Technology has evolved since the days of traditional FTP being the standard for large file transfer. Businesses and individuals are much more concerned with privacy and data protection. There are new laws and regulations that companies need to be aware of and provide compliance with to keep moving forward. Trying to manage all the aspects of file transfer in-house can have a considerable impact on your bottom line and your business.
With ExaVault, you can leave the technical, compliance, and security worries behind. Although FTP is no longer the most common transfer mechanism between people, it has never been more popular for transfer between systems. Focus on your business while getting a robust file transfer solution that combines access to traditional protocols like FTP, secure protocols including SFTP and FTPS, plus an intuitive web interface. No more juggling products to set up automated transfers. Both manual and automated file transfers are managed in one place.
Senior Product Manager at ExaVault
Below is a Q&A session with Oliver Morgan, Senior Product Manager at ExaVault. Oliver has designed and managed the implementation of enhanced file transfer features, runs the company’s product council gaining insights directly from clients, and has extensive knowledge of cloud infrastructure, storage, and technology.
What is Cloud FTP?
FTP, historically, is a server-to-server connection that lets you transfer files from a server you probably have in the building with you and send them to another server elsewhere in the world.
Cloud FTP offers the same service but doesn’t require a server with you on-site. You can connect to a server with your data anywhere in the world to manage files and send them wherever you need them to go. All you need is an internet connection.
What are the benefits of Cloud FTP over an on-prem file transfer solution?
An on-prem solution requires you to own and operate the server hardware and software, which translates to overhead and cost for your business. Having your servers on-site, behind your firewall, can certainly be a security benefit. But you also take on responsibility for maintenance and the risk of anything happening to the physical servers in the building.
I would say the key benefits of a Cloud FTP solution such as ExaVault would be the additional features you get that make life easier. As a service provider, we are 100% focused on constantly monitoring our servers and improving our product capabilities and features. With Cloud FTP you can really take your business to the next level, as well as reduce risks associated with on-prem.
An on-prem FTP server someone set up years ago won’t provide tools like webhooks, SSH keys, or search and sort activity logs. All of these features give you more flexibility to automate and reduce manual file related activity.
The past year we introduced a whole new SSH key interface and gave our webhooks an overhaul. The SSH key interface lets you set up and monitor keys — something that is particularly useful, allowing secure passwordless login for system-to-system transfers. Webhooks signal you to take action based on activity that has occurred. This is another basic automation capability. With the ability to set up multiple webhooks, we’re empowering our clients to do even more routine tasks programmatically.
In today’s fast paced, software-driven world, Cloud FTP definitely overshadows the old school, on-prem solutions in terms of cost, maintenance, security and capabilities.
What makes FTP still relevant in an automated world?
Automation is a very powerful tool for any business. While FTP is over 40 years old, this protocol has proven reliable and communicates well with a huge variety of systems.
For automating data transfers, FTP can be set up to automatically send or retrieve files on a regular basis. You can have files received into your ExaVault account, automatically sent out to another system each night at a specific time or after they are uploaded to ExaVault. Many other file transfer operations done via FTP can also be automated to reduce manual operations.
Across the board, I would encourage any business that functions primarily digitally to regularly look at their processes and ask themselves the question, “Can this be automated?” That being said, sometimes the answer is “No” or “Yes, but I’m short on resources.” In these cases, manual use of FTP can absolutely be a relevant and valuable tool for any business.
In a past life, I worked with another technology-forward group. We spent a lot of time building, what we felt, was an incredible API suite. We had a time and half convincing customers to use it over our existing FTP setup that didn’t include all the bells and whistles. What we didn’t respect was that FTP allowed customers freedom. If they moved to the API, that meant bringing in engineers, planning those resources, and to some degree losing their power to just get things done the way they needed to get them done.
That was all a very long-winded way to say there’s room for both traditional file transfer protocol and more modern solutions. In terms of functionality at scale and resource management in the long term, automation can’t be beat. For most businesses Cloud FTP provides the perfect solution for file transfer with options to automate where applicable for your needs.
How easy is it to switch to a Cloud FTP solution?
In the majority of cases, it’s going to be extremely easy. The most challenging part will likely be selecting a service provider. I’d recommend first writing down a list of what you absolutely must-have. Then find vendors that meet that floor.
Trials or product demos can help you see the service in action. From there, take a look around at some of the bells and whistles. We offer many features that might improve your quality of life or efficiency. Then make an educated decision regarding what’s worth putting your money towards.
Once you’ve selected your service provider, getting started with Cloud FTP is usually as simple as setting up your account, moving your files into the cloud, and getting going with your first file transfer.
One thing ExaVault prides itself on is our world-class customer support in helping people make the leap to the cloud. We provide instant account setup and access to your account, complete with FTP and secure FTP access from the moment you sign up.
Can clients connect their ExaVault Cloud FTP account to third-party software?
Absolutely. ExaVault is all about being a bridge allowing businesses to communicate and get work done.
Part of the appeal of FTP is its flexibility and how easy it is to connect to. Suppose your goals involve connecting ExaVault with a desktop FTP client. In that case, we empower you to do so with the client of your choice. We do our best to provide robust support documentation on connecting with other service providers, including industry-specific software packages used for engineering, payroll, ERP, and logistics, just to name a few.
Many ExaVault clients currently integrate their third-party software with our Cloud FTP service, so data flows where and when you need it — all easily connected with one location for securely storing and managing files.
What else should we know about FTP?
First, I’d say make sure FTP is the best fit for your use case. It has a low barrier of entry, it’s easy to use, and it’s flexible. But, that doesn’t make it the end all be all. I’d say the most significant thing to look out for is that FTP is not the best option for real-time collaboration. Other than that, most of the protocol’s inherent shortcomings have been largely negated over time as more and more service providers are able to layer on additional security measures and support secure protocols.
Second, I’d say know your FTP protocols. There are several, including FTP, SFTP, and FTPS, that all have pros and cons. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend SFTP be your go-to method of connecting as it offers a good balance of being highly secure and easy to use. In addition, most FTP clients support SFTP and ExaVault offers added security options like enforcing SFTP connections giving you the ability to meet additional compliance requirements your industry may have in place.
How can businesses get in touch with ExaVault?
You can set up your account any time online and take advantage of a 30-day free trial of ExaVault Cloud FTP. It takes only a few minutes to get set up, and you’ll have instant access to your hosted FTP site and all the cloud features.
If you have additional questions, you can reach out to our support team or schedule a live product demo to walk through our web application or see FTP in action with ExaVault.
About ExaVault
ExaVault was founded in 2012 to provide a data transfer solution built for business. We’ve created the perfect balance of traditional protocols and modern features for a Cloud FTP solution that helps companies send, receive, and collaborate securely any time, anywhere.
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