A file transfer appliance that was designed as a better alternative to FTP servers is effectively being retrofitted with one feature of FTP in new software for the device.

In the Version 4.5 software for its Courier File Transfer Appliance (FTA), Accellion is adding a shared "File Cabinet" where multiple users in an organization can access files stored for transfer at different times, Accellion President and CEO Yorgen Edholm said. The Palo Alto company left that function out of its software at first because on FTP servers it tends to cause security and file-management headaches, he said.

The Courier FTA is a purpose-built device for exchanging files that are too large for e-mail systems. Rather than sending the content via e-mail or putting it on an FTP server, a user can store it on the Courier FTA and send a smaller e-mail message that contains a URL for the file to be shared. After clicking on the link, the recipient can download the content over the Internet, Edholm said. The system offers SSL and Secure Shel (SSH) methods of encryption.

FTP servers, though inexpensive, often are time-consuming to manage, Edholm said. Among other things, files left on them usually pile up unless removed manually, he said. With the File Cabinet feature on the Courier FTA, stored files can be set to expire and access can be limited to certain users.

The shared File Cabinet feature is likely to be a time-saver at Critt Graham and Associates, a graphic design company in Atlanta, according to systems administrator Jon Wyche. Some files need to be sent frequently by different employees, and right now each employee has to upload a copy of the file to the Courier FTA. Critt Graham, which designs many corporate annual reports, adopted the appliance last year after having e-mail attachments blocked by clients' spam filters and seeing files corrupted on its internal FTP server, Wyche said. The Courier FTA's encryption also helps ease clients' minds about security, he said.

Accellion has also redesigned the user interface to integrate several elements that previously appeared in separate pop-up windows. From a single screen, users can now compose an e-mail message, attach files and view a progress bar for the uploading of files to the Courier FTA.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.