It’s no exaggeration to say that the cloud has revolutionized the way people work. The ability to store, share, and collaborate on almost any type of file across multiple platforms and devices gives employees the freedom and flexibility they need to work with maximum productivity.

Two of the most popular cloud-based tools for enterprise companies with large, complex workflows are Dropbox, the cloud storage service, and Salesforce, a Microsoft product with a centralized document library and collaborative project management features.

Salesforce: Powerful Customer Relationship Management

Widely used by many types of mid to large-sized companies, Salesforce is the number one CRM system in the US market today. They enable salespeople to access their clients’ information immediately because it’s mission-critical to understand exactly how to adapt to each client in order to close a sale. That’s why Salesforce also created a nifty mobile app so that any mobile salespeople can have instant access to their information on the go.

Dropbox: Easy, Convenient Cloud Storage

Dropbox is an extremely popular and effective cloud storage service that many businesses use for seamless sharing, storage, and backup of important data in the cloud. It makes collaboration simple and convenient with features that allow you to send file links to other people and set sharing permissions to let them access certain folders. Saving and accessing documents and other files in Dropbox is as easy as going to the Documents folder on your computer. Plus, all of your files get synced automatically across all the devices where you have it installed, so you can use it on your smartphone or tablet as well.

If you’re not already using Dropbox yourself, you probably know plenty of colleagues that do. (And you should, too!)

Syncing Salesforce and Dropbox

Each of these cloud-based apps is incredibly useful for businesses. But wouldn’t they be even better together? The cloud becomes only more powerful if all the applications you use on a regular basis are working in harmony so that they’re always on the same page.

With cloudHQ you can set up a sync between your Dropbox and Salesforce accounts, making it even easier to collaborate and keep things up to date. When setting up a pair of services to sync, for each one you can choose to sync the entire account or only one folder, or even create a new folder for the purpose so you know exactly which is getting synced.

•       Create a one-way sync, such as from Salesforce to Dropbox, so that all of your Salesforce data gets backed up in Dropbox.
•       Create a two-way sync to integrate your data across both services. Note: We give you the actual file in Salesforce Files, not just the link. So your salespeople have everything they need right in the Salesforce App.

Any changes that you make to a document in one app, get replicated automatically in the other, in real-time. You can add accounts, opportunities, or notes in Salesforce Files directly from Dropbox. That way, you never have to worry about where you put that latest version of the document everyone’s been working on. You’ve also got an instant backup of everything because your files live in both locations. In addition, cloudHQ automatically archives all of your data in Dropbox so protect against malicious or accidental file deletions.

What about security, though? Many companies handle sensitive, confidential information that needs to be protected from unauthorized users. Dropbox has some security features, such as two-step verification, but on its own the cloud is not entirely safe. By definition, after all, uploading data to the cloud means it’s “out there” — for potentially anyone to see.

That’s where Credeon Hitachi enters the picture.

Securing Your Synced Cloud

An excellent solution to protect against unauthorized access to your data in both Dropbox and Salesforce is by using Credeon to encrypt your data. This encryption key management system from Hitachi uses military-grade encryption technology to secure your files before you upload them to the cloud. Credeon is available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, so you can use it on virtually any device.

When you integrate Credeon with your cloudHQ account, the documents and other files you sync between Dropbox and Salesforce can be automatically encrypted. Once a file is encrypted with Credeon, you choose which users can see it by giving them the encryption key.

For example, say you drag a document from your computer into the Dropbox file “Salesforce accounts”. That document automatically gets copied over to Salesforce as a new account and is automatically encrypted in both places. Likewise, if you share a document from Salesforce over to Dropbox, the synced file gets automatically encrypted in Salesforce and Dropbox.

Take a look at the demo videos below to watch the process in action.

[Videos here]

If you’re not already using Dropbox and Salesforce, check out these great apps and see how they help your team collaborate. Then try out Credeon Hitachi — the basic subscription is free.

Sign up for a free 15 day trial on cloudHQ to see how easy it can be to link everything together for secure, synchronized storage and collaboration in the cloud!