items GmbH

items GmbH is an IT service provider for municipal utility and public transportation companies. Its services range from consultation on the introduction of IT and application services to taking over business operations. The company has five locations, 280 employees and serves over 60 public institutions across Germany.

The Challenge: Replace unsecure FTP servers and personal file-sharing usage for its customers

The world's sweeping digitalization and data explosion doesn't stop at the public services sector. However, many organizations are still using unsecure FTP servers for data exchange or personal file-sharing services that don't meet enterprise security requirements. items wanted to offer its customers a secure enterprise-grade file sync and sharing tool to give them control over their data and allow centralized data storage across multiple devices. In addition, the solution had to meet the strict data protection requirements of German administrative authorities. Another essential criterion was an intuitive and modern interface.

The Solution: IT-sanctioned, user-approved, enterprise file sync and sharing with Citrix ShareFile

Items turned to their technology partner, Citrix, for a secure data sync, sharing and storage solution. Items found the perfect cloud-based product in ShareFile, which enjoyed great popularity because it is so easy to use for both employees and for IT. The ShareFile enterprise-ready solution provided additional security over the personal file sharing service plus IT visibility, control and data storage flexibility. Items was able to determine for its customers how sensitive data is stored, accessed and shared.

Key Benefits

Flexible storage options to meet strict data protection requirements & data sovereignty

ShareFile's different storage options in Citrix's or customer-operated data centers, or a combination of both options guarantees great value and flexibility. Items had to address strict data protection requirements and data sovereignty as defined by the German administrative authorities, so ShareFile's StorageZones option to store data entirely on the local server was another plus. StorageZones, configurable access rights and professional encryption for documents ensure data security.

Access to data while-on-the-go from ShareFile mobile apps – a PLUS

ShareFile provides access to critical data from a variety of mobile devices. Thanks to ShareFile's mobile apps, items employees can access relevant files anytime from their iPad, iPhone or Android device and share them with external partners. With the offline access feature, employees can access and edit their data on- the -go without interrupting workflow productivity.

Full transparency with file access & sharing tracking and personalized email notifications

Tracking functions and personalized email notifications provide full transparency about account activity and file access. Items employees and IT admins can receive reports on file sharing activity, as ShareFile provides comprehensive capabilities to track log and report on user file access, sync and sharing activity, including the date, type, place, and network address of each user event.

Looking Ahead

items chose Citrix several years back for their Citrix XenDesktop, XenApp and Netscaler for virtualization services for customers and added on products as needed, like video conferencing, Citrix GoToMeeting and Citrix GoToAssist for remote support because of Citrix's 20+ years of experience is servicing enterprise IT. When items needed to add a secure data sync, sharing and storage solution their first thought was to try something from Citrix. Items look forward to trying other new technology solutions to help them empower and grow their business. "With Citrix, we get everything from one source, enjoy great customer support, and also have the reassurance that we have an experienced and well-established provider on our side," says Alexander Sommer, Solution Architect in IT Operations at items.