DataStage is a secure personalized 'local' file management environment for use at the research group level, appearing as a mapped drive on the end-user's computer.

It can be deployed on a local server, or on an institutional or commercial cloud.  Once the software has been installed on the server, there is no additional software for the end-user to install.

Users save files to DataStage just as they would on ordinary C: drive -- but with added extras:

• Private, shared and collaborative directories, with password-controlled access

• Web access – work with stored files over the web, anywhere in the world

• Users can add richer metadata via the web interface, using free-text "notes" fields

• All files can be automatically backed up via your usual backup service

• Users can invite colleagues to access group files, via password control

• Repository submission interface makes it easy for researchers to define data packages, enter minimal metadata, and deposit them in a repository of choice.  The minimal metadata is in RDF format; additional (non-RDF) metadata can be added via free-text fields at the submission stage

• Packaging done using BagIt file packaging specification, soon to be SWORD-2 compliant
• Flexibility to dynamically invoke additional cloud storage as required