- Proton has launched its own E2EE spreadsheet
- Half of European businesses still rely on cloud-based spreadsheets
- Other improvements to Proton Drive, Pass, VPN and Lumo are also coming
Following the launch of Proton Docs last year, Swiss privacy-focused cloud productivity company Proton has announced the launch of Sheets, its end-to-end encrypted spreadsheet software.
As expected from the company, Proton emphasized that no one (not even itself) can access the contents of a spreadsheet, making it perfect for secure budgeting and data tracking for individuals and businesses.
This not-so-insignificant launch comes as cloud-based spreadsheets continue to be used in the workplace, with more than half (54%) of European businesses using them for operations, CRM and data analysis.
Proton Sheets joins Docs in the Workspace suite
Timing is also of great importance: the hyperscalers’ main competitors all have their own alternatives, but concerns have been raised about the integration of AI and the security of their data. Especially when spreadsheets can contain some of a company’s most confidential data.
When the company launched Docs in July 2024, it highlighted the massive data collection of other apps like Google Docs, the risk of data breaches associated with the lack of end-to-end encryption, weak privacy laws that allow “mass surveillance” and third-party access for “warrantless surveillance.” These principles also apply to Sheets.
Proton Sheets is free for all Proton Drive account holders and, because it is built in accordance with Swiss privacy laws, it offers stronger legal protection than US data frameworks.
Even metadata such as file names are encrypted, not just the contents of spreadsheets.
Although it stands out with improved encryption, it still supports import and export via CSV and XLS.
But it doesn’t stop there, as Proton is making new improvements to its Workspace suite and other apps to entice businesses and consumers to move away from big tech.
The Duo and Family plans will soon each include a shared drive to centralize documents, while the Business plans are configured to get “multiple” shared drives. Its Drive apps are also being rebuilt around a new SDK for better performance, including faster uploads and downloads.
Other enhancements to Proton’s suite of applications include image generation for Lumo, the AI chatbot; improved autofill for Proton Pass; and five more free server countries for Proton VPN (Mexico, Canada, Switzerland, Norway and Singapore), bringing the total to 10.
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