Netgear, Egnyte Partner on Hybrid Cloud Storage Platform

Egnyte-enhanced Netgear ReadyNAS Pro automatically synchronizes the online cloud with a local ReadyNAS Pro.

Egnyte, a provider of cloud file-server solutions, and Netgear, a networking company, announced that Netgear ReadyNAS Pro is now shipping with Egnyte preinstalled as a configured add-on. Egnyte is also making it possible for existing users of Netgear ReadyNAS Pro to access Egnyte Office Local Cloud by updating their firmware.

First announced in October 2010, the Egnyte-enhanced ReadyNAS Pro automatically synchronizes the online cloud with a local ReadyNAS Pro, providing users with cloud services while retaining the advantages offered by on-site file servers. As a hybrid solution, it also allows users to access, share and collaborate from any location, and can be integrated into existing directory services to further streamline user management.

"Egnyte's hybrid cloud technology combines the accessibility and flexibility of cloud storage with the security and performance of Netgear's local storage to ensure reliable, convenient and fast access to files," said Vineet Jain, CEO of Egnyte. "With this out-of-the-box file-server replacement, users are just one click away from experiencing the performance, reliability and control of an Egnyte and Netgear-powered hybrid cloud server."

Hundreds of Egnyte customers already use the joint Netgear-Egnyte hybrid cloud solution, the company said. For example, Retail Anywhere, a retail management solution for midsized retailers throughout North America, for years relied upon multiple Window file servers as a local storage solution to run the company's most critical data. Each department had their own Windows file server, so they could save and access their projects and documents directly. Remote users were provided access to the system via the company's VPN. Now, with the Netgear-Egnyte hybrid solution, all employees, remote or local, can access everything as if they were sitting in the same office, the company said in a release.

"Traditional enterprise vendors are promoting private and public clouds for corporate customers with large data centers. However, these big proposals don't match the needs of our midmarket customers, who are demanding reliable, affordable and simple solutions." said Drew Meyer, senior director of product marketing at Netgear. "The Egnyte hybrid cloud file server with Netgear storage combines a cloud-computing entry point with the reliability and simplicity of local data. That's smart IT, not big IT."

In addition, Engyte recently unveiled survey data showing that increasingly larger businesses throughout the country rely on the cloud for file storage and collaboration, and that more of these businesses access this data remotely. The survey, which maintains that entrepreneurs and small businesses still comprise the largest faction of cloud users, suggests that larger companies finally recognize the cloud's inherent benefits, including those of security, affordability and mobility.

For example, the survey found that in recent months, midsize companies have suddenly and rapidly embraced cloud storage technology in record numbers. And a recent report by Storage Strategies Now further adds fuel to this trend, stating that 57 percent of large companies plan to adopt cloud services in the near future.

"Larger enterprises generally have greater sums of money and resources at stake, so it is understandable that cloud adoption in that sector has been slower," Jain said. "However, we now see a significant increase in larger companies tapping the cloud across North America, which reflects a desire to maximize ROI and accommodate a distributed team while leveraging a secure resource. Clearly, cloud storage and collaboration services have truly become a lifeline to critical business data for small businesses and enterprises alike."