhere access.  The company launched a new product on Salesforce to provide businesses with a new way to improve sales productivity by giving teams easy, universal access that enables them to sync, share, collaborate and backup all their files from within Salesforce, or anywhere they work, without the need to move, upload, attach or email files.  Syncplicity’s foothold in the cloud is getting firmer as the cloud era progresses.  They are making the transition into the cloud easier while making it available not only to businesses but also for everyone’s personal use.

Contributors: Mellisa Tolentino