News Release

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sphere 3D Corp. (NASDAQ:ANY), a containerization, virtualization and data management solutions provider and parent company of Overland Storage and Tandberg Data, today announced SnapSync™, a highly secure, private, and fast file sharing software product for the enterprise and the SMB. SnapSync uses peer-to-peer data distribution technology, runs on the company’s popular on-premise SnapServer® and Cloud-based SnapCLOUD™ storage products, and is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, and MacOS clients.

The SnapSync integrated offering for private and hybrid Cloud Storage deployments enables users to synchronize, share and access files and folders of any size from anywhere on any device—regardless of the storage limit of the target client device. The newly released and advanced service offerings are delivered at a fraction of the cost of typical public Cloud-based ‘box’ storage products. More important, SnapSync provides superior security features and sophisticated centralized IT control of client data while providing immediate disaster recovery and backup.

“At San José State University’s Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, we had specific criteria for the security of our data as well as a need for a robust backup and disaster recovery infrastructure. Our faculty and staff store large amounts of research data and protected student data on their office machines,” said Malu Roldan, the associate dean of Undergraduate Programs in the College of Business. “By having a secure and redundant node in the peer-to-peer network, our users have been able to selectively and automatically sync key sensitive data while being assured that it is well protected and can be quickly replicated should there be a glitch anywhere in our network. I am pleased to say that we have been able to use SnapSync to address these stringent requirements.”

“We have designed SnapSync to not only make it available for new customers, but to also extend its capabilities to the large number of Snap storage units that have been shipped to companies across the globe,” said Eric Kelly, CEO of Sphere3D. “Our go-to-market strategy and tactics will continue to leverage our increasingly large installed base, which will accelerate adoption of our integrative offering. Additionally, we will continue targeting new vertical markets, like education, that demand a high level of security, flexibility and world-class service.”

According to a market study from Osterman Research, 75 percent of IT decision makers and influencers are concerned about the level of use of consumer file sync and share tools within their organizations, and consider their lack of security and IT management control to be a major problem. For example, popular Cloud file storage products allow the user to send an email link to share their files, which enables the recipient to access data that can be forwarded again and again, and allows that data to easily be captured by non-approved parties. 

“IT decision makers are frustrated with the lack of centralized control for corporate data landing in the Cloud, which continues to increase with mobile workforces that use their personal devices for work tasks.  With SnapSync, the originator of the file share authorizes access to other parties, enabling improved data control and a content IT manager,” said Mark Bowker, ESG analyst. “SnapSync’s security and control features like encrypted keys, provide the document originator the ability to remove access for a particular user if the access is no longer required. This ensures the data remains secure within the enterprise.”

Most competing storage systems only back up on a periodic basis – daily, weekly, etc. – and information can take days or weeks to be retrieved by the equipment provider following a system meltdown. Organizations leveraging SnapSync private Cloud benefit from fast disaster recovery and business continuity with almost complete recovery of that data if they are synchronized with the company’s central Snap storage-based infrastructure. This is made possible by the Snap storage site-to-site continuous replication features that help ensure the latest data is always backed up, recoverable and available.  

“In today’s agile business world, enterprise users are looking for always-on, Cloud-integrated, mobile-ready and secured access of corporate information without always requiring a VPN connection. SnapSync, along with our Snap storage products, provides enterprises and SMBs with a value proposition that features the lowest total cost of ownership, most secure and most scalable configuration to share and store data, with the knowledge that if there’s a critical system failure they can be up and running within minutes with a close to zero recovery point objective (RPO),” noted Nilesh Patel, VP product management and marketing at Sphere 3D. He concluded, “We believe this is a game changer for companies that are looking for the most versatile and secure environment while still meeting the mobility requirements of their workforces.”

Specific benefits of SnapSync include:

• Centralized IT control and management
  • Time-based access: expiration deadlines
  • Owner approval for re-shared links and folders. Can limit access to read-only
  • Control and own your data
• Keep data on your own secure and private Cloud
  • Leverage on-premise Snap storage to build a private Cloud for unlimited data access on any device from anywhere
  • There is no limit to capacity other than the amount of storage purchased
• Optimized for “on the go” data access and collaboration
  • Intelligent sync: 100s of TBs accessible on >16GB phone memory but synchronize only the files you need. Save expensive mobile data bandwidth
  • Continuous mobile device backup. Preserve storage space on mobile devices
• Data Protection
  • Data encrypted and protected without requiring a VPN connection
  • Data wipe capabilities for lost or stolen devices
• Enterprise class technical support Included
  • Global Phone, email and web support
  • Software updates and patches
    
    

Pricing and Availability

SnapSync is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, and MacOS clients, and is designed for use with Sphere 3D’s on premise SnapServer storage appliance, as well as on its SnapCLOUD virtual storage platform located in the Microsoft Azure Cloud Marketplace.  Pricing for a private cloud bundle with a SnapServer appliance starts at $1795 MSRP, with the first year of SnapSync licenses for a minimum of 25 users included. That is an effective price of less than $6 per user per month. For those existing SnapServer and SnapCLOUD customers whose systems are compatible with the latest available version of the GuardianOS software, standalone SnapSync software licenses are available for an annual or a 3-year contract. For more information on the SnapSync solution, features, and benefits please visit the SnapSync web page at http://www.overlandstorage.com/products/snapsync/index.aspx#Overview.

About SnapServer and SnapCLOUD

SnapCLOUD is a virtual storage platform based on Sphere 3D’s SnapServer® on-premise data storage systems which have been installed by 300,000 plus customers worldwide. SnapCLOUD and SnapServer, both built upon the award winning GuardianOS operating system, bring the simplicity of deploying enterprise-grade data storage and data protection in minutes to meet unplanned business growth needs. SnapCLOUD and SnapServer deliver the following benefits:

• Users can centrally manage and monitor a globally distributed data center to enhance both their on-premises physical data center and/or their data in the Cloud, allowing data management across the organization to be the same everywhere.
• Users get secure data access anywhere and on any device. The SnapSync built-in sync and share functionality enables users and devices to share data directly from Snap in conformance with business policies.
• SnapCLOUD users can create a high performance and resilient virtual environment in minutes, using servers, storage and networking from the Microsoft Azure Marketplace.  Customers only pay for what they use.
• Users have access to seamless storage expansion through the DynamicRAID feature, which allows the adding or replacing of hard drives as well as the dynamic grown or shrink of storage pools as capacity requirements change, without the need to re-provision or have IT intervention. 

For more information on how to purchase get a SnapServer on-premise storage system or the SnapCLOUD virtual storage on Microsoft Azure, go to http://www.overlandstorage.com/products/snapsync/index.aspx#HowToBuy.

About Sphere 3D
Sphere 3D Corp. (NASDAQ:ANY) delivers containerization and virtualization technologies along with data management products that enable workload-optimized solutions. We achieve this through a combination of containerized applications, virtual desktops, virtual storage and physical hyper-converged platforms. Sphere 3D’s value proposition is simple and direct—we allow organizations to deploy a combination of public, private or hybrid Cloud strategies while backing them up with state of the art storage solutions.  Sphere 3D, along with its wholly-owned subsidiaries Overland Storage and Tandberg Data, has a strong portfolio of brands including Glassware 2.0™, SnapCLOUD™, SnapScale®, SnapServer®, V3®, RDX®, and NEO®.  For more information, visit www.sphere3d.com.  Follow us on Twitter @Sphere3D or @overlandstorage.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, unforeseen changes in the course of Sphere 3D’s business or the business of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including, without limitation, Overland Storage and Tandberg Data; any increase in Sphere 3D’s cash needs or our inability to obtain additional debt or equity financing; performance and functionality of our products, including the Snap product families; the timing of our product releases and launches, the adoption of our products by potential and existing customers, the level of success of our collaborations and business partnerships; possible actions by customers, partners, suppliers, competitors or regulatory authorities; and other risks detailed from time to time in Sphere 3D’s periodic reports contained in our Annual Information Form and other filings with Canadian securities regulators (www.sedar.com) and in prior periodic reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov), and risks detailed in the Form F-4/A relating to Sphere 3D’s merger with Overland Storage filed with the SEC. Sphere 3D undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Media Contacts:
Eileen Elam
408-283-4734 
media.relations@sphere3d.com 

Nick Foot
BWW Communications
+44-1491-636393
Nick.foot@bwwcomms.com

Investor Contact:
Blueshirt Group
Michael Bishop
415-217-4968
mike@blueshirtgroup.com