The number one challenge for 'Work From Home' - conventional file transfer decreases productivity

By Dr. Karl So, Doctorate of Business Administration

The COVID-19 pandemic is altering the landscape for all citizens of the world, from social groups in education and works to almost everything from home. Internet traffic has been spiking for the last 9 months, video conferencing, file transfer, and online entertainment more than ever. Does the internet you have today at home or work can take this spike? Files getting bigger and bigger every day, sharing them are getting harder and harder. My first challenge during this WFH situation was receiving over 200GB of video files from the production house. Most of the existing free solution available can barely transfer 2GB or more but I needed at least 100x more and failure is not an option, plus speed.

With the ubiquity of communication devices such as phones and personal computers, today's world has become synonymous with on-the-go data and sharing. From simple emails down to selfies, documents, music files, and even large videos; file and data sharing to friend groups, family members, and within organizations has gradually grown to become a norm for communication and information sharing. But with file transfer also comes the unarguable challenge of transfer speed, security, and usage ease, which we all tend to experience when we have to transfer some pretty heavy but important data to a single person or a group of people. Imagine 10mins transfer time for 2GB, then you will need around 17 hours for 200GB, provided your transfer was a success, if not, start over again.

Although quite several options exist out there which allow these kinds of transfers, almost none stands without its associated glitch. Some of these conventional file transfer options require a doctorate in software technology before it can be used successfully. For some others, there is a limitation of file size. While some place restrictions on the supported types of files that can be shared, some send your lump file in several bits that eventually require 'soldering' by the receiver. However, another group seems to be the perfect option, just until you discover you have to wait endless hours to have your files sent in one safe piece. All of these, no doubt affect productivity, reduces work efficiency, and steals productive time.

One file management and sharing system which however stands out of the entire pack is Cydex, and it is all you need for managing complex file transfers. While most other file-sharing platforms operate on the Fast Transfer Protocol (FTP), Cydex is a next-generation file transfer platform based on the CatonEngine, and it runs on the Fast File Transfer Protocol (F2TP), which ensures that file transfer speeds are accelerated up to 400 times faster than traditional solutions. F2TP breaks through the conventional bottlenecks in sending large files, thereby cutting the usual limitation on size and type experienced with many other platforms. These traditional file-sharing platforms that operate on FTP were in the first place never designed for long-distance transfers such as the cross-border and cross-continent demands of today's Internet users. This one major downside these platforms have refused to disclose to their users.

Stay tuned for my next WFH challenge - Security in File Transfer.