Knowledge Vault helps CIOs stay in control of cloud-based email and storage

The growing popularity of hosted services has started to change the way IT departments work. But one thing that remains the same is the need to keep track of who has access to what and how data is being shared, according to analytics company Knowledge Vault, which Monday general availability of its Microsoft Azure-based cloud-based analytics-as-a-service platform.

Out of the gate, the platform can be integrated with Office 365 and on-site Exchange installations. Salesforce and Box integration is currently under development and will be released in the first quarter of next year. Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox are currently in review. Each platform is integrated with the help of an independent connector.

Keeping a close eye on Office 365 email migrations, including the ability to monitor license usage, is one of the first use cases for the platform. A system overview in the Web-based management tool tracks that and reports on user adoption, for example. The reporting capabilities then make it possible to drill down and track usage in more detail.

The platform can also be used to see if the right security protocols are used and proper auditing is in place. The goal is to improve visibility and control in a way that lets even nontechnical business owners get a better understanding of what's happening.

Just like many companies offering cloud-based services, Knowledge Vault highlights ease of use, saying that users should be able to get started in about 10 minutes.

The platform has been beta tested by a number of larger partners and customers, Knowledge Vault said without providing names. The company has also seen interest from resellers in the U.S. and Germany that want to offer its platform as an add-on service. The resellers are looking for ways to remain relevant as organizations increasingly deal directly with the likes of Microsoft and Dropbox.

The cost is from 25 cents per mailbox and connector per month for the Professional version, according to Knowledge Vault's website. There is also a free but limited Community version for users to get started with.

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