10 Industries That Are Making the Most of Big Data

by Darryl K. Taft

Throughout the digital filmmaking process—from dailies to final delivery—large or multiple high-resolution files (a full-length feature film often reaches 90GB to 300GB) need to be transferred. It could theoretically take days to send via standard FTP, but the reality is that many post houses resort to shipping hard drives overnight, creating a technology gap in their otherwise fully file-based workflow. With a SaaS-accelerated file transfer solution, the footage can be sent in a matter of hours, which cuts down total production time significantly.

Government organizations, engineers and private companies use satellite images to gain valuable environmental and business insights. Mapping technology companies also use satellite images to help their customers navigate and understand the world. But these files are large (up to 2GB) and need to be transferred across the Internet often to reach clients or analytics experts, or into and out of cloud storage, for example.

As the health care industry continues to move toward fully digital patient records, the movement of private and large files over the Internet becomes an increasing concern. Patient records need to be sent securely and, to do so, health care professionals are looking to use secure software that has been developed by engineers who understand how to apply security functions—like authentication, authorization, data integrity, data confidentiality and non-repudiation—to protect against threats.

Seismic data is often used by scientists studying earthquakes and by the oil and gas industry for exploration, development and reservoir management. This data needs to be sent quickly and often from remote locations, typically requiring a tech team to start up new servers for the incoming data. SaaS file transfer solutions scale automatically to accommodate huge bulk upload projects from locations anywhere in the world, removing the need to spin up new servers. Organizations should look for a solution that provides automatic scaling and load balancing, as cloud payloads ebb and flow, to keep data moving and projects on track.

Professional sports teams are always looking for a competitive advantage, and one such advantage is the ability to send game footage and scouting videos to coaches and players more quickly than their opponent. Using modern large file transfer solutions, teams can send critical game footage to staff in another part of the world quickly and easily just by dragging and dropping the file into the service provider’s portal.

Creating a TV ad requires input from a number of different parties (directors, production companies, editors, creative directors, music departments, etc.), which can lead to version control issues. SaaS large file transfer solutions consolidate all file transfers into one simple solution where the project lead can keep track of all file movement and users in one place.

Builders, architects and designers often need access to their CAD images and blueprints in remote locations such as construction sites. With the right file transfer solution, the team can keep track of all their file movement, regardless of location. And now with mobile apps, users can submit content—such as an updated blueprint—into the organization’s production workflow directly from their iPhone or iPad.

Data sent within an organization or outside a company’s walls needs to get to the intended recipient in a reasonable time. When it comes to sending large data sets or financial documents, organizations want to ensure the recipient receives the information—all the information—even if the transmission is interrupted. Modern solutions automatically retry or resume failed transfers, and they also send email notifications when files are ready or when the files have been downloaded.

Media content files continue to get bigger and bigger—growing to tens and hundreds of gigabytes—and are commonly part of daily workflows in the music industry. Moving large music databases should not require you to compress files, break them into smaller files, or load them onto USB sticks or portable hard disks to get them where they need to go. Today’s SaaS file transfer solutions allow the music industry to securely send any size file anywhere—fast.

Government officials are constantly moving information that needs to be delivered quickly and securely, but these officials often don’t have the time to be trained on new software and will send high-value documents via email. In addition, as data amounts grow, on-premises storage is becoming limited. By implementing secure SaaS-accelerated file transfer solutions, employees can start moving data between locations or into the cloud within minutes. No training is required to use the software or onboard new users. This saves IT time and eliminates the risks associated with sending proprietary documents via standard email.