Is Managed File Transfer (MFT) important in 2014?

Excuse Me!

Managed File Transfer (MFT) ever heard of it? Well until just the other day neither had I, but apparently since the late 1990’s this little niche of an industry has been growing steadily to meet the demands of those of us who wish to exchange large amounts of data on a regular basis. And when you stop and think about it, it’s not surprising that this has happened. Nearly all of us exchange files of one kind or another every week, it’s just that some of us do it on a more industrial scale (think of those running databases and sharing info between one or more business units).

These folk are almost always going to need more than just a good FTP file storage and exchange site.

Professional Needs

What these professional guys require is a whole raft of additional features that go beyond just the ability to transfer a file form one person to another.

First and foremost they are going to want to know that the channel used to carry the transferred data is secure. For those that are really concerned about security that will mean the target file being encrypted not only whilst being transferred but also while it is at rest on whatever server it is stored.

Coming close on the heals of this requirement is the ability to have the transfer made not just person to person but also the possibility of transferring between person and process/application, or process/application to person and even process/application to process/application. This will allow the accommodation of automating the exchange, which in turn may require the integration of third party products such as content and anti-virus scanners.

Managing these exchanges is also extremely important to the corporate user, since keeping control of their data is paramount when considering the potential cost of a data loss or breach. The ability to refer to an audit trail of what was shared with whom is almost as important as preventing the unauthorised access to the data in the first place.

Should You be Interested in MFT

So now that you understand slightly better what MFT is all about should you be making use of it? Do you have a regular and on-going need to exchange data with business partners, sales teams and potential new clients? For most of us the answer is probably yes, but the good news is that there are emerging new products that can achieve this MFT without major cost or in major changes to our existing working practices.

The Future of MFT Today

A favourite of mine is a strong contender to be the next market leader in my humble opinion. It offers everything above and then some but unlike the norm it doesn’t ask you to take a leap of faith, a sort of step into the unknown. This product comes with several independent certifications and industry awards. Not necessarily the be all and end all, but offering a refreshing level of comfort in the fact that you are not the guinea-pig on this occasion.

Summary

And so it seems that although as I’ve stated earlier that this industry has matured, there appears to be always room for innovation and improvement. Oh and if you want to look at my choice go to egress.com.