SafeSync for Business

Individuals and businesses alike face the problem of how to access files without physical access to the device that houses the data. A range of cloud-based services have stood up to solve this problem, some with better results than others. Trend Micro's SafeSync for Business (there's also a "for Home" edition) is one such problem-solver. It's well suited for businesses that intend to pay for at least 20GB of storage no matter what solution they use, although it doesn't offer any particularly compelling features or a sexy interface design, while its competition does.

The biggest name in the synchronization game is Dropbox (4 stars) (an Editors' Choice), an excellent and widely used service among individuals in particular. Dropbox comes to my mind when I think of the consumerization of IT. Many people love Dropbox for personal use, and, they're willing to use their personal account at the office to get work done in a pinch, either covertly or overtly. TrendMicro's SafeSync for Business is, as its name suggested, targeted squarely at the business market proper, rather than rogue employees. However, now that Dropbox has dropped more competition into the SMB ring with Dropbox for Teams (a business-end solution that leverages the system so many already know and love), TrendMicro will have to compete head to head with Dropbox for business customers, too.

Another one of our favorite file-syncing services, and also an Editors' Choice but with less name-brand recognition, is SugarSync (4.5 stars), which can't be beat for supporting every major and minor platform, from Symbian to Windows Mobile to Linux. SugarSync also wins consumers over by offering 5GB free (Dropbox gives away 2GB). But doubling SugarSync's free space with a whopping 10GB for any user is CX (4 stars), which doesn't support as many system as SugarSync but is nearly as good in every other way and sports an attractive web component.

Among all these excellent options, it's tough to find unique characteristics of SafeSync that truly set it apart. It checks all the basic boxes: syncing across devices, general sharing features, a dedicated folder for drag-and-drop file upload. SafeSync's Web interface looks drab compared to those of Dropbox, CX, and SugarSync. TrendMicro touts invisible advantages, though, like the fact that it owns its data center and thus can guarantee 99.9 percent service availability. Another benefit: SafeSync provides pretty tight controls over network processes, such as upload and download speeds.

Space, Prices, and Supported Systems
File-syncing companies have been slashing prices recently with all the fierce competition in the market, and TrendMicro is competitive in this area. SafeSync's one-year plans look affordable for a small business: 20GB for $23.95; 50GB for $53.95; and a whopping 100GB for $89.95. But a two-year contract offers even more savings: 20GB for $35.95; 50GB for $77.95; and 100GB for $119.95. Mind you, these are one-time payments, not recurring monthly or annual charges. For 100GB, Dropbox and CX both charge $19.99 per month, or $239.88 for the year. SugarSync's going rate for the same package is a one-time fee of $149.99. Syncplicity, another service we've tested, is the most expensive, doesn't even advertise a 100GB plan, but does have a one-year 50GB option for $15 per month.

Support for a variety of operating systems couldn't be more pertinent to a discussion of file syncing, as the whole point of the service is to give you access to your files anywhere. SafeSync hits the big four: Windows, Mac, iOS (3.0 and later), and Android (2.1 and later). It does not support BlackBerry or Windows Mobile, though. If you or your business rely on those platforms, or even Symbian (unlikely) or Linux (more likely), stick with SugarSync, which has apps for them all.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/-zZFrpKHyKw/0,2817,2398184,00.asp

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