Better than FTP:
An advanced, yet easier method
to deliver or receive files

SUMMARY:
The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) has been around longer than the Web, and was once the premier method of uploading files to a server or downloading files from a server to a PC. Today, however, there are better methods based on the Web protocol (HTTP) that don't require users to install special clients, are more familiar, easier for the user, and therefore more successful.

File transfer requirements fall into several general categories:

• Delivering files to users one time, or infrequently.
  
  
• Delivering files to users on a regular basis.
  
  
• Getting files FROM a user once, or infrequently.
  
  
• Getting files FROM users on a regular basis.

Combinations of these are also common.

If you primarily need to deliver a few files to a customer or colleague, your first thought might be to use email to send the files as attachments. There are problems with this approach.

Or you might consider using the old, pre-web File Transfer Protocol (FTP). However, Getting access to and setting up an FTP server can be complicated, expensive, and your users may find it difficult to use.

SOLUTION:
A better, more modern and user-friendly approach is to use a web-based (HTTP) approach. One approach is to use WebDAV, a set of extensions to HTTP designed to manage files on a remote web server (including accounts on My Docs Online, which has supported the WebDAV protocol since 1999). A variety of clients support WebDAV, including Microsoft's Web Folders, which can be easily configured and requires no software installation.

WebDAV is a good solution when files need to be uploaded or downloaded frequently, because it treats the remote My Docs Online account much like any other folder on your PC or Mac. By virtue of being HTTP-based, WebDAV can provides stronger authentication and encryption than is generally available with FTP.

While such an industrial-strength approach makes sense for constant use, occasional file delivery needs (particularly by your customers) can better be met using a pure browser-based approach, which also benefits from using the familiar, dependable, and secure Web protocol, but requires no configuration or setup.

My Docs Online Enterprise Edition includes such a feature — called "Customer Upload" — that allows any user to upload one to five files at a time without knowing any IDs or passwords, and by using a single web page. Most FTP servers do not even support "anonymous upload". Email notification when a new file has been uploaded is optional.

The reverse operation — for delivering files to a customer, is supported by the My Docs Online "Give" and "Public URL" features, woth of which also use familiar web protocols and only require a browser.