ftp cloud storage

4 Reasons Why You Should Consider FTP Cloud Storage

FTP has been the staple of the IT industry since Bill Gates was a college student. FTP has many applications and one of them is FTP cloud storage. Basically, FTP cloud storage is the convenience of cloud storage (such as remote access) with the foundation and consistency of FTP to upload and download the files.

How is FTP cloud storage different from FTP for file transfers? The technology isn’t different, the use case is different. FTP cloud storage is mainly used for storing data and accessing files remotely. FTP without cloud storage is essentially used for transferring data to another server or computer. If you want a quick intro to FTP, check out this FTP roundup, otherwise keep reading to find out four benefits of FTP cloud storage.

1. Infrastructure is Pricey + Clunky

IT infrastructure is pricey. According to Gartner, 22% of an enterprise’s capital and operational expenditure budget goes toward data, voice networks and staff. Keeping funding for the IT department is difficult because of the numerous expenses (some of which are hard to translate to the number-crunchers).

One way to help finance be your advocate is by including a plan to optimize costs via removing time-consuming FTP or data servers and replacing them with a more cost-effective cloud solution.

Turning to traditional cloud storage or file sharing solutions often won’t suit IT though because they don’t allow access via FTP. To optimize costs for finance and maintain traditional file exchange processes, go with a hosted FTP solution for remote storage, aka FTP cloud storage. These providers let you hand-off upkeep and maintenance to the FTP cloud storage provider while maintaining traditional access via FTP clients.

Getting rid of infrastructure doesn’t only save money, but time and headaches. In SmartFile’s ROI Report, 74% of sysadmins said they spent 10-20 hours a week wrestling with file sharing, storage or transfer headaches.

For many cases, the cause of the high cost of this outdated technology or tech is that it’s not employee-friendly (leading to more helpdesk tickets). These clunky trouble-makers can often be removed or replaced by FTP cloud storage which includes connections via FTP clients, browsers and even mounted drives.

secure ftp cloud storage providers

2. Remote Access

With many snowy days ahead of us, having remote access available for employees is a necessity for maintaining productivity. In fact, the trend of remote employees is growing. For those in business professions such as management or finance, 38% reported working remotely from home and 35% of those in professional occupations also reported working from home during 2015.

Chances are your business will need to meet remote demands, if they haven’t already. FTP cloud storage is a simple way to host important files securely. Security is key, as consumer-grade file sharing or storage products don’t have the oversight or administration necessary for enterprises. Secure FTP cloud storage solutions offer auditing, activity alerts and granular user roles and file permissions to control access and allow easy access for remote employees.

Note that 38% of business industry remote workers claimed to be in professions such as finance. While it may be tempting to forgo using secure FTP cloud storage and settle for emailing documents, beware. Sending financial information over email is risky. How risky? Read more here.

3. Clear Up Your Bandwidth

Ah, bandwidth — we can never get enough of you. If you’re hosting massive files, like videos, on your corporate network and serving them up for external downloads, you’ll eat away at that bandwidth. For instance, imagine a scenario like Netflix where they take 37% of all Internet traffic. If you have any media or hosting needs for clients or vendors, a similar issue could be developing on your network.

FTP or traditional file sharing tools that constantly sync can hog bandwidth while transferring massive data files to another computer or server. Having cloud storage keeps this data from burdening your network. The files are hosted somewhere else, eating their bandwidth, not yours. Even if you’re downloading from your FTP cloud storage, that’s represents only a small fraction of the bandwidth you’d otherwise use if you hosted the FTP server.

4. Keep it Simple — For Sanity’s Sake

Finding a service that utilizes FTP cloud storage is key. Setting up your own FTP server is costly, with a starting point of at least ,000, not including the time and headache of maintaining it during every little glitch (and dealing with employee complaints when it does).

Keep it simple and find an FTP cloud storage option. This typically involves a server hosted somewhere else, though there are hybrid cloud options that allow a combination of on-prem and cloud.

Go with the FTP Cloud Storage Solution

So, whether you need remote employee access options, some bandwidth saving tools, or need to save money and time, FTP cloud storage could be an option for you. If you’re searching for a secure cloud service to help meet remote demands or save money consider checking out SmartFile. SmartFile offers the advantages of FTP without any security concerns or pain of maintenance — a solution where everyone wins.

Need FTP Cloud Storage?

SmartFile is a business file mangement platform that gives you more control, compliance and security.

TO SIGN UP