No File Is Too Big For New File-Transfer ApplianceNo File Is Too Big For New File-Transfer Appliance

Accellion Inc. last week rolled out two new versions of its Courier file-transfer appliance, one for single-site and one for multisite users. Both are designed to give businesses a more efficient and secure way of using the File Transfer Protocol to send large files over their networks.

When an attachment is sent, the Courier appliance offloads it onto a server and recipients receive a notice that they have an attachment. They're provided with a link that lets them download the file. The appliance unclogs a company's E-mail system from multiple copies of the same attachment. "This allows companies to save on capital expenditure and increase performance because there's only one copy [of a large file] traveling through the network," says Brian Babineau, an analyst at research firm Enterprise Strategy Group.

Companies often have to dedicate special FTP servers to moving files. But the appliance is capable of handling all file transfers and eliminates the need for FTP servers, Accellion says.

Files are transferred through secure links and recipients are authenticated, which allows only the correct recipients to access the files. Babineau says this is essential for complying with regulatory mandates such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.