Citrix ShareFile is one of the most popular file-sharing services for small- and medium-sized businesses. Users can share and send files of any size on any device through the cloud, providing enterprises with enormous productivity and performance benefits.
Although it's typically used to share documents, you can also upload video files to the platform. However, Citrix ShareFile and video sharing can't provide the same benefits as an enterprise-level video streaming platform.
In this guide, learn more about Citrix ShareFile and video sharing and why you might want to invest in an alternative platform to share video content online.
Sharing Videos
It's relatively easy to share videos through ShareFile. You can upload a video file from your computer to ShareFile's cloud server and email a link to the file to a co-worker, client or customer. Depending on the size of your file, this process can take mere minutes. However, it might not be professional for enterprises to send video files by email, especially if the recipient wasn't expecting the message. The person might think the email is Spam and move it to their Trash folder.
There are other limitations with Citrix ShareFile and video sharing. For example, you can't embed videos into web pages or social media pages. While the platform lets you stream videos stored in your ShareFile account from an internet browser, this feature only supports the MP4, Ogg and WebM video file formats.
Related Reading: Dropbox and Video Sharing: Is This a Bad Idea For Organizations?
Viostream offers an alternative to Citrix ShareFile and video sharing. It's a cloud-based, enterprise-level video streaming platform that lets you upload your video files and share them in branded video galleries, allowing recipients to access videos from any browser or device. You can customize your galleries to match your brand and choose from beautifully designed templates. Other Viostream sharing features include video embeds for web pages and social media. Start your free trial now.
Security Risk
Another drawback of Citrix Sharefile and video sharing is the security risk involved. Sharefile users who implement the platform as an internal company network might presume the videos they share are protected, but that's not always true. If someone gets a Sharefile link to a video, they can share that link with anyone they like and expose sensitive information.
Depending on the Sharefile setup, someone might even download a copy of a video to their computer and distribute it to multiple places, including public video sites.
No Video Analytics
ShareFile only lets you upload and share videos, making it ineffective for a broader video content marketing strategy. If you want to engage audiences through video, you need a platform that lets you track your video content and measures key performance indicators such as view counts and viewer location. These metrics help you create more targeted campaigns in the future.
All of the best video streaming platforms come with real-time video analytics that monitors video content so you can determine which videos are the most successful with audiences. That helps you make better content marketing choices and get more value from your video investments.
Viostream has a dashboard-style interface that lets you interpret video data instantaneously and explore how viewers engage with your visual content. Its graphic engagement feature provides real-time insights into how videos perform across various devices and regions.
Related Reading: Viostream's Video Engagement Scores
No Live Streams
While ShareFile users can share pre-recorded videos with audiences, there isn't a live stream feature. According to one study, that can impact enterprises because live videos hold a viewer's attention up to 20 times longer than on-demand content.
While both on-demand and live content prove valuable to your organization, live streams can create an element of exclusivity that pre-recorded videos can't replicate. Because these streams require more commitment from viewers — they only broadcast at a specific time to an invited audience — you can target niche demographics and engage with them in real-time.
Not only does Viostream offer live streaming, but users of this platform can share live URLs with viewers. Viostream also has embedded live streams and can create multiple streams simultaneously. Sign up for your free trial and start live streaming now.
Related Reading: How Video Live Streaming is Upending the Rules of ‘Engagement’
While ShareFile might be a good choice for sharing documents, it lacks the analytics and security features your data-driven organization needs. Citrix ShareFile and video sharing might also be a bad idea if you want multiple options for sharing videos, such as video embeds for social media pages. Finally, ShareFile doesn't have a live streaming feature and only allows you to share pre-recorded content. At its core, ShareFile is more of a traditional file-sharing tool than an enterprise video platform.
Viostream provides an alternative to Citrix Sharefile and video sharing with its real-time video analytics, branded video galleries and much more. Start your free trial now and experience Viostream in your enterprise.
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