Gartner's Key Issues for Managed File Transfer, 2009

Just got a copy of Frank Kenney's latest note on Managed File Transfer called "Key Issues for Managed File Transfer, 2009" published this month. In our last meeting, Frank told me about MFT evolving from a siloed point solution into a broader, more integrated solution that has multiple touch points within an organization's data delivery and management services. In addition to the obvious security requirements, Frank ties in aspects such as monitoring, reporting and auditing, provisioning, and workflow. He also flags a key issue -- companies need visibility into the processes and systems that transport content, and a way to lock that content down during delivery. Frank also discusses adaptability, which he defines as the ability to leverage and connect to existing systems and infrastructure.

Biscom Delivery Server will definitely benefit from this new viewpoint -- we've always believed that tying into existing investments such as LDAP and Active Directory, SAN and NAS storage systems, and common clients like email and Web applications, are critical features of any MFT/SFT solution. And it's about time people looked at secure file transfer as not just a single, discrete function, but as an integrated enabling tool for sharing all sensitive information in this increasingly paranoid world. The demand is not just internal -- companies are feeling greater pressure from their own customers and partners who are wary of how they are sending their personal and confidential data in.

There's a lot more to Frank's piece, so I recommend you request this paper if you're a Gartner client. I'm just scratching the surface of Frank's vision in this blog posting but Frank's paper offers some interesting predictions at what's coming down the MFT road.