Going Beyond MFT

Don Miller

The basic goals of any file transfer software is being able to transfer files securely and reliably. Getting the files from one place to another using standard file transfer protocols is something you would expect the solution to be able to do, and do well.

So what distinguishes one file transfer product from another?  How should you decide that one solution is the best one to choose?  That comes down to extra features and additions that allow you to use the solution to handle different scenarios or functions, some you may not have even thought you needed. This should be the major topic of conversation whenever you are considering a new file transfer solution.

bTrade’s TDXchange solution is one that has quite a few extra features that would allow you to better manage your day-to-day file transfer needs, if you decide to start using them. For example, we have:

  • data transformations
  • read and write transfers directly from a database
  • secure ad hoc messaging
  • Outlook plug-in
  • cloud storage adapters
  • SLA notifications
  • encrypted data store
  • and many more …

Now when added together, it makes TDXchange a very useful solution to handle not only the day-to-day situations, but also those file transfer scenarios that are not routine or automated. Let’s go through some of these extras and features I mentioned to give you an idea what they can do for you.

Data transformations are available to help you correct/modify your transactions when characters either need to be removed or added. For example, when you receive an occasional file that contains carriage returns and/or line feeds, but your backend system doesn’t like them. This situation is easily dealt with in TDXchange by setting up a data transformation in the adapter that will automatically remove them, or change them to some other character, string or null. Problem document no more!  If you have a need to make a file a certain length, set up your TDXchange transformation tool to make an 80 character (or other size) record. It works on both inbound and outbound documents.

Want to write inbound data directly to a database record, or take a field from a database record and send it directly?  Not a problem. With a few simple parameters, you can configure the adapter to read and write directly from your database. No intermediate file creation steps necessary.

If you have a one-time or occasional need to send a file containing sensitive information to someone, TDXchange provides a solution in the form of secure ad hoc messaging. Simply log into your mailbox, attach the file, add the recipients, and then send them a one-time password via SMS. The recipients will get a link and can then sign into your TDXchange system via the web to download the file directly from the secure storage area. No partner definitions needed. So whether it is one-time access or more frequent use is required, TDXchange’s ad hoc messaging it is available for you.

The secure ad hoc feature also comes with an Outlook plugin which integrates directly with your desktop. Configure it once and you can then use Outlook to send files securely, small or large, and avoid the file size limitations with email.

If you or your partners want to use cloud storage, like Drive, Dropbox, Box, etc., we have adapters that can send it to them. Plus the files can be encrypted, so even though the file is residing on the cloud, it is still securely encrypted until your partner retrieves it and decrypts it.

With the TDXchange dashboards, permitted users can to monitor/track activity in the file transfer system with both graphical and textual displays. The TDXchange dashboards give permitted users visibility into activity within the entire system, as well as more granular looks at the number of transfers to particular partners, broken down by transport types, etc. This functionality, combined with notifications system, ensures that administrators are up-to-date on system-wide activity at any time of the day.

To make sure that even data-at-rest is secure, TDXchange gives you the option to encrypt your data store, thereby keeping your data safe from view even for persons who have access to the file system. While the data resides there, it is completely private and TDXchange can even be configured to disallow administrators the ability to view the data.

We like to think of TDXchange as a fully featured MFT system, and are also proud of the extra pieces we have added to make the solution work for our customers.  These additional features go beyond traditional MFT and provide some nice-to-have tools that can help you in your day-to-day activities.