How to Send Files Easily

Friday, August 5, 2011 by SmartFile Marketing Team
If you want to enjoy easy file transfer when managing company data, all you’ll need is an online data storage service with File Transfer Protocol capabilities.

File Transfer Protocol is the fastest, most convenient and most effective method to manage your important files. With FTP, you get to enjoy numerous benefits that you typically won’t experience with simple or basic file exchange methods. One of these benefits is fast file transfer and automatic file download and upload.

mail big fileSay, you’d like to send a PowerPoint presentation to your client. You won’t be able to do this via email if your file exceeds the maximum size allowed by your email service provider.  You will also have to consider the download/upload speed. It can take a huge amount of time to mail big file types like a video file or a PowerPoint one. Also, there’s no guarantee that your email would even reach your intended recipient. More often than not, emails have a way of losing themselves in cyberspace when you’re sending them to a recipient who's using a different email service provider and who doesn't have the same file size limit as yours. Your email could just bounce back to you.

SmartFile offers an affordable data storage service. With this service, you can avoid all these problems by simply sending a link of the file you want to send to its recipient. Take advantage of our 14-day free trial today.

How to Choose the Right FTP Upload Program for Your Needs

Tuesday, March 22, 2011 by SmartFile Marketing Team
FTP upload programIf you’re looking for a file transfer protocol upload program for your website or business, make sure to look for a program offering the features listed below.

User-friendly Interface

The interface must be something that even first-time users or those new to FTP would not have any difficulties using.

Web-based Transfer

The service must allow you to quickly and easily upload files to the server via your web browser. If it works with all the commonly used browsers like Windows Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox then consider that as an additional advantage.

Built-in Editor
The best programs also allow clients to modify HTML and other types of files with use of their built-in editor. This would allow you to manage your files anywhere anytime and using any computer or any other Internet-ready device.

Upload and Download Speeds
The service must also be able to retrieve and display files quickly. For this to happen, your preferred FTP hosting website should have a sufficient number of Internet pipes and data centers working with their system.

SmartFile can cater to all your online data management needs. Try our free14-day trial now and find out how easy and convenient it is to manage files online.

Features to Look for in a FTP Service Provider

Friday, February 18, 2011 by SmartFile Marketing Team
Most companies need efficient business processes to handle the needs of their customers.  If you are looking for a system that can help you with your business transactions, one of the most important things you need to look for is the ability of a system to effectively handle different tasks at the same time. When every second counts, you have to make sure that every online tool that you use keeps up with your speed. You shouldn't get a tool that complicates your tasks more or takes a very long time to finish. A system that allows you to get things done easier and faster is a good investment in any kind of business. 

There are numerous file transfer protocol services on the market today. When looking for a service provider, make sure that it delivers great results. Get a service that has fast FTP upload speed and download capabilities. A good service should also be able to effectively secure your files, automate FTP download and provide scheduled back up. All these features help you manage your business without having to worry about data loss, security issues and back up failures.

SmartFile offers a service that caters to all your file transfer protocol needs at an affordable price. Take advantage of our FREE 14-day trial today.

Secure Sharing with Online Media Storage

Saturday, February 5, 2011 by SmartFile Marketing Team
Many businesses share large amounts of data especially companies with several branches. Business processes, updates and other company-related information are passed around the Internet all the time. Common ways of sending data are sometimes not reliable because of limitations like file size limits.

online media storageSharing information with other users is common in many businesses. Email service is one of the common methods of sending data. Most email services have file size limits that don't allow you to send files larger than 10MB. Your data may also be compromised and exposed to unauthorized individuals because this method doesn't have security features. If you want to share files securely, consider employing an online media storage service. This file storage service allows you to save files online and can be accessed by authorized users using FTP or web interface. You can share large files by sending a download link to the file. This service has safety features like password protection, user permissions and SSL connection.

If your business is looking for an effective way to share data, consider online data storage from SmartFile. We provide fast upload and download speeds so you can access your files easily. You can try our service for free by signing up for our 14-day free trial.

How Much Does It Really Cost To Setup And Maintain Your Own FTP Server?

Thursday, April 8, 2010 by Brian Dowden
Let’s face it, most people in Information Technology love control. Control over systems, control over data, and most importantly control over YOU. I’m not suggesting these are bad characteristics to possess when you are trying to protect your company’s most crucial asset, such as your data. Let’s face it, I would be a little nervous if the thing that kept me gainfully employed was taken away from me because it was cheaper and easier than having it in-house. This often creates a problem when a person on the business side of the company needs to make a decision based on the limited amount of information he or she is getting from IT.

This article is written to outline the expected costs involved in getting your FTP solution in place, thus giving you the facts when it comes to making an important business decision. There are several ways to go about configuring an FTP server, below is the most common:

1. Hardware ($2500)
Price ranges on processor speed and how much hard drive space you need. Here are the specs of a slimmed down server:
  • Dual Xeon 1.83Ghz Processors
  • Windows Server Web Edition
  • 1 Terabyte of storage
  • Raid 5 (For hard drive redundancy)
  • 4 Gigs of Memory
  • 3 Year ProSupport

2. Software ($500)
There are many FTP server software programs to choose from. They range in price based on product features and how many users can access the account. There are many providers offering this type of product, but I have chosen three popular programs:
  • Serv-U ($199-$999)
  • GlobalScape ($696 – $1,995)
  • FileZilla – (FREE)

3. Bandwidth (Soft Cost)
Hosting an FTP server in-house will certainly eat into your bandwidth when users start uploading and downloading files. This can cause a dangerous ripple effect on other employees trying to perform important functions such as emailing, web browsing, video conferencing and in some cases, phone calls.

4. Setup Time (1 Day)
  • Configure Windows
  • Purchase SSL (If security is a concern)
  • Configure Network
                   - IP addresses
                   - Hostnames
                   - Firewall Provisioning
  • Configure FTP software
  • Configure Backups
                 - Create user accounts
                 - Create directories
                 - Create file system permissions
                 - FTP server permissions

5. Support (Ongoing)
Must have tech-savvy person on staff to do the following:
  • Manage
  • Backup
  • Troubleshoot problems
  • Apply patches to server
  • Upgrade
  • Monitor
It’s easy to say that you can spend $5000 in creating an FTP server that people can use, not to mention ongoing costs. Cost aside, it will still not have features like custom branding, a web interface that allows anyone to upload/download a file, and a way for any non-IT person to administer.

Before making the decision to bring FTP in-house, I would highly suggest giving SmartFile a try (for as little as a $108.00 a year). Who knows, you might even make your IT person happy.
A Dell PowerEdge server


Is FTP Dead?

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 by Brian Dowden
 FTP (File Transfer Protocal) has been around since before me. I think??? There are hundreds of companies trying to replace FTP with their own version of software or services that move files. Unfortunately no matter how innovative they think they are, it’s hard to replace a good thing.
 
FTP programs allow us to move any size file, yes even Terabytes of data, and not having to worry about the browser timing out. FTP can be great if you drop your connection. It is intelligent enough to pick up where you upload/download left off. If you like speed, which I’m sure you do, you can’t beat the speed of a direct FTP connection to your files and directories. Best of all, you are not limited to the number of files you upload or download a time. So go ahead and move your 10,000 picture library with just a few clicks. Or you can always do the alternative of selecting 5 pictures at time just to wait for them to upload.
 
We have worked hard to incorporate FTP into the core of the SmartFile service. Just don’t let the fear of the unknown be the only thing slowing you down from speeding you up.