In an ideal world, it would be effortless to collaborate seamlessly on creating, modifying, visualising, optimising and sharing large, complex project files. However, the reality is that it’s rarely that straightforward. Keeping everyone on the project involved (including contractors and subcontractors) when working on large complex files can be a major challenge, especially when everyone is using different platforms and software.
This is especially true in organisations with highly complex projects, such as within the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector.
Remote working makes matters even more complicated as people are now choosing to access files – which can include heavyweight files such as AutoCAD, AutoDesk or SolidWorks, that weigh up to 1.5GB per file – while on their phones, laptops or tablets. Now more than ever it is vital for businesses with complex file sharing needs to consider how to share, store and secure files, while ensuring anyone involved in a project can access them remotely.
If these factors are not considered, it can have a detrimental impact on projects. Such as, delays, duplication of work, errors, missed deadlines, budget blowouts as a result of data egress charges and the list goes on.
Despite the popularity of peer-to-peer file cloud storage solutions like Dropbox, SharePoint or Google Drive, there are limitations to them. There’s the inability to lock files that are shared outside of the traditional network or when they are ‘in progress’ of being developed or edited, which frequently leads to a lack of version control, permission and configuration outside of the remit of the actual organisation.
While there are alternative cloud-based solutions like Panzura, Nasui, NetApp Global File Cache, they also have limitations. These are common branch-based caching solutions, which are redundant when users are working remotely and access files on their office-based workstations via VPN or through a virtual desktop.
The solution for collaboration online
LucidLink is the world’s first client-cache file sharing solution, that allows businesses to share and store projects in the cloud from any location. For the AEC sector, this means that they can share projects through any design application including AutoCAD, Autodesk or SolidWorks.
LucidLink has been designed to address businesses’ increasing need to collaborate online. It simplifies complex use-cases, such as building design workflows, and helps businesses lift their file sharing game through automatic backup to the cloud.
How LucidLink overcomes common online collaboration and mobility challenges:
- Distributed team members can immediately retrieve files on-demand on any device through LucidLinks’s streaming file service without the need to fully sync or download the file.
- Multiple users can be granted access and permission concurrently to the same Filespace with each user given specific access allowing real-time collaboration to happen anywhere, anytime.
- Files on LucidLink can be shared with external parties, such as contractors and subcontractors, at file or folder level. This allows contractors and partners to work with the LucidLink storage without the need for them to set up a LucidLink account and needing to manage their access to the entire Filespace.
- Global file locking can be enabled, which is critical with distributed users who are accessing the same data in a LucidLink Filespace concurrently. (This feature is only supported on Windows operating systems.)
- LucidLink is compatible with any object storage provider that utilises cloud, on-prem, or hybrid storage, and it supports all major operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS.
- All data is encrypted at AES 256 in flight and at rest, and each Filespace entry has its own encryption to ensure that project files are always protected and secure.
- LucidLink utilises infinitely scalable cloud storage as the platform allows companies to use their own on-prem or public cloud storage, and leverage object storage as the backend, reducing any potential cloud computing cost blowouts.
- Automatic snapshots of file projects can be enabled to ensure that if any file corruption occurs at any point of time, users can still restore to a prior version of either individual files or revert the entire Filespace to an earlier point.
