B2B Data Sharing: What You Need To Know About Sharing Large Files

Professionals don’t always recognize the limits on data storage and usage. After all, most spend a lot of time on their devices uploading, sharing and downloading various files. In your personal life, you may never encounter the dreaded “file exceeds the size limit” message. After all, the files you send via social media and to friends and family don’t tend to be very large.

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In a professional setting, however, you could be dealing with extremely large files. If you aren’t prepared to deal with large files, it could reduce your company’s efficiency and ability to participate in B2B data sharing.

The Large File Dilemma

Large file sharing is necessary across many industries. Look at the gaming industry, for instance. Developers must exchange 3-D files amongst programming departments, team members and designers. Likewise, video industry professionals need to transfer footage packages to editors and other team members. Within the healthcare industry, physicians and technicians may have to share MRI data and other large files globally.

As businesses grow, they are more likely to deal with larger file transfers. Unfortunately, if a company does not have a file transfer system that can handle larger sizes, they are more likely to run into errors and encounter security issues.

The Limits of Sharing Large Files

When you perform a digital file transfer, you have a time limit. To successfully download a large file, you need a high transfer speed to prevent lost files or end-user frustration. When data is lost through the transfer, professionals may be unable to edit or review the documents they need to perform their jobs. Data will have to be sent again, resulting in more wasted time.

In addition to timeouts and data loss, clients cannot always open every file type. Some businesses use industry-specific software that restricts different file types. Likewise, their software may not be able to support large-scale file transfers.

4 Ways To Transfer Large Files

When dealing with massive file sizes, your business needs a solution that works. There are pros and cons to all solutions, and some may be more effective than others.

1. Break up Files

One common way to transfer large files is to split them up. If you have multiple video files or one large video file to share, you may edit the file down to a more manageable size. While this allows you to use email transfer for important documents, that approach is not convenient or secure. Email was not designed to keep your documents safe. If you work in a regulated business, it is more likely that you need to have more governed and secure file sharing solutions.

2. Compress Large Files

Before you share large files, learn to compress them. Compressing data reduces the space that files take up. If you have a collection of documents, videos or photos you need to share for a project, compress them into a ZIP file.

File compression is ideal if you want to send large files that contain several smaller files. Fortunately, none of your files will lose their quality while they are compressed.

3. Utilize Cloud Storage

B2B cloud storage allows you to store important data and documents online to encourage easy collaboration.When professionals cannot access documents, deadlines may be missed and projects become delayed, so cloud-based storage is often a more reliable solution for companies that operate globally.

B2B cloud storage options provide quick and easy file access. You and your business clients can store and edit large files within the system. As you edit the files, your changes are synced automatically to the cloud. Cloud storage also allows you to send a link to the file rather than attaching it directly to an email. As a result, cloud-based storage solutions can reduce the risk to your organization’s sensitive information, because privileged data doesn’t need to be exchanged via risky e-mail or instant messaging applications.

4. Find a Large File Sharing Service

When you use a cloud-based large file sharing service, you are more likely to transfer large files successfully. Businesses can spend hours everyday uploading, downloading and editing files. When you have a cloud-based service, you simply open up the link, edit the file and close it without wasting extra time downloading a large file.

Cloud-based file sharing services also provide more security than traditional email. Generally, emails are not encrypted. As such, they can be intercepted by third-party cyber attackers and other unintended parties. Say you need to send a large file to multiple recipients. When you email the file to multiple people, you have a higher probability of that file being opened by someone you did not intend to send it to. Some cloud-based file sharing services can even provide integrated solutions that allow you to send more secure files via email when necessary.

B2B data sharing almost always includes large file transfers. Personal file sharing methods are not sufficient for professional file-sharing requirements. Rather, cloud-based business or enterprise secure file transfer options are optimal for large files.