Content Collaboration Platforms (CCPs) may seem simple on the surface. After all, the function is captured by the name: content is stored and organized on a platform that facilitates collaboration between team members, external clients, vendors, and leadership. Each CCP currently available on the market has tried to distinguish itself from the others, by specializing […]
Content Collaboration Platforms (CCPs) may seem simple on the surface. After all, the function is captured by the name: content is stored and organized on a platform that facilitates collaboration between team members, external clients, vendors, and leadership. Each CCP currently available on the market has tried to distinguish itself from the others, by specializing in a certain direction or by developing new features and tools ahead of its competition. In this blog post, we will examine the differences between FileCloud and OpenText. Specifically, we'll be comparing FileCloud's Standard Server plan with the OpenText Content Suite Platform.
Many clients are migrating to cloud-only solutions; for them, the base OpenText Content Suite Platform may be a good fit.
However, the advent of cloud migration has exposed some of the vulnerabilities and threats that can arise from keeping all your data in the cloud. That’s why FileCloud offers flexible options, including on-prem, cloud, or hybrid deployment. You can also integrate with your existing storage services, like AWS, Azure, and Alibaba Cloud, run FileCloud as a virtual machine, or take advantage of multitenancy.
OpenText does have on-prem and hybrid options but only if you upgrade to the Enterprise-version of the Content Suite Platform. If you want to run OpenText as VMware, that requires a different add-on, OpenText Exceed Turbo X. Multitenancy is not an option, and if high-availability architecture is required, it must be configured through the OpenText API-Availability Software Development Kit.
OpenText does offer many of the same Admin functionalities as FileCloud. In fact, this is the most fleshed-out element of the OpenText Content Suite Platform. In both platforms, admins can:
However, there are a few key features that FileCloud includes, such as the ability to send notifications directly to user devices. FileCloud also offers a Geo-IP map in the admin console, which displays where users are logging into the system through their IP address. If any unusual or suspicious login activity occurs, admins can block and/or remotely wipe devices.
OpenText does allow the ability to block devices, but remote wipe and other advanced remote device management features are not part of the Content Suite Platform.
OpenText’s Content Suite Platform provides some basic safeguards when it comes to securing data. For example, OpenText admins can manage users and groups, create and enforce policies, adjust granular permissions, and implement Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC) and rule-based alerts and actions.
In FileCloud, these features are only the beginning of the hyper-secure platform. Built-in features include 256-bit AES encryption for data at rest and in transit, alerts on suspicious or unusual activity, ransomware protection, and ICAP-supported antivirus scanning.
While setting up the FileCloud environment, admins can opt to integrate with Active Directories or LDAP to preserve existing login credentials. Additionally, FileCloud admins can enable such protections as two-factor authentication with policy control, SSO login, customer-managed encryption, password strength requirements, and security policies based on document metadata.
Compliance and governance tools are another area where OpenText runs on the shorter side. As part of the Content Suite Platform, admins and users can take advantage of reporting and document life cycle management policies. However, there is no official support for regulations. To cover basic GDPR requirements, an OpenText client would also have to include OpenText Documentum and possibly OpenText Cloud Fax. Furthermore, there is no consolidated guidance on how to configure the OpenText platform to make it compliant manually, unless you opt for a different solution, the Enterprise Information Management platform.
FileCloud offers support documentation for regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, ITAR, FINRA, and CMMC. Compliance reports can be generated and exported for ease of governance, along with comprehensive audit reports on user and file activities throughout the FileCloud environment. Features like Smart DLP, encryption options, and on-premises hosting help Compliance Officers and IT managers meet compliance requirements.
With FileCloud’s Enterprise plan, clients gain access to a powerful and intuitive Compliance Center, with configurations for HIPAA, GDPR, and ITAR (and more on the way!). Users can view the specific requirements (with links to regulatory documentation), a brief explanation of how FileCloud supports compliance with that requirement, the option to enable (or disable) a rule, and a status column that shows if compliance has been achieved or not. If any “issues” are flagged during a scan, FileCloud offers explicit instructions to help redress the issues and achieve compliance.
OpenText and FileCloud both offer content management features, including real-time web editing, file locking, retention policies, content analytics, and metadata management (default and custom sets).
Once again though, FileCloud goes beyond to meet management requirements and ease the administrative burden. For example, FileCloud’s unlimited data storage means the platform can also support unlimited file versioning. Users can easily review changes across different versions and even restore files, without sacrificing space or speed. This also contributes to built-in archival support, so that no information is ever lost or overwritten.
In comparison, while OpenText does offer file versioning, it is limited to the storage quota of the user or the client’s total storage capacity.
Collaboration is a strength across both platforms, which stands to reason, considering their classification as “Content Collaboration Platforms.” Users can utilize helpful tools like file and folder commenting, activity streams and @ mentions, team folders, document preview for common file types, and drag-and-drop upload. OpenText even includes basic file actions and workflows to facilitate the movement of files.
However, FileCloud has gone beyond simple workflows to address the expanding workloads of modern organizations with Workflow Automation. These complex “if this, then that” workflows support streamlined, efficient handling of files and documents. Examples include candidate review and onboarding, contract approvals, project and meeting note distribution, and invoicing, among other administrative tasks.
As mentioned above, OpenText and FileCloud both provide an inventory of all connected mobile devices and the ability to block connected devices. This is useful to protect data from malicious activity or even something as innocent as an employee moving on to another job opportunity.
However, simply blocking a device does not retrieve data that has already been downloaded or saved on a user’s device. FileCloud’s commitment to a hyper-secure platform means that admins are empowered with the ability to remotely wipe any connected device, ensuring that data is safeguarded within the platform, regardless of access, activity, or device.
OpenText presents an interesting solution model to the CCP market. As one of the largest software companies in Canada, OpenText has made a name for itself through the sheer number of solutions it offers (by acquiring stand-alone or overlapping tools) and the modular packaging. Theoretically, this ensures that clients can pay only for the services and solutions they need, without investing in an extensive platform with bells and whistles they’ll never even notice.
However, if you handle sensitive or confidential data, if your organization is rapidly scaling, or if you want to future-proof your file storage and collaboration, FileCloud is the better choice. Not only does FileCloud offer industry-leading solutions for content management and collaboration, it also incorporates best-in-class file security, governance, and deployment options.
Additionally, FileCloud’s transparent pricing model ensures you know exactly what you’re getting and for how much, which means your organization can better plan for the fiscal years ahead and invest in an IT infrastructure that will provide high ROI.
To learn how FileCloud can support your company, check out the tour page or sign up for a free trial!
Article written by Katie Gerhardt
