In an ‘I-need-it-now’ media world, relying on slow FTP transfers is a poor business decision. The FTP protocol lacks acceleration technology making it slow to send large files or directories with thousands of files even with higher network bandwidth. This results in prolonged transfer times and increased difficulty delivering content of even modest size.
Discover a Better FTP Alternative
In today’s fast-paced digital world, relying on outdated FTP methods can slow down your business and compromise your data. That’s why thousands of companies have chosen Signiant as their FTP alternative.
Top Reasons Companies Should Consider an FTP Alternative
Introduced more than 50 years ago, FTP struggles with modern large file transfers.
Here are just a few reasons why it’s not sufficient anymore.
Slow Transfers
Manual Restarts & Inefficiencies
Network and power interruptions are inevitable. Restarting FTP transfers delays project timelines, disrupts delivery schedules and potentially leads to missed deadlines. The lack of checkpoint restart capabilities increases manual oversight, late nights and inefficient use of resources, making FTP unreliable for large file transfers.
Poor User Experience
Most FTP software has outdated interfaces which complicates onboarding, general use and self-management for users and administrators alike. The lack of operational transparency increases IT support requests. To partners and customers, it gives an impression of being old-fashioned and unprofessional, which is detrimental to businesses that prioritize a modern and polished image.
Security Concerns
FTP vulnerabilities continue to plague IT administrators and damage reputations when exploited, leading to significant revenue loss. Many companies forbid FTP and mandate higher security standards for business interactions. This requires a secure, reliable file transfer solution, designed for the top media and entertainment organizations around the world.
Costly IT Burden
IT teams face significant burdens with FTP, including monitoring for vulnerabilities and applying security patches. They must also integrate extra features like encryption, email notifications and user management services to make it more functional. Maintaining FTP operations requires continuous vigilance, which is costly in terms of time and resources.
Complicated Automation
Automating file transfers with scripted FTP is challenging and resource intensive. It requires IT professionals to create manage and update scripts, increasing costs and delays. Configuring and maintaining features like hot folders, scheduled transfers and variable bandwidth control is complex and often involves patching together different software, making FTP a cumbersome and expensive solution for efficient file transfer automation.
Accord Productions
Michael Ball, Postproduction Supervisor
“The user interface on FTP was a nightmare. You have to be more of an IT person to understand how an FTP works.”
Why Signiant is the Preferred FTP Alternative
If you need a secure FTP alternative, you’re not alone. Signiant continues to see a wave of companies move from FTP to the Signiant Platform — allowing businesses the benefit of moving large files faster during tight deadlines like those in media and entertainment.
Fast File Transfers
Fast File Transfers
The Signiant Platform leverages patented file acceleration technology that can be up to 100 times faster than FTP. This technology mitigates the effects of long-distance latency and packet loss while fully utilizing available bandwidth, making it ideal for handling large data sets efficiently and reliably.
Compare your FTP speeds with Signiant
By inputting a few data points, our file transfer calculator will show you how fast file transfer can be regardless of your file size or how far it has to go.
Lights-out reliability
Lights-out Reliability
The Signiant Platform ensures reliable file transfer through advanced flow and congestion control techniques, not only to deliver files fast but always with byte-for-byte accuracy. Checkpoint restart allows transfers to resume seamlessly from the point of interruption, preventing the need to restart from the beginning.
Edisen, formerly Chimney Group
Henric Larsson, Founder
“There’s no guaranteed Quality of Service over the Internet. You can’t depend on FTP to get the file there on time. You need a guaranteed transfer time, or you can’t work on the kinds of projects we work on.”
Easy to Deploy, Operate & Use
Easy to Deploy, Operate & Use
The Signiant Platform is designed for simplicity, making it straightforward to set up, manage and use. Its intuitive interface and user-friendly features enable organizations to easily onboard and offboard users, monitor activity in real-time and report on historical transfer activity. Additionally, end users can get started on their own with zero training required.
RÚV (Icelandic National Television)
Jóhannes Reykdal, Broadcast Technician
“We knew how bad FTP was in regard to security and we wanted to get away from that. That was the main driver, security… Basically, we have suffered through the years with FTP. We look back with horror and see just how easy it is right now.”
Enterprise-grade Security
Enterprise-grade Security
Signiant employs advanced encryption, strict access controls and continuous monitoring to meet the highest data protection standards, like the Trusted Partner Network (TPN) assessments and the Soc 2 Type 2 auditing procedure.
Avoid Security Breaches
Security breaches in the past few years at HBO, Netflix and Disney have been blamed on hackers exploiting FTP. As a result, many large companies now forbid FTP from their supply chains.
Powerfully Simple Automation
Powerfully Simple Automation
Signiant Jet is the perfect scripted FTP alternative, offering businesses of any size a simple way to automate file movement between multiple locations, regularly with partners, to, from and between cloud storage endpoints. Jet’s unprecedented speed and visual interface make the process of automating and monitoring file transfers simple, fast and cost-effective.
Key Benefits of Jet
Maintain complete control over high-value content between internal and external locations while simultaneously benefitting from automatic updates, scalability and global availability.
Allegiance Studios
Dylan Yastremski, Founder
“FTP physically pains me, now that I’m used to Signiant.”
Signiant Offers a Better FTP Alternative for Fast & Secure File Transfers
The Signiant Platform is an integrated set of SaaS products that make content flow easier and more efficient. Signiant products are used by more than 50,000 companies and 1,000,000+ users to move petabytes of data every day with speed, reliability and security.
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Media ShuttleMedia Shuttle is the easiest way for people to send any size file anywhere fast
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JetJet is the easiest and fastest way to automate system-to-system file transfers
Learn More
Companies
Global Users
PB Data Transferred per Month
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RÚV (Icelandic National Television)
Jóhannes Reykdal, Broadcast Technician“We knew how bad FTP was in regard to security and we wanted to get away from that. That was the main driver, security… Basically, we have suffered through the years with FTP. We look back with horror and see just how easy it is right now.”
Ubisoft
Li Xiao Song, Service Manager“Now that we have Media Shuttle, we are finally able to replace FTP, which is something our security team has been wanting to do for years.”
Edisen, formerly Chimney Group
Henric Larsson, Founder“There’s no guaranteed Quality of Service over the Internet. You can’t depend on FTP to get the file there on time. You need a guaranteed transfer time, or you can’t work on the kinds of projects we work on.”
Accord Productions
Michael Ball, Producer & Managing Editor“The user interface on FTP was a nightmare. You have to be more of an IT person to understand how an FTP works.”
Frequently Asked Questions
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Why Signiant is the Preferred FTP Alternative
The Signiant Platform offers unparalleled speed, reliability, and security compared to traditional FTP solutions. Experience faster file transfers, eliminate downtime, and ensure the utmost protection for your valuable media assets.
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How does Signiant file acceleration technology ensure faster file transfers?
Our platform employs advanced transport technology that optimizes file transfers, taking advantage of all available bandwidth to significantly reduce the impact of latency and packet loss. Say goodbye to the speed limitations of traditional FTP. Want to experience Signiant speed for yourself? Try sending a large file for free.
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What is checkpoint restart?
Checkpoint restart is the ability to automatically restart an interrupted transfer from the point of failure. Most FTP solutions lack this technology which means resending the entire file after a network error. With large files and a lack of acceleration, network interruptions can be incredibly time-consuming and costly. Files must be delivered unaltered with byte for byte accuracy and lights-out reliability.
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Will switching to Signiant disrupt my existing workflow?
No, it will not. The Signiant Platform connects to your existing storage. There is no need to move or ingest your assets. Just connect your storage to a Signiant product and begin sending files anywhere in the world. This makes transitioning from your current FTP solution to Signiant quick and efficient, ensuring minimal disruption.
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Can Signiant be used for remote collaboration?
Absolutely. More than one million end users rely on Signiant to access and share large media assets all over the world. During the pandemic, when the world went remote, the media industry turned to Signiant Media Shuttle to keep content flowing. Read “7 Must-haves for Remote Work in M&E” to learn more.
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How is Signiant’s security superior to FTP?
Security is not standard with FTP. In fact, many large companies forbid FTP from their supply chains due to its security challenges. On the other hand, Signiant is a recognized leader in security, and was awarded the DPP ‘Committed to Security’ mark for both production and broadcast and has completed the Trusted Partner Network (TPN) App and Cloud Gold Shield assessment. Signiant utilizes standards-based security technology like Transport Layer Security (TLS) to secure data and information as it is transmitted, including advanced authentication, data integrity, and data confidentiality.
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Can the Signiant Platform do more than fast file transfer?
While well known for its ability to move large files fast, the Signiant Platform has evolved to make working with media assets even more efficient in ways that extend beyond file movement. With Media Engine, a Signiant Platform service, users can search for files across distributed storage, preview video files across a broad range of professional media formats and even mark in and out points to move just the selected clip of a larger file.
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How can I get started with Signiant?
Getting started is easy! Just speak with a member of our team who will help get you going with the right product(s) and pricing. Simply fill out the form on this page and someone will be in touch. From there, you’ll get a demo and maybe even a proof-of-concept trial. You can be up and running in days. It’s that easy!
Customers
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