Often, simple files sharing by many departments can ultimately turn into a requirement for a central policy as the need for accountability, control and enhanced security arises, so scalability is often good to consider at the outset.
With the above in mind, and presuming secure file transfer is a must, in most cases you’ll also need to consider how you want your staff and customers or partners to send and receive data – over the web, via FTP or secure FTP or a mix of all three.
Many companies are still using FTP so flexibility in the method used should be a consideration too. Many solutions market themselves as replacements for FTP but FTP is reliable, will be around for a long time to come and is also secure if you use SFTP. Flexibility in access method is important.
Here are some file transfer services to consider.
On Premise solutions
Microsoft Sharepoint – a sophisticated online collaboration tool but mostly used within the enterprise due to security considerations.
In-house FTP server software such as IPSwitch or CuteFTP server for installation on corporate servers providing controlled external access to files and folders on the LAN. This is generally a license model and makes use of local internet up-links and require ongoing server and firewall administration.
Dedicated file transfer solutions such as Aspera and FileCatalyst offer proprietary managed file transfer. By exploiting the UDP protocol such solutions claim faster transfer speeds especially over long links. Dedicated client software is needed on every point to transfer files.
Cloud solutions
Instant or casual, consumer origin file sharing – two well known examples Dropbox and YouSendIt, offer low initial costs and little investment in setup and are easy to use. They are turning their attention to business use in recent time. Files are transferred on a ubiquitous platform which is a consideration where corporate identity is an important factor and they often require users to register in order to download files. There can also be limits to file sizes too.
Solutions geared towards business to business file exchange include Sharefile, FTP-Stream or Egnyte. All have relevant business features. Some offer good branding potential with FTP-Stream offering complete ownership of your identity such that it is often perceived as an extension to the corporate website.
Also Box.net – now Box.com is a sophisticated service but principally tuned to online collaboration as opposed to heavy duty external file transfer. If your business is global ensure that the service has a global network and check the file size limits as well as the access method it supports.
We’d love to hear any comments or experiences on the services outlined in this post and if you would like a free consultation about your file transfer requirements get in touch with us us here.
