Aimed at enterprises with a starting price point of around $50 a month, the Confidela service offers user-controlled document control, tracking and protection systems that supports the confidential sharing of important or sensitive documents.

Using a Javascript/Flash interface, WatchDox allows the sender to control, restrict and track viewing, printing and forwarding of documents sent to partners, colleagues and customers.

Key features of the service include:

Document control - allows the sender to have full control over the sent files at all times.

Document limits - limits the recipient's ability to view, forward, copy-paste or print documents.

Expiry dates - set expiration dates for each document.

Watermarks - place watermarks identifying the document's source and recipient.

Tracking - document tracking provides detailed tracking capabilities so viewing, forwarding or printing a protected document is logged and traced.

Adi Ruppin, Confidela's vice president of marketing, told Infosecurity that the document control service is unique in being stored in the cloud, and operating entirely as a SaaS solution.

"Reaction to the service has been very positive. We have semiconductor companies using the facility, as well as pharmacy firms wanting to protect their interests", he said.

"For very confidential documents, we even have a spotlight feature which allows the reader to only view a `spotlighted' section of the document on the screen, and so stop anyone from photographing the screen, which is how most document control systems can be defeated."

WatchDox, he went on to say, has been in development for around two years and uses the Amazon EC2 cloud computing service to store the confidential data.