Remote Microsoft SharePoint Access with AvePoint Perimeter

​As smartphones, tablets, and other mobile technologies grow in popularity worldwide, the lines between consumer and professional use with the devices are continually blurred. In recent years, mobile devices have become important productivity tools for workers outside of the office and also a major challenge for organizations. According to a recent AIIM survey report, 46 percent of respondents considered information access via mobile as “essential,” while only 18 percent were confident that their mobile content management process is fully compliant with corporate policy and government regulation.

As organizations continue to rely upon enterprise collaboration software like SharePoint, mobile access is becoming an extremely important facet of allowing users to maximize productivity on the platform from anywhere. At the same time, organizations and their IT administrators must be vigilant to protect themselves from the potential threats – ranging from data loss to legal risks – inherent in the ability to access enterprise content from locations and devices outside the confines of the office. With AvePoint Perimeter – generally available today – we deliver a solution aimed to satisfy end users, IT administrators, and enterprises by ensuring business critical Microsoft SharePoint assets are able to be accessed by trusted users, within trusted locations, on trusted devices.

End-Users

For end-users, the goal is simple: They want to do the job they were hired to do while make their customers, bosses, and co-workers happy. They want to accomplish tasks in a way that is comfortable, familiar, and efficient. When it comes to the tools they use to get their jobs done, usability is a key factor. While they may not simply delete an enterprise software application the same way they would a consumer-oriented app, if it is not working for them, they are not likely to use it.

The notion of “workshifting” is also important in the modern workplace. Gone are the days of work and collaboration happening only within the walls of the corporate office. Workers need the ability to be productive, access company resources, and collaborate effectively with their teams at all times – whether they’re offsite visiting a client, waiting on a flight at the airport, or working from home. With the modern ubiquity of mobile devices and the ability to be “connected” at all times, workers have these possibilities at their fingertips more than ever before.

IT Administrators

Meanwhile, on the administrative side, there is continued pressure to provide more security, oversight, and governance while following the old adage of "doing more with less" through all projects. Once software is purchased for the enterprise, it is a major commitment, and, unlike consumers, IT can’t simply delete something if it doesn’t work the way they planned. This forces administrators to put more and more work into the product to make it fit the organization’s needs and be adopted by workers.

In order to bring about that adoption and overall use of enterprise software, administrators need to enable end-users to access platforms in a way that fits their needs as members of the contemporary mobile workforce. At the same time, IT is responsible for helping the company maintain a secure posture, and the risks associated with providing end-users with access to potentially sensitive business content anytime and anywhere are numerous. IT administrators have the responsibility of ensuring that the proper controls are in place and processes followed to ensure data is accessed securely.

AvePoint's Solution

At AvePoint, when we say we help organizations "collaborate with confidence”, that goes for the whole of the organization – including both end-users and administrators. AvePoint Perimeter blends the needs of the users along with the needs of the organization. We think you can have it both ways: Organizations can control their content while giving users more flexibility in how they work. By combining traditional 2-Factor Authentication (2FA), existing device authentication security systems, and location-based controls, AvePoint Perimeter enables secure, remote access to SharePoint for trusted users, on trusted devices, in trusted locations. Administrators can also track, report on, and audit all remote SharePoint content access, user activity, and geographic locations.

AvePoint Perimeter allows IT administrators to:

· Secure remote access to SharePoint content with centralized access controls across trusted users, devices, and locations

· Reduce organizational risk and enable regulatory compliance by providing multi-layered authentication to remote SharePoint access

· Ensure your devices and corporate data are secure with continuous monitoring and auditing of user activity and mobile device details

· Protect against accidental breaches, non-compliant behavior or employee turnover by disabling access and remote wiping devices of cached data

· Protect against unauthorized or unknown applications accessing SharePoint content by allowing or blocking Web Service calls based on the user agent

To learn more about AvePoint Perimeter, please visit our website for more details.

Whether you’re an end-user, IT administrator, or anyone else in between, we’d love to hear from you. What are the biggest challenges you’re facing in the age of enterprise mobility? Let us know by leaving a comment below.