After traumatic news yesterday of Ubuntu One closing I’ve been playing and researching alternate options.

My favourite to date is owncloud.org, an application you can install on a server, with clients available for Android and Linux… plus the other popular OS’s

Key Features

• Connect to your ownCloud server (HTTP or HTTPS)
• Browse files and folders in the native Finder or Explorer
• Automatically sync your latest files and folders across PCs
• Share and sync your latest files and folders with other users
• Selectively sync additional folders from anywhere on your PC
• Pause and resume uploads and downloads automatically
• Configure proxies for secure enterprise environments

I’m finding the experience much like Ubuntu One, except it’s on my own server with no back door access to anyone inquisitive.

ownCloud Overview

ownCloud is an enterprise-grade file sync and share solution that is as easy to use as consumer-grade products, but is hosted in your data center, on your servers, using your storage. ownCloud integrates seamlessly into your IT infrastructure, allowing you to deliver file sharing services that conform to your data security and compliance policies. Your employees will love ownCloud’s clean, professional user interfaces; you’ll enjoy peace of mind, knowing that your data is under IT control at all times.

With over 1.3 million users, ownC¬loud is the preferred file sharing solution for enterprises everywhere.

The Dangers of Consumer Grade File Sharing

The unauthorized use of cloud-based file sharing services in the enterprise has become so significant that IT analysts have dubbed it the “Dropbox problem”. In a recent research report, Gartner warned, “consumer-grade file sync and share solutions are a risk to most organizations’ sensitive data.”

To be clear, the “Dropbox problem” is not isolated to one vendor. It is more broadly defined to mean the use of any cloud-based file sharing vendor that targets individuals (i.e., consumers and employees) with simple, inexpensive file sharing solutions. These services are seductively accessible – often free, and requiring only a name and email address – yet they are functional enough to cause irrecoverable security breaches when misused by well-intentioned employees.

The ownCloud solution –

consumer-grade ease of use, enterprise-grade control

ownCloud combines the usability and productivity users demand with the power and flexibility IT needs to keep data access under control with on-premise file sync and share. Users have access to a full suite of file sharing features, and can work collaboratively at their desks, from their laptops, on their tablets and on their phones. ownCloud enables employees to share data any time, from anywhere. ownCloud is fast and easy to install, offering IT infinite deployment flexibility. You choose the servers onto which ownCloud is installed and where all files will be stored, leveraging storage across in-house devices and private/hybrid cloud storage services. Wizard interfaces enable you to integrate ownCloud with existing LDAP/AD services (and any authentication service accessible via SAML), and ownCloud’s File Firewall provides you with advanced rules-driven access controls.

ownCloud integrates seamlessly with your existing security, DLP, event logging, monitoring and back-up systems. And ownCloud’s out-of-the-box integration with Jive, the world’s leading enterprise social collaboration solution, extends Jive with enterprise-class file sharing capabilities. In addition, ownCloud’s open architecture and APIs allow you to easily add corporate branding, and extend core functionality as needed to meet your evolving needs.