Huddle has augmented its widely-used enterprise collaboration service with a Connected Desktop function that lets users save files to the cloud directly from their desktop applications. The update is a nod to current virtualization trends currently taking over the enterprise, where consumer demand continues to grow.

Huddle’s Connected Desktop feature is available for both Windows and Mac, and offers support for “all content” regardless of the application used for editing.  That means more syncing in the cloud and on the device, moving conversations and file-management away from outdated enterprise applications, into something more user-friendly and pragmatic for today’s mobile work culture.

“The consumerization of enterprise software means that users are a lot more demanding now,” explains Andy McLoughlin, the EVP Strategy and Co-founder of Huddle.  “Why is it I can use a well-designed app for communicating with my friends, but still have to use a piece of crap app for work?”  McLoughlin and his team are working to change that.

Huddle says that Connected Desktop automatically saves emails and attached files to a virtual drive that can be accessed online or via a mobile device. The tool features an activity stream that displays project progress, and a thumbnail media browser that lets users quickly images and videos.

“The office of the future is no longer a physical environment – with a desk, chair and workstation tied to the corporate network – it’s a secure virtual environment that is accessible from anywhere via whatever device people wish to use,” explains Alastair Mitchell, Huddle CEO.

“With our Connected Desktop experience, we’ve taken the focus away from the PC and given workers the ability to securely work with people in the cloud using the applications on their desktop, smartphone or tablet, regardless of where they are. This is the new way of working and the future of the workplace.”

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So why now?

Organizations are increasingly recognizing the cloud as a means to improve worker productivity and boost their bottom lines.  Now several cloud providers are vying for the enterprise space, where they can entice C-level executives through the backdoor — employee devices like smartphones and tablets.  Huddle has been around longer than the smartphone market, and have survived this long by keying in on usability and compliance.

“We’ve invested heavily in compliance and security,” McLoughlin says.  Focusing on the mid-market enterprise and up, as well as government clients (regulated sectors), these groups have traditionally been limited in IT legacy systems – end users can’t get their jobs done.

“CIOs hear end users crying out for better tools, but many of the tools out there don’t have the compliance these companies are comfortable with.  “That’s where we see the opportunity,” continues McLoughlin.

To keep regulated sector clients happy, Huddle’s taken strides to meet the stringent demands of software licensing and version management, administrative controls and security and encryption, thanks in large part to experience, API leveraging and great partners.  This combo will help Huddle incorporate more specific points of cloud integration in order to appease end users’ demands.

See a video demo of Huddle’s update below:

Contributors: Maria Deutscher