Smartfile Review
Established in 2009 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Smartfile was started by two serial entrepreneurs, John Hurley and Ben Timby with one modest idea; to create an effective but simple, web-based FTP (File Transfer Protocol) product. In the fall of that year, that is exactly what they did. SmartFile was released to the public, and businesses and enterprises have enjoyed it ever since. Not only is this service extremely easy to use, but the reporting features make this service a must for all businesses with high file sharing demands.
Features
The standout feature for this service, as mentioned above, is the Auditing and Reporting. With this feature, users are able to keep track of all activity that occurs on your site in real-time with detailed and clearly laid out reports. This allows users to not only effectively manage the data, but also make informed decisions on how to improve efficiency. Other features include:
- Activity Notifications
- Advanced File Control
- API Access
- Custom Branding
- Custom Domain Name
- Drag and Drop Files
- File-2-Email
- Virtual links
- Microsoft Outlook Add-in
- Mobile/Tablet Access
Pricing
Smartfile offers five business pricing packages on a sliding scale. These are called: Starter, Smart, Smarter, Smartest, and Custom. They all include unlimited file sizes for unlimited users, with FTP Access, Outlook add-in, custom branding and activity logs. The only difference in ‘Stater’ to ‘Smartest’ packages are the storage sizes. The ‘Custom’ package offers a lot more features and storage space so is great for Enterprise users with high demands.
The ‘Starter’ package costs $15 per month, and includes 15 GB of storage. The ‘Smart’ package costs $30 per month for 30 GB of storage. The ‘Smarter’ package is their most popular package. It costs $60 per month for 75 GB of storage. The ‘Smartest’ package costs $150 per month for 250 GB of storage, and the custom package is priced by need and starts at 1+ TB of storage space. It includes AD / LDAP / RADIUS, multisite access, signed SLA, API access, on-premise appliances, virtual install, and SmartCare Support.
Ease of Use
Setup was extremely straight forward. Users are able to sign up for the free trial without providing a credit card, which we feel is a nice touch, as it lets users try the service without trying to trick them into accidentally joining. To sign up, users need to create a “.smartfile.com” site name and provide their name, email, phone and create a password, and they are ready to go. It is a simple as that. The personalized site name allows users to manage their files entirely online and removes the need to install applications.
Once set up, Smartfile acts as a virtual hard drive through which users can share and sort their files with ease. Users are able to view and search through their files in a number of different ways. Users are able to create specific tags to be able to quickly find anything they have stored. Additionally, there is almost no end to the control users are given. Users have the option to store activity logs for up to 6 years, create multiple user types, time access they grant on files they share through ‘smart links’, and many, many more.
Smartfile Dashboard
Smartfile Link Sharing Page
Security
Smartfile offers top level end-to-end encryption with military grade 256-bit encryption during transfer and at rest. Users are able to connect and transfer files and folders securely using SFTP, FTPS, and FTPES. Smartfile also puts the users in the driver’s seat for the security of their files with the use of granular user roles and permissions. When a user is created, they are assigned a home folder which grants them access to only daughter folders of their home folder, and no access to other parent folders. This can even be taken a step further. Users are able to restrict permissions on individual folders and files on a-per user, or per-group basis as well, thereby ensuring that only the appropriate people have access to files. It is also important to note that Smartfile are HIPAA compliant.
Customer Support
Smartfile offers an expert lead support service. For this, they provide phone support between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST. Additionally, they offer 24 hour email support as well as live chat support. This is the sort of package a user should expect for a provider of this caliber.
Summary
When it comes to a file sharing service, Smartfile is not to be overlooked. It offers a great range of features with optimum security. It is an extremely easy service to use and with their great value packages, we would certainly recommend giving this service a try.
