I’ve previously talked about file transfer becoming more integrated into business processes but ensuring that a company’s branding can be extended through a managed file transfer solution is a hot topic too.

We’re finding it more and more critical for customers to be able to replicate their brand at any point at which a customer may have contact.  With that in mind we’ve been busy customising many of our customers log-in’s which you might like to have a look at for inspiration.  Some have even decided to remove all branding so that they can use it across a group of companies.

Clicks Digital Print

Red Central

Start Creative

Pro2col default branding

We’re working on a number of additional customisation options, including CSS, email templates and more as we strive to provide what our customers are asking for.  Its going to be an exciting 2009 with all the new updates and features planned.

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There are many different business environments and requirements for file transfer solutions.  Some companies need to transfer minimal amounts of data, small files sent irregularly where online sites like filetransfer.com would suffice.  Others transfer significant volumes of data and take the time to research and invest in a managed file transfer solution that they can run in-house so that they have a greater degree of control, these solutions take the form of either file transfer software installed on a company’s hardware or a file transfer appliance - but which is best?

One solution does not fit every scenario.  I’d be foolish if I stated that a particular solution was best and to hell with the others.  So I’m going to provide you with some pointers as to why I personally think that a hardware based file transfer solution is best for managed file transfer and I’ve broken it down into sections:

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Hardware

When purchasing an appliance you can be sure that the hardware is tried and tested and runs the file transfer software.  Any upgrades to the managed file transfer solution will have been tested running on the appliance ensuring the minimum of disruption during the upgrade.

When purchasing a software solution there are many different hardware options that the software might be installed on.  It is next to impossible to test all the different hardware combinations that the managed file transfer software could be installed onto, meaning that there is a greater likelihood of speed issues, functionality not working and bugs being identified during your installation or upgrade.

Operating System

OS vendors are constantly improving their operating systems, whether it’s Windows, Apple or any of the flavours of Linux, which is as you’d expect really.  With many operating systems having automated updates available this can play havoc with software solutions that are as yet untested on the latest operating systems.  Software frequently has problems when new operating system updates are released creating more development overhead for the managed file transfer software vendors.

This problem is completely eradicated with hardware/appliance-based solutions where the vendor is able to control the installation/implementation of any updates.

Software

A key advantage of software based managed file transfer solutions are the speed to deploy and the obvious cost savings achieved by not needing to invest in hardware as part of the solution.

Support

Vendors generally tend to be able to offer a better level of support when they’ve supplied the hardware.  Firstly they’ll be able to access the core OS and know how to support the solution to a whole different level because of this.  In addition and this is a key consideration - the buck stops with them!  If you’ve supplied the hardware for a software based managed file transfer solution then there will always be a bit of a “them and us” scenario regarding support issues.

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Clearly being a vendor of a hardware based Managed File Transfer appliance I’m going to fall on the side of hardware being best.  Without my vendors hat on though I genuinely do believe that the benefits outweigh the downsides when it comes to choosing an appliance over a software solution.

There are probably a number of other considerations that I’ve not listed here so I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.  Go here for a definition of Managed File Transfer.

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Managed File Transfer is fast becoming the latest buzz phrase for all those businesses needing a file transfer solution.  Managed File Transfer is not a new concept its been around for a number of years its just that companies now need file transfer to be an integrated process within the organisation instead of a standalone process with little to no management information.

The term Managed File Transfer basically suggests that the process of transferring files is audited, providing reporting, guaranteed delivery and automation.  Hermstedt’s StingRay Managed File Transfer Server has been around for seven years now and provides a great degree of management information including which user sent the files, when and what files they sent and to who.

StingRay screenshot of Managed File Transfer information

In addition to tracking and logging all of the managed file transfers that the StingRay undertakes it also stores all of the accounting logs on the server for exporting in a tab delimited format so that they may be used for accounting purposes.

Managed File Transfer doesn’t need to be expensive.  There are many products on the market which position themselves in this space many of them many times more expensive than the StingRay Managed File Transfer server.

Why should companies invest in Managed File Transfer?  Quite simply other file transfer solutions don’t offer the range of features required for today’s file transfer requirements.  Send and forget just isn’t an option these days businesses need to be able to rely on guaranteed delivery of data.  Managed File Transfer is the future of file transfer.

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I read with interest yesterday an article by Meg Suggs about Managed File Transfer.  To paraphrase the article Meg suggests that “Managed File Transfer is replacing FTP servers” as the solution of choice.

It got me thinking about what it was about Managed File Transfer that businesses wanted or needed?  First off Managed File Transfer is defined by Wikipedia as:

“Managed File Transfer (MFT) refers to software and hardware technologies that enable “secure and reliable exchange of documents between organizations.” In broader terms, Managed File Transfer suites enable organizations to automate, manage and secure the exchange of large volumes of data between two or more entities.”

So why the shift to Managed File Transfer?  Well I think Wikipedia sums it up pretty clearly, its a way of providing a little more management, automation and security throughout the file transfer process than you’d achieve with a standard FTP server or email for that matter.

Interestingly Meg also referred to an article written early last year about the inadequacies of standard FTP servers and how “an illegal database containing more than 8,700 stolen File Transfer Protocol server credentials including usernames, passwords and server addresses was found. The stolen information belonged to companies from around the world and the database allowed for anyone to purchase those credentials and use them to launch malicious attacks against the compromised systems”.

With information readily available on the Internet providing individuals with the opportunity to create havoc and bring down complete company IT infrastructure it begs the question, why do companies take the risk by implementing cheap file transfer solutions when the potential cost to their business is so huge?

In addition to the security considerations the business process should also be taken into account.  Long gone are the days when file transfer was a standalone function.  File Transfer should be fully intergrated with other processes within the business providing greater automation and efficiency.  As file transfer becomes more integrated its even more important that the information transmitted and stored is done so securely.

For those interested StingRay Managed File Transfer Server ticks all of the boxes and more information can be read here.

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