Cloud File Server Modernisation
Your file servers work. Your users just can't reach them. Cloud-enable existing infrastructure with mapped drives, global file locking, and NTFS permissions — all over HTTPS, no VPN required.
The Problem
Organisations have terabytes sitting on Windows file servers that "just work" — Active Directory permissions, mapped drives, file locking, group policies. Years of carefully structured folders and finely tuned access controls. It's proven infrastructure that nobody wants to touch.
Then remote and hybrid work broke the model. VPNs were the quick fix, but they're slow, unreliable, and a genuine security risk. Every VPN connection is an attack surface. Every dropped connection is a lost hour of productivity. Users hate them — and when the VPN is painful, shadow IT fills the gap.
SharePoint and OneDrive migration looks like the modern answer, but the reality is brutal. It loses NTFS permissions, breaks mapped drives, confuses users, and costs a fortune. Large file repositories — CAD drawings, video assets, medical imaging — can take months to migrate and cost significantly more in cloud storage than on-premises. For many organisations, it's simply not viable.
The real answer is simpler: keep the file server, add a cloud access layer on top. No migration, no permission rebuilding, no retraining. Just give users the access they need, the way they already work.
Common Triggers
VPN complaints from remote staff — slow, drops connections, frustrates everyone
SharePoint migration quoted at $500K+ and would take months to complete
Branch offices can't reliably access HQ files over WAN links
We need file locking across sites — two people keep overwriting each other's work
Users are putting company files in personal Dropbox and Google Drive accounts
Why This Matters to the Business
File server modernisation isn't about technology — it's about keeping people productive without throwing away infrastructure that works.
User Productivity
Mapped drives work from anywhere, just like in the office. No VPN to connect, no new interface to learn, no sync conflicts to resolve. Users open files the same way they always have — they just happen to be at home.
Zero Migration
No data movement, no permission rebuilding, no user retraining. Your file servers stay exactly where they are. Folder structures, NTFS permissions, and group policies continue to apply. Add cloud access on top — don't replace what already works.
Security Without Compromise
HTTPS-only access with per-user and per-device authentication. No open firewall ports, no VPN attack surface, no data leaving your infrastructure. Existing Active Directory policies and NTFS permissions are enforced, not bypassed.
Vendors That Solve This Problem
Three products, three deployment models — MSP multi-tenant, enterprise single-tenant, and turnkey SaaS. All built on the same proven file server cloud enablement technology.
Gladinet Triofox
Single-tenant enterprise file server cloud enablement. Same technology as CentreStack but deployed per-organisation. Preserves AD/NTFS permissions, provides global file locking, and enables mapped drives over HTTPS.
UFSConnect
SaaS file access platform built on Gladinet CentreStack technology. Direct-to-business offering — no MSP intermediary. Starter, Professional, and Storage tiers with simple per-user monthly pricing.
How It Works
A cloud access layer sits between your users and your file servers. Data stays where it is — users just get a better way to reach it.
Remote Users
Access files from any location using mapped drives, web browsers, or mobile apps — same experience as the office.
Cloud Access Layer
CentreStack, Triofox, or UFSConnect — secure HTTPS gateway that connects users to file servers.
Your File Servers
Existing Windows file servers remain completely unchanged. Nothing moves, nothing breaks.
Key Capabilities
How Cloud Ready Solutions Enables This Solution
We're a distributor, not a professional services firm. Here's how we help partners deliver cloud file server solutions to their customers.
Architecture Design
Which product fits which scenario? CentreStack for MSPs, Triofox for enterprise, UFSConnect for SMBs. We help partners map the right solution to every customer conversation.
Multi-Vendor Bundles
Combine Gladinet or UFSConnect with Wasabi cloud storage tiers and StoneFly on-premises appliances. One distributor, one quote, complete file server modernisation stack.
AU-Based Deployment Support
Australian-based technical support for deployment planning, Active Directory integration, and multi-site configuration. Local expertise for APAC time zones.
Local Pricing & Billing
AUD/NZD billing with local payment terms. Transparent per-user licensing that makes it straightforward to quote and deliver cloud file server solutions.
Who This Solution Is For
IT Directors with Hybrid Workforces
Your users need file access from home, the office, and everywhere in between. Cloud-enable existing file servers instead of forcing everyone onto VPN or migrating to SharePoint.
MSPs Building Managed Services
Offer file-access-as-a-service to multiple clients from a single multi-tenant platform. White-label branding, per-user billing, and no per-client infrastructure to manage.
Multi-Site Organisations
Branch offices need access to HQ file servers without slow WAN links or data replication. Global file locking prevents conflicts when teams in different locations work on the same files.
Businesses Rejecting SharePoint Migration
You've seen the quotes — $500K+ to migrate terabytes of files, rebuild permissions, and retrain users. There's a better way that preserves everything you've already built.
Why Not Just Migrate to SharePoint?
Because migration is expensive, slow, and often unnecessary. Large file repositories — CAD files, video assets, medical imaging, legal archives — take months to move and cost far more in cloud storage than on-premises. NTFS permissions don't translate cleanly. Mapped drives break. Applications that depend on UNC paths stop working. And users who've worked the same way for a decade suddenly need retraining.
Cloud file server modernisation gives you cloud-like access without any of that disruption. If you eventually decide to migrate, you can do it on your timeline — not because your remote workers are demanding it today.
Common Use Cases
VPN Replacement for File Server Access
Replace slow, unreliable VPN connections with mapped drives over HTTPS. Users connect the same way they do in the office — the drive letter is the same, the folder structure is the same, the permissions are the same. The only difference is they're not fighting a VPN to get there.
Multi-Site File Sharing with Global File Locking
When teams in Sydney, Melbourne, and Auckland all need access to the same project files, you need more than shared folders. Global file locking ensures two people can't overwrite each other's changes, while intelligent caching keeps frequently accessed files fast at every site.
MSP File-Access-as-a-Service
Deploy CentreStack once and serve unlimited tenants — each with their own branded portal, their own file servers, and their own user management. Per-user monthly billing makes it a predictable managed service with healthy margins and minimal operational overhead.
Branch Office to HQ File Access
Branch offices and satellite locations need reliable access to central file repositories without replicating data to every site. Cloud file server technology provides optimised access with local caching, delta sync, and automatic failover — all without changing the user experience.