INTRODUCTION
File transfer can be a bit of a minefield, with a wide range of different protocols and solutions available in the marketplace. Whether your concern is automating your file transfer, speeding it up or making it simple to use – we want to understand and fulfil your needs.
Pro2col conducted a survey last month exploring the current file transfer methods used by a cross section of organisations. The aim of this survey was to discover the file transfer protocols that are prevalent in the marketplace, as well as establishing the requirements and expectations of organisations throughout the UK.
METHOD
A short, online survey was distributed to both existing Pro2col customers (primarily in the Print Industry) presently using a wide range file transfer solutions, as well as subscribers to the Pro2col monthly newsletter.
RESULTS
On average how many files do you send or receive per day?
Figure 1
This question was posed to gauge the average number of files sent during a normal working day, as this could possibly have an impact on the file transfer solutions that would best suit a company's requirements.
As you can see by Figure 1, the majority (41%) of businesses in our survey results send between 50-100 files per day.
What is the average size of files being sent or received?
Figure 2
Again, this figure gives us an indication of the quantity of data being sent using the methods outlined below. The majority send between 5-25 Mb with none over 500Mb.
Which delivery protocols do you currently use? Please select all that apply.
Figure 3
As you can see by Figure 3, the vast majority (91%) of businesses that completed the survey use basic FTP as their main file transfer protocol. The next most used solutions were HTTP or email based solutions.
What do you consider important when choosing a file transfer solution?
Figure 4
This graph indicates that the top 3 features desired when choosing a file transfer solution are:
DISCUSSION
The most significant finding from the data collected relates to the File Transfer methods used. As you can see from Figure 1, FTP is the most widely deployed file transfer protocol, followed by HTTP and email. The question is, why do so many businesses rely on FTP for their file transfer? Of course we do not know the answer, we can only speculate.
It could be due to the fact that FTP is an established technology, instilling confidence in users as they feel secure in the knowledge they are purchasing a tried and tested solution. It may be because FTP solutions are widely available and easy to source, with the added incentive of a generally lower price tag. Whatever the buyers motivation, this is still a surprising result considering the negative points associated with traditional FTP file transfer solutions e.g. lack of reporting and automation, slow transfer speeds and questionable security.
Interestingly, it is the negatives associated with FTP that seem to come top of the list of ‘important factors considered when purchasing a file transfer solution’, as you can see by figure 4. This could possibly suggest that there are businesses out there still using FTP solutions when really they do not meet the desired criteria.
If you'd like to address your company's file transfer requirements and would like to know more about the file transfer solutions available at Pro2col, please give sales a call on 0870 250 2220 or email sales (@) pro2col.com.