Organizations large and small face hundreds of decisions each day – some more critical than others, but all with potentially large-scale impact on employees, trading partners, and customers. When it comes to deciding how to best collaborate and share often-sensitive, proprietary files across your organization, carefully weighing available file transfer options before making that “buy” decision is critical.
Free SFTP File Transfer Software is One Option, But….
If all you want to do is move files over a secure shell (SSH) connection standalone SFTP software is a quick, easy, and often even free solution that’s popular with many organizations. However, it has its limitations, particularly if you're looking for an enterprise-level solution.
Yes, SFTP, the more familiar term for SSH File Transfer Protocol, is a reliable option for many users to send and receive files, especially if you only need to send and receive secure file transfers with a few trading partners and don’t need to meet compliance requirements.
After all, a level of security is added to this popular protocol when it is set up to require SSH keys unique to each user. In addition, SFTP can apply a variety of encryption algorithms to data to ensure its privacy between systems.
However, for more frequent data exchanges and especially if exchanging sensitive information, a robust enterprise managed file transfer solution for SFTP file exchanges may be in order. Do you need automation, confirmation that a file was sent and received as intended, high-availability, or auditing and reporting? Basic SFTP might not fit your enterprise-level SFTP needs.
Related Reading: Which is Better? Free SFTP Software or Enterprise-Level SFTP Software?
Enterprise SFTP Software Through MFT is a More Robust Solution
Standalone SFTP has its uses and benefits most definitely – primarily its low- or no-cost, and ease of use. However, many organizations have greater needs than simply moving files from point A to point B with a solid amount of security. That’s where SFTP that’s built into a larger, more robust enterprise managed file transfer (MFT) software solution comes into play.
Taking SFTP to the enterprise SFTP software level elevates standard SFTP with features that enable dashboard ease-of-use, robust audit and reporting functionality, as well as security. Yes, that free SFTP software can include those features, however a solution designed for the enterprise level delivers experienced, available tech support, scalability, and reliability as well.
Managed file transfer (MFT) solutions, such as GoAnywhere MFT provide organizations a way to streamline and safeguard their tradition SFTP file exchanges. In addition, you can apply automation to the SFTP process.
GoAnywhere MFT and its inbuilt SFTP client and enterprise SFTP server offer organizations enterprise-level flexibility as it can be deployed to cloud, on-premises, or hybrid environments. Plus, it’s platform agnostic, supporting Windows, Linux, Mac OS, and more.
Whether exchanging files with trading partners or other enterprise servers, GoAnywhere helps provide assurance that transfers are delivered. Automatic retrying of connections, auto-resume of interrupted file transfers, and integrity checks on transfers all provide organizations with more confidence that files will get where they are needed, when they are intended.
Learn more: What is Enterprise SFTP Software?
Enterprise SFTP software is built for companies of any size that desire more from SFTP data exchanges – especially the ability to streamline, automate, and safeguard exchanges with the flexibility to scale and centralize the vital file transfer process as needed.
Enterprise SFTP File Transfers are More Reliable and Faster
If your organization depends on uptime, critical file transfers need to happen without disruption or delays. That’s another reason to choose an enterprise SFTP file transfer solution, like secure managed file transfer.
As technology has helped trading partners and organizations become ever more integrated, what used to be acceptable in terms of time to receive a business-critical file no longer passes muster. The fast pace of information today necessitates that processes, such as file exchanges, be ever more efficient and reliable. Expectations of near instant document receipt are high. Enterprise SFTP meets and exceeds these expectations. How?
High availability should be built into your MFT solution to provide active-passive and active-active (or clustering) methods to keep information processes rolling no matter what. GoAnywhere MFT’s clustering delivers high availability by running multiple SFTP servers simultaneously. This serves the need for high availability by ensuring that file transfers and workflows can be run on other servers should one go down for uninterrupted communications.
Related Reading: Is Your Business Ready for an Enterprise File Transfer Solution?
Compliance Requirements? Enterprise SFTP Can Help
If your organization is subject to compliance requirements, such as those in the healthcare, finance, government, and other industries, you already know that failure to strictly comply with industry requirements can result in hefty financial penalties, ruined reputations, and more.
Most enterprise file transfer solutions can help you meet those compliance requirements, including for PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, HITECH, FISMA, as well as the requirements set out by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and more. How? By incorporating features into enterprise SFTP file transfers such as auditing, reporting, role-based access, secure protocols, centralized security controls, encryption, key management and more.
Unlike many free SFTP options, an enterprise file transfer solution allows for in-depth, quick audit logs of file activity by user, date ranges or other specific terms. Workflow details built-in to enterprise MFT solutions can also help you drill down further to find details on what project a particular job was a part of, when a job started, and all the successes and failures of a particular workflow step.
Enterprise SFTP is Cloud-friendly
Want to exchange files in the cloud? An enterprise SFTP file transfer solution can make cloud file transfers happen, with all the security, protection and automation of an on-premises solution. You can transfer via cloud with SFTP with a hosted SFTP server, deploy on-premises SFTP and transfer data to/from the cloud, or simply deploy an enterprise SFTP solution within your cloud environment.
Working with platforms like Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft Azure is both easy and secure with an enterprise MFT solution in place. Plus, solutions such as GoAnywhere MFT integrate with popular services like SharePoint and Google Drive to make enterprise SFTP file sharing a familiar process for your users.
Learn More: SFTP: The Smart Way to Transfer Your Cloud Data
When it Comes to Enterprise SFTP, You’ve Got Choices
Finding the right enterprise file transfer solution takes a bit of research and choosing a vendor can be complex. Learn more about enterprise MFT with a free enterprise SFTP demo and discover how to select the best software for your organization with our Buyers Guide.
