Citrix ShareFile adds more features for Mac users

Citrix has added some new Mac-focused capabilities to its file sync and sharing service ShareFile. The company said the updates are aimed at promoting better collaboration and productivity while protecting company, customer, and personal information.

First up, Citrix is releasing the new desktop app for Mac, which now offers one-click access to ShareFile without the need to open a web browser. The app also lets users access, send, and request files and attachments directly from their computers and ShareFile accounts.

Citrix is also rolling out ShareFile for Outlook, a new Microsoft Outlook add-on that brings ShareFile functionality to Outlook for Mac and Outlook Online.

Next, Citrix is integrating ShareFile more closely with Office Online with the addition of Microsoft Office editing for on-premise storage zones. ShareFile users with a valid Microsoft Online Office Server (OOS) can now co-author Office documents from within ShareFile -- a feature that previously was available only to customers with cloud storage zones. Citrix notes that users will still need OOS access to utilize the co-editing feature.

Citrix also announced that ShareConnect, its remote desktop access tool, is now validated under Sword and Shield's HIPAA Compliance Program (HCP). The compliance certification means ShareConnect now has the majority of the requisite security measures designed to protect health information and electronic medical records.

More broadly, Citrix continues to pitch ShareFile as a tool that can help businesses transform into a mobile and digital office. According to recent data from IDC, an estimated 80 percent of businesses still rely on paper for much of their document processes, paving the way for a $732 billion market opportunity in 2019.

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