Answers to Your Top Business File Sharing Questions

If your business requires the consistent sharing of information between employees, clients and partners, file sharing is likely for you.

Sometimes it is prudent to outsource to an EFSS service. In other instances, FTP-based solution is optimal. In this article, we answer the top 5 file sharing questions from businesses just like yours.

What is EFSS File Sharing?

EFSS file sharing is an acronym that stands for Enterprise File Synchronization and Sharing. This system is based in the cloud and is priced around $15 per-employee, per month. It empowers employees to share and synchronize files, documents, photos and even videos with each other so they can collaborate on them. Users can even edit these files in real time.

EFSS use is not strictly limited to one type of device. Rather, it can be used on PCs, tablets and smartphones. EFSS allows sharing between those within an organization as well as occasionally exchanging files with those who are positioned outside of the company. This way, both customers and business partners can share with a company's employees at-will. This system is an extremely efficient way to manage document sharing between users. It allows for a highly distributive model where multiple groups of people can easily edit and send files/content as required.

FTP-Based File Sharing Solutions: What You Need to Know

FTP is an acronym for File Transfer Protocol. This client-server protocol permits the transfer of data through a TCP network like the Internet. FTP Cloud functionality has gained prominence in the recent past. Unlike with EFSS solutions, with FTP-based file sharing there is usually no intent to co-edit files as the "master" copy sits in the cloud. Though, multiple users can still use FTP to synchronize a master copy of a file to the FTP site and make their edits offline.

FTP-based solutions usually incorporate secure versions of FTP called FTPS and typically also incorporate multi-user SFTP as well. Plenty of businesses are moving toward what is known as the SFTP Cloud as it provides extra security to protect confidential information. SFTP stands for SSH file transfer protocol because it uses SSH encryption instead of SSL encryption.

In layman's terms, this means that file transfers are performed in a highly secure manner. FTPS and SFTP permit users to encrypt data throughout the data transfer process. The additional layer of security represents the primary difference between SFTP or FTPS and the traditional (unencrypted) FTP environment. SSL and SSH encryption are basically ways to scramble the data being transmitted so that anyone who attempts to intercept it will not be able to view file contents in the data stream.

Should you Outsource File Sharing?

Building and securing an FTP server or on-site file sharing solution is no easy task. In the past several years, more and more companies have outsourced their file sharing solutions and today that trend is accelerating due to all the cloud-based FTP and file sharing options in the marketplace.

The main benefits of outsourcing this task is that it can save time, money and improve file security for your business. Outsourcing also allows a company to avoid all of the upgrades. Hardware replacements and server management issues required by this ever-evolving technology. Outsourcing frees up a company's IT personnel to focus on more urgent responsibilities and access the FTP whenever desired through the administration interface.

File sharing is now easier, faster and more secure than ever

Businesses can upload and download enormous files without extensive work or considerable time investment. Find a trusted FTP host and they can have you up and running in 15 minutes or less! If your organization has not yet embraced file sharing technology, it is time to give it a chance. Once your company has a file sharing program in place, you'll wonder how you ever managed to share files in the past with merely e-mails and USB drives.

Key Takeaways:

• There are numerous file sharing options including EFSS, SFTP and FTP Cloud.
• Those who are hesitant to teach their staff the ins and outs of file sharing can outsource the work for optimal efficiency.
• File sharing is more efficient than relying on USB drives and e-mails to transfer documents.

Many businesses are asking questions about file sharing and the solutions out there. Before you choose a consumer grade file sharing solution for your business, read our free guide and learn about the top 5 solutions.