By Erik Small -

SC Magazine just published an article with an interview with Frank Kenney, VP of Global Strategy.  He recently spoke in London at a press conference for InfoSecurity Europe, Europe’s leading information security event which took place on April 27-29, 2010.

A basic theme of the interview addresses the FTP market and the growing number of files sent back and forth in business environments.

From the article: “Referring to Gartner statistics, Kenney said that the market is growing in FTP, and two million MP3s are moved via email systems every four weeks.

He said: “From the iPhone and iGoogle portal pages to web mail and file-sharing websites to USB drives, corporate IT has to manage and control both sanctioned and ad-hoc applications, processes and systems.”

Read the full article: Problem with the professional consumer is leading to an information security headache

By c-emmons -

The “client-server relationship” is a very common term when it comes to file transfer.. but what exactly is a “client” and what is a “server”?  The networking of a “client-server relationship” involves a distributed application architecture that divides tasks between service providers known as servers and a service requester, or a client.  Clients and servers generally operate over computer networks, such as office LANs or even the Internet.

The server is the more dominant machine in the relationship, being a high-performance host that runs one (or more than one) server applications.  The server applications are what the client “talks to”.  Applicaitons on the client system initiate communication sessions with servers.

Simply put, “client-server” describes the relationship between two computer programs where the client makes request to the server.  This relationship is seen in such tasks as sending emails and accessing the web. Many business applications currently use the client-server model as well as the main Internet application protocols (HTTP, SMTP, telnet etc.)

The simplest type of client-server uses only two systems, a client and a server.  This may also be referred to as “two-tier” and it allows for the sharing of files. Some examples of clients in this relationship would be web browsers, email clients,and online chat clients.  Servers would include web servers, ftp servers, application servers, mail servers, file servers, and most web services.

Client-server architecture enables the responsibilities of a system to be distributed amongst several individual computers. These individual computers  are accessed only through a network so it is easier to maintain and repair or even relocate a server without affecting the clients.  Another benefit exists in that data is stored on servers which generally have greater security than clients. Servers can also control user access and resources.  Client-server technologies are abundant in the world today,  designed to ensure safety and security. One example  of an innovater in this field is Ipswitch – a software company which has been offering FTP software since 1991.  As the field of file transfer continues to grow, so will the need for safe servers and happy clients who together form a healthy, networked relationship.

By pete -

We just came across a great Computerworld article that gives a rundown of one thing that makes File Transfer so great. Ever want to send a big photo, movie, or song via email, only to be rejected by large attachment size restrictions? Sure – who hasn’t!! Well – maybe sometimes can just skip email all together .

Transferring files without e-mail – Computerworld.

The best FTP client I know of is WS_FTP from Ipswitch. Check PCWorld’s download area for free and trial versions of FTP software from dozens of programmers. Client based software tools are great for more knowledgeable users who transfer large files regularly.

Stop fighting e-mail and trying to make it do something it can’t — transfer large files. Check online for free and inexpensive options, or break our your old tennis shoes and revive SneakerNet.

Good stuff, Computerworld! We of course agree with your WS_FTP recommendation here.

By Erik Small -

FTPplanet’s parent company, Ipswitch, hit the media outlets this week with positive news regarding the File Transfer business unit of the organization.
“Ipswitch, Inc. File Transfer division, the leading developer of secure and managed file transfer solutions for individuals to large enterprises, today announced that it ended 2008 with it’s 79th consecutive quarter of profitability.”
Here is a link to the full press release on the secure and managed file transfer business:
http://www.ipswitchft.com/company/press_releases/pr_2008_success.asp