A Guide to Large File Transfer Software

From production to newsgathering and on to international distribution, the media industry relies more on the ability to quickly and easily transfer large files over long distances. Original methods for doing this, like FTP, are unsuited for today’s large file sizes and complex workflows - what is needed is an efficient and secure way to transfer large files in a timely manner. This White Paper from Signiant is a guide to the selection of large file transfer software.

The guide describes the market drivers including the move to higher resolutions—4K and UHD—and complex global workflows, as factors increasing the need for efficient file transfer.

It takes you through the options for file transfer and details the key requirements of a software platform. FTP was the original file transfer protocol but as the guide details, it has many drawbacks that render it an unsuitable choice. There has been the fall-back of shipping hard drives. There are also a number of online file sharing tools and utilities, but these are designed for sharing typical office files, documents and images.

Large video files need software designed specifically for the task. The guide walks you through the key requirements for such a platform focusing on factors like speed and reliability, ease of use and deployment, security, and the need to be storage agnostic, the flexibility to choose on-premise and/or cloud storage.

Signiant’s Media Shuttle is designed to meet the special requirements of the media industry.

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