Globalscape EFT Reviews

Basically, Globalscape EFT is used for file management transfer, and we use the secure protocol. First, we begin with the encryption of the files. Then we start with the file transfer to the hub, where we create all the event rules for taking the files and pushing them to the destination using SFTP or any of the other tools. The most common use case for the product I work on is for credit bureaus and credit providers. That's what we use it for in that domain.

The best feature of Globalscape EFT is that it has inbuilt encryption. We can use outside PGP encryption or we can use the inbuilt encryption as well, enabling us to do the encryption file transfer to the destinations. The other thing is that, by using the advanced workflow, we can make complex integrations for ease, and the workflow allows us to have alerts and everything by using email notifications through SMTP.

We utilize the advanced automation capabilities, and we can also integrate to Azure. In one of the projects, we use Globalscape EFT as an intermediate integration and we use SAP BI where they send the files to Globalscape EFT. We take the files and push them to the banking system, where we get the response and return that back to the SAP system. Globalscape EFT can integrate with the Azure cloud systems as well. We can upload as many files as we can, and we can automate everything using SFTP software such as FileZilla, WinSCP, or any of the SFTP tools.

When comparing Globalscape EFT with other tools such as IBM Sterling and GoAnywhere, they each have different features for bulk transfers. There are a few issues with Globalscape EFT. If I'm transferring large batches, it takes them in threads. Globalscape EFT uploads the files on a threading basis, such as 100 files at a time, and the rest of the files will be in a queue system. When comparing it with GoAnywhere, they can send more files at a time. Additionally, IBM Sterling is more secure and has different capabilities and features other than Globalscape EFT.

I've been working on Globalscape EFT for the past 15 years.

It is dependent on the database for the initial setup of Globalscape EFT. First, I need to set up the database, such as an SQL database, or if I want a non-SQL database, I can use MongoDB or Cosmos DB. Most people use a Microsoft product such as SQL, so I set up the SQL first, get the server instance and everything, and based on that, I start installing Globalscape EFT.

If I am migrating from a lower to a higher version, I need to do it in steps, as there is a step-wise upgrade; I can't do it directly from the lowest version to the highest version. For first-time installation, it is a straightforward process. It depends on the database matching and everything. I use Enterprise for high-level needs, but I can also use Express. The other advantage of Globalscape EFT is that it has other products for small-scale companies where the budget is very low. I can use Express EFT, which has an inbuilt email function, allowing files to be uploaded from email directly without going through tools.

Over the past few years, there have been upgrades to Globalscape EFT. If there is a failure, I can debug it using the event viewer, where I check the details. The main thing is to know if the data is being transferred perfectly or not. It will take the file size in advance, and when I transfer, if the data is not fully transferred because the size is not matching, it will fail, allowing me to identify that the file was not fully received. That's where I use that as a troubleshooting method to debug and sort it out.

With large file transfers, GoAnywhere's MFT and Globalscape EFT have main differences, but GoAnywhere is also a product of Fortra because both are from the same company. Earlier, it was Globalscape EFT, now it changed to Fortra, and GoAnywhere is also from them. GoAnywhere was discovered later and is a lighter version, not as complex, because Globalscape EFT is more enhanced. It is not just a managed file transfer like GoAnywhere; it is more enhanced and has more features that I can opt for, including a workspace in Globalscape EFT, which GoAnywhere doesn't have.

I would rate Fortra's support for Globalscape EFT around a seven on a scale of one to ten. I worked on-site in South Africa, and the timings were different because most of Globalscape EFT's support was on US time. They responded immediately when I logged the tickets. There was a delay for me, but if I were US-based and the clients were also US-based, it would be very effective. All the time when we had issues with them, it got resolved, as they got deep into it, allowing us to look into the log files and resolve things.

Positive

When we started about 10 years ago, Globalscape EFT was server-based, on-premises only. It was straightforward; I would download the software, install it from local machines, and do the migration. I would create the project plan and get all the documentation ready on what steps to follow. Now, everything has moved to the cloud, so there is nothing on-premises at the moment unless it is a small company with a few employees, in which case I can install it on a server-based on-premises setup. Most of what I have is on the cloud.

If I refer to a workspace for collaboration, I mean that if I am doing something such as an HR management system where I want approvals from a manager for employees, then I need a workspace. There, I can also monitor what is happening with each case or each file, allowing me to use the workspace for that in Globalscape EFT, but GoAnywhere doesn't have that, as it is more for just uploads and notifications.

We are a reseller for Globalscape EFT as well. We took the license from a South Africa-based entity, and we used to sell and install it in other companies, providing support and everything to them.

Globalscape EFT itself has custom reports. If I want different reports beyond the custom ones, I have actually built event rules to create HTML reports, which can be fancy with CSS. We auto-generate that and send the reports directly to the users using the event rules in Globalscape EFT. It has custom reports which are inbuilt, showing things such as how many files are going through, what the file sizes are, and if any invalid logins have happened. Everything is there in the custom reports, including file transfer details.

I never looked at the pricing for Globalscape EFT because it was at the management level where my line manager handled it. I was a team lead, so we only did the RFQs and everything. I never had a chance to look at it, but it operates as a pay-as-you-go model. Whatever products you want, you can opt for that one, and it's not necessary to take the full package. Even in the Enterprise level, there are options, so I can take the workspace off in the first stage, starting with management transfer and everything. Once I'm comfortable and in need of more, I can add on features such as workspace, Express, and automated email integrations.

It was just with a knowledge base regarding hands-on experience with those such as Sterling File Gateway or GoAnywhere. With GoAnywhere, I got a little bit of experience because I just played around with the trial version, but I couldn't get a hold of IBM Sterling, so I just have knowledge of it.

I work with Globalscape EFT, and I'm an MFT developer with plenty of experience, with 15 years working on Globalscape EFT and MFT products in .NET.

I assess the effectiveness of Globalscape EFT's security protocols such as SSL, TLS, and PGP encryption by noting that we have options to select HTTPS, SFTP, or FTP within the tool itself. It also has libraries that we can opt for to define which protocols are allowed and which are not allowed for the user. As we upgrade to the latest version, it is already inbuilt with the latest, higher security.

With automation, the advanced workflow allows us to automate everything, such as scheduling. If I want a task to run at a particular time, I can do scheduling. If I want something such as file upload events, where users can act at any time, I can set up automation at the very beginning, ensuring there is no manual intervention.

I rate Globalscape EFT a seven out of ten.

Currently, I'm working on Globalscape EFT 2020.

The usual use cases for Globalscape EFT that we are applying involve imports and data that we send from our organization to different vendors, and sometimes we are receiving data, so it primarily involves import and output operations.

Globalscape EFT allows us to have global connections. For example, there are multiple connections using the same SFTP, so we can add a single tab where we can declare it as a global connection and use it in different exports or imports.

I use the encryption capabilities of Globalscape EFT.

Globalscape EFT is available on cloud, so we have different systems that are not fully integrated. We create exports in certain folders and use the monitor folder functionality to track if files exist in specific places, then we send them. We use the scheduler to run batches at specific times, and if the data exists in the designated place, we send it out. You can find different connections or connectors to integrate with tools such as Boomi, making it easier.

It is flexible because you can modify many aspects in Globalscape EFT. You have control over whatever you want to do, which is positive. Globalscape EFT is also scalable.

Globalscape EFT is prone to errors because one single click can lead to a file being sent to another vendor, and it doesn't give any warning if the code goes out of certain loops. The user interface needs improvement as it looks outdated.

The auditing and reporting tools in Globalscape EFT need enhancement. The logs are an area that can be improved because sometimes you cannot find detailed logs for the problem you're working on or when encountering errors.

The warning feature in Globalscape EFT needs improvement. When using the rule builder and building rules, it would be helpful to have warnings if code goes outside a certain place. For example, when using a loop and dragging activities up and down, sometimes if the code exits that loop, it runs for all setups and can cause problems. In one instance, while working on sending files from one folder to different vendors with different loops for every condition, the upload activity went out of the loop, resulting in all files being sent to the same vendor.

I rate Globalscape EFT around six or seven out of ten for stability and reliability.

This rating is because sometimes we encounter error logging issues or the system goes down, requiring us to connect with the cloud engineer. It is reliable, but occasional issues do occur.

Globalscape EFT is scalable.

While I sometimes find difficulties with GCP, it works fine and flawlessly on AWS, especially since we have a large customer base and vendors where we send numerous files daily.

Before using Globalscape EFT, I had not worked at this level. Previously, I worked with one VAN admin who had their own functionality integrated for file transmission, so we didn't have much control over features such as encryption. I also used Xway briefly, but I cannot provide detailed information as it has been some time since I used it.

I am planning to evaluate Xway, though I did not evaluate other options before using Globalscape EFT.

I had to work with Globalscape EFT because it was already implemented in the organization; we did not have other options available.

I have not worked with compliance functionality on the EFT end or specifically with Globalscape EFT, as there is not much functionality related to this, or perhaps I have not explored it fully.

On a scale of 1-10, I rate Globalscape EFT a 7.

The reviewer has been working with Globalscape EFT for six years.

The reviewer works for a banking firm where they have in-house multiple applications and retrieve different customer data. They utilize Globalscape EFT for the transmission, transferring, encrypting, decrypting the data, and creating end-to-end setups, user creations, and scripts on AWE.

The reviewer works with the automation features in the Globalscape EFT product. When doing automation, for example, transferring or transmitting data in bulk, manual processes take more time. They pick up files from the source location and transmit them to the destination hassle-free, as Globalscape EFT is extremely efficient. It simplifies data transmission, and regarding issues such as notifications or SFTP, these occur occasionally and might be due to customers using different passwords, hence requiring user guidance.

They mainly use PGP encryption, which provides enhanced security. In their current version, they utilize SSH SHA, SHA RSA, and the upgraded version 8.3 discussed recently in Fortra discussions includes SHA-2 RSA, providing more security than the existing version.

They integrate using SFTP, with SFTP being the most utilized protocol, and for cloud, they have a bucketing system including Globalscape EFT, GCP bucket, AWS bucket, and Azure Blob.

Globalscape EFT is user-friendly compared to MoveIT, Axway, IBM Connect, and Sterling Connect. It is specifically more user-friendly than IBM Connect from the SFTP standpoint because users can utilize an interface allowing them to create users and jobs, including event rules or AWE rules, in a plug-and-play manner. Even when issues arise, changes can be made quickly, unlike MoveIT or Axway, where complete changes are required.

The auditing and reporting tools in Globalscape EFT provide transparency, as users can pull out all reports based on user basis, client basis, event rule basis, or username basis, allowing them to drill down into any of the reports, which is a very useful feature.

The main benefits of Globalscape EFT are its secure data transmission method, connectivity which uses secured host keys instead of HTTPS ensuring two-way handshaking, and the in-built MFA option for users.

Globalscape EFT needs to improve system performance. The reviewer works with around 4,000 event rules daily, but their lower version only supports a maximum of 1,200 or 1,300 event rules. They are often forced to work with over 2,000 event rules on each server, so increasing that bandwidth would be very helpful.

The initial setup was straightforward; however, they faced challenges with NIC configuration and changes to the virtual NIC card in the cloud, but Fortra helped them resolve these issues.

Scaling up does cause stability and performance issues, leading to slower systems.

This applies to the on-premises setup since they have recently moved to the cloud where they do not have many event rules established. In their on-premises setup, they have faced these issues for the last four to five years.

They receive technical support, which sometimes feels delayed, but they do get responses. A quicker response would be appreciated.

The reviewer has experience with MoveIT, GoAnywhere, Axway, and some knowledge of IBM Sterling.

The major differences noted are that MoveIT and GoAnywhere lack the in-built MFA option, which Globalscape EFT already includes. Globalscape EFT also has another in-built feature called workspace that MoveIT and GoAnywhere do not offer, requiring them to utilize a different environment for temporary uses.

The initial setup was straightforward; however, they faced challenges with NIC configuration and changes to the virtual NIC card in the cloud, but Fortra helped them resolve these issues.

After using Globalscape EFT for 10 or 12 years in their organization, they have become reliable on it and expect positive gestures from Globalscape EFT or Fortra.

The reviewer rates the technical support a 7.5 on a scale of 1 to 10.

They recommend others looking to implement Globalscape EFT to go for it as it is reliable, user-friendly, and secure.

The overall rating for Globalscape EFT is 8 out of 10.

It supports all the protocols used for file transmission. It also includes encryption and decryption functionalities. The standout feature of Globalscape is its advanced workflow engine. Using AWE, we can write code to implement additional features beyond the basic functionality of source and destination configuration. This includes scheduling tasks to run on specific days and times. For example, if you have an Excel sheet with ten different tabs and need to create separate files for each tab, AWE can read the Excel sheet, convert each tab into individual files, and then send those files. This flexibility allows users with coding experience to perform many more tasks using AWE.

The most effective feature is its advanced workflow engine. Another feature is the flexibility of the code we use to create tasks. For example, with other tools, you receive only one notification upon completing or failing the task. However, in Globalscape, you can set up step-by-step email notifications. For instance, if you pick up a file from the source location, you can add a condition to send an email notification to a specific address once that step is successful. Conversely, a different notification can be sent to a designated address if the step fails. This allows us to receive notifications for each process step without waiting for the entire task to complete. 

If Globalscape has a higher number of tasks, performance issues will occur. It will get hung, and then we need to restart the services. They need a robust tool to handle 5000-6000 jobs at a time.

I have been using Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer for over two years.

Stability is good, but there are instability when many tasks run. It is manageable with up to five or six hundred tasks. Once the number of tasks exceeds 1500-2000, the server's performance degrades significantly. High CPU utilization can bring down the server or reduce its capacity.

There are 100s in the organization, whoever has access. Those people are logging in using that application. It has an application that requires users to log in with their credentials. Additionally, it would be beneficial if they offered a web version similar to MOVEIt, allowing users to connect without installing software or clients on their machines. With a web version, users could enter a URL or IP address and connect from anywhere in the world using their laptop. This feature should provide flexibility, but it is currently not available.

We were experiencing continuous system downtime with Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer. To identify the cause of the problem, we analyzed the logs. It was determined that the issue stemmed from many tasks running concurrently on a single server. This high load negatively impacted server performance.

The support team suggested splitting the tasks across multiple servers using an active-active node configuration. By distributing the traffic evenly among multiple nodes, we could enhance performance and reduce downtime. This recommendation was implemented, resulting in improved system stability.

The initial setup is not as straightforward compared to MOVEIt. In MOVEIt, when creating a task, you are prompted to choose between a traditional or advanced task. 

In Globalscape, every task appears to be advanced by default, requiring drag-and-drop operations. When creating a task in Globalscape, you must choose an option and provide details. For instance, if you select a source, you must go to the connection profile and specify the host you want to use. These steps are more complex compared to MoveIt.

Learning can be initially challenging, especially for those without prior experience. Creating and understanding the Advanced Workflow Engine can take some time, typically two to three months, as it involves learning how the code works, reviewing it, and debugging it. Compared to other tools like MoveIt, Globalscape is a bit more complex regarding task creation and understanding the overall system.

One notable advantage of Globalscape is its user ID creation process. Unlike other tools, where you have to draft and manually send an email containing the user ID and password to the client, Globalscape automatically sends the user ID and password in separate emails when you specify the email address during user ID creation. This automation reduces the need to communicate credentials to clients, making the process more efficient and less prone to errors.

It excels in compliance and reporting. It adheres to standards like HIPAA, ensuring the secure transfer of sensitive patient and financial data. The platform also supports encryption and decryption, enhancing data security. This robust compliance makes it a reliable choice for handling critical information.

We need to ensure that the scheduling does not overlap. Suppose we have a hundred tasks running from 2 AM to 7 PM MST, with each task running every hour. Instead of using a generic scheduler, we need to modify the scheduler to ensure that most tasks are not running simultaneously. This precaution is necessary to avoid overloading the system and potentially causing it to go down.

If someone is using old MFT tools like TIBCO, Fortra's Globalscape is a good upgrade option. However, Fortra also offers GoAnywhere, which is a highly recommended tool, even more so than Globalscape. It is also a strong contender, but recent cybersecurity attacks have made clients less comfortable with MOVEIt. Besides MOVEIt, there are other tools, although IBM tools tend to be expensive, including licenses, leading to a shift away from Sterling Integrator. Besides Globalscape, GoAnywhere is a great option. 

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

We have lots of data coming in from or going to financial institutions like banks, including payments and different types of transactions. Any client can connect to GlobalSCAPE to retrieve their files and data. We also go to their servers and pick data. We have a lot of clients, vendors, and partners that share data for different applications. Most of the data goes through SFTP, which is a protected protocol.

Our main production server is on-prem. The version of Globalscape that we are testing right now, version 8, is on the cloud in Azure.

Our SFTP team uses this as the main platform to do file transfers. As a result, Globalscape helps with operations, maintenance, security, and advanced tasks that we accomplish through the platform.

We have also been able to move a lot of jobs from batch and PowerShell scripts, as well as C++ and some other programming languages. It has helped, to some degree, to remove dependency on other methods. The impact has been positive because things are more centralized and better organized.

The automation of file transfers has increased our efficiency and effectiveness a lot, as they would with any other MFT system. It enables you to automate any processes that you might otherwise have to do manually. That reduces workload. Otherwise, you would have to do things through scripts or manually. There are still some things being done manually by different business teams, but a lot of it has been automated. We also need fewer programming resources now.

We have about 300 jobs and I would estimate that Globalscape saves 40 hours per week, in total.

The most valuable feature is the automation engine because it allows you to script or program and it has lots of different features and options. It's something like an IDE for programmers, where they can add variables, arrays, loops, et cetera. It has much more functionality than the advanced rules component, which only has limited options. You can use automated scripts, such as those built with PowerShell, in GlobalSCAPE, as well as scripts that you build in Globalscape.

It's also very important that it is designed specifically for Windows because our servers are Windows and everything that we do is in Windows. Of course, we have a few Linux servers and even an SFTP server, but it's very important to be in the Windows space.

In addition, we use it to automate the submission of regulatory documentation and that is another very important functionality for us.

The solution’s centralized platform for the management of file transfer operations is good, although improvements could be made to it.

Another area for improvement is the ARM (Auditing and Reporting Module) database, in terms of accuracy and the data being logged. 

And when it comes to functionality, there could be more descriptive instructions for various functions or actions.

Finally, I would like to see more advanced features for the alerting.

I have been using Globalscape Managed File Transfer for almost three years.

The stability of the solution is medium. There could be some improvements.

It's scalable.

We have hundreds of internal staff members who rely on Globalscape to make those files available to them for their processes. We also have hundreds of external clients, vendors, and partners. It is definitely used extensively.

We used PowerShell scripts and batch scripts. We still have them, but we didn't have an MFT.

I was part of the deployment on the dev side for the cloud, but not for the main production instance. The part I was involved with was medium, between simple and complex. It took a few weeks.

The maintenance load is average. I take care of it. We have another engineer on the SFTP team but I am the one who mainly maintains and operates the SFTP environment.

For the deployment I was involved in we did it in-house, but we did ask some questions regarding the gateway server and the ARM database. We consulted with Globalscape support on a couple of questions we needed help with.

Our experience with them was good.

We do see a return on investment every single year. These are very critical processes. If a single file is missing, it could cause damage of $70,000, $80,000, or even $100,000. It's very important to have a robust system and that we can do advanced functions.

The on-prem licensing is very good. It's a perpetual license and I would advise others to purchase that license. That way, you don't have to pay yearly.

There are modules that you have to purchase, such as the ARM database module, and the security module, depending on what you need. Those modules increase the perpetual license's cost. There is also support which comes at an additional cost. If you purchase the perpetual license, that means you own that version, and if you want support or if you want to be able to update it, then you have to buy the premium support package, and there are a couple of tiers.

The way we secure sensitive data in Globalscape MFT is through Active Directory's RBAC, its role-based access control. But in part, we do it through Globalscape too, because we have supervisory accounts where internal people can access the data through SFTP accounts that go through Globalscape.

Overall, it is a good solution. Just make sure that it matches your auditing requirements.

We use it for file transfers. 100% of our customers connect through Globalscape to bring their files to our data center. So, it is a hosted service, but I'll interchange it and call it our private cloud, but it's not really a cloud.

We have several versions. The newest is 8.0.4, and the oldest is 7.4.10. We have six data centers in which Globalscape is deployed. 

The biggest benefit for me is stability. We have a 100% uptime SLA on our SFTP server because it's probably the most important infrastructure piece in our data center. Without the movement of files, we have no business. It has not crashed in two years.

It provides advanced controls, alerting, and reporting for security and compliance, which is very good. We use the ARM Database module daily. It is a fantastic troubleshooting tool. It is a single point to gather information. The advanced controls, alerting, and reporting features are very important because of the volume of traffic and the number of customers. We have Globalscape deployed in a high availability active cluster. We can't monitor all three nodes at the same time, but the ARM Database can. So, it's very important because of the number of people that access the product at the same time.

Its centralized platform is excellent for the management of file transfer operations. It is important because of the volume of customers going to several thousand different servers across different networks. We're talking about 300,000 to 400,000 files daily going to multiple places, so it's better than having hundreds of servers deployed. It makes it streamlined and manageable.

The High Security Module is valuable. It allows for increased security. It allows me to integrate Globalscape with our Active Directory. So, we manage all our customer accounts outside of Globalscape, and it allows us to import them with LDAP queries. It's very convenient. It also gives our customers the confidence that it's a very secure product.

Another outstanding feature of Globalscape is their excellent account management team. They keep lines of communication open. She calls me and tells me about new features in advance. She lets me know about webinars. Without me having to prompt, I will hear from her at least once a month. The quality of service is a 10 out of 10.

Instead of using a fat client to access the administrator panel, where you have to install client software on any server that you need to use to access, I would like them to switch to a web-based model where you could connect from anywhere without having to maintain and install the software.

It is not really a complaint, but the weakness of Globalscape is its 32-bit engine. I heard that they're working on a 64-bit engine in the near future, so that's all going to go away. It'll make the product awesome. Right now, it's fantastic.

Globalscape is designed specifically for Windows. That is a handicap, but it is not important. If it ran Linux, we could use it in the public cloud offering. We do have a public cloud offering, but it needs to run on Linux. So, we can't bring Globalscape to our public cloud offering. GoAnywhere is the product that was chosen for the public cloud offering because it runs on Linux.

I have been using this solution for 17 years.

For the way we use it, the stability is topnotch. It is one of my favorite features being responsible for this. We have a 100% uptime SLA on our SFTP server. It has not crashed in two years.

Its horizontal scalability is awesome. We are transferring between 300,000 to 400,000 files daily and about two terabytes on average. It meets our needs, and there is room for growth because we could always expand to a fourth HA node as business increases. 

Their support is excellent. I would give them a 10 out of 10, but we pay for the max support level. They have absolutely met our expectations because they're available 24/7.

We were using Axway. Pricing and licensing were the primary reasons why we switched to Globalscape. Axway is very expensive. It is probably three or four times more expensive than Globalscape. Globalscape's virtual file system functioning met our needs perfectly. This feature was technically available in Axway, but it was so much easier to deploy in Globalscape. Axway is well-established, solid, and very good at what it does, but you need a Ph.D. to understand it. It is very complex. They have a separate guide for engineering and users. 

We use GoAnywhere for the public cloud offering because it runs on Linux. It is solid, but it uses a Java-based engine, and I'm not a big fan of Java. Java inherently brings risk to me in my experience, but it is still a good, solid product. I've not been involved with the pricing of GoAnywhere, but I have to believe it's reasonable because it's deployed in a lot of places in our public cloud.

It was reasonable. It wasn't straightforward, but it wasn't complex either. It's about asking professional services the right questions because I would never install it out of the box. We used the silent install because it's more customizable.

Getting the software installed and everything connected was fast. A three-node HA cluster probably took less than an hour. The migration was not so fast, but that wasn't Globalscape's fault. That was the customers'.

Our implementation strategy was to have an MFT server that was secured and could do file encryption-decryption and move lots of files every day and have lots of connections. It can support a whole lot of connections because we move 300,000 to 400,000 files but probably 600,000 to 700,000 connections daily.

We have absolutely realized a return on our investment in Globalscape. I never personally calculated the ROI, but I would say if I compared it to the cost of Axway, the ROI was less than two years. If I compare it with customers, the ROI is probably three or four years. This is just my best guess. I don't sit down and crunch financial numbers. That's not part of my role, but I would say that we absolutely have an excellent ROI.

It is much more competitively priced. Axway is probably three or four times more expensive than Globalscape.

I like the server-based license. It's easier to manage than a seat license, which our previous product Axway had. Axway's license model is to charge by the account while Globalscape's model is by the server. It is much simpler and much easier when audit time comes.

It is a solid product. The price point is excellent. I don't know if it's a negative now, but you have to be sure that you know that it only runs on Windows. For some people, it's a negative, and for some people, it's not. To me, it's not.

It can secure sensitive data inside your internal network so that only verified users have access, but we don't use that feature. We have other internal tools that secure the data. We also don't use Globalscape to automate the submission of regulatory documentation.

It allows us to automate scripts, but I don't use it. That's still a work in progress, but for the few that I do have, we use the AWE module. I'm working to integrate PowerShell now. They have simplified executing PowerShell in version 8. So, I should have everything up to version 8 by the middle of next year.

It connects to popular ICAP services to perform antivirus and data loss prevention functions, but we don't use that feature.

It enabled us to reassign resources who were writing custom file transfer scripts or compiling file transfer audit reports to other tasks many years ago, but in my current organization, it has not done that because it was designed as part of the critical core feature of our data center. Similarly, it has not enabled us to decommission other solutions. The data center was built with Globalscape chosen. Before that, it was just changing from one vendor to Globalscape for economic reasons. 

I'm going to give it an eight out of 10 because of the 32-bit engine.

Our company uses the solution to manage integrations and file transfers for our customers. The solution can be integrated with any system such as Salesforce and can perform API calls. 

We keep track of all data via the built-in report option. For example, we can mention a job name and automatically pull records for the last six months. Details such as how many transactions succeeded or failed are included.

User groups are created to provide access levels and permissions. For example, developers are given access to development and testing but not production. We have a total of 25 team members that are split into groups across development, production, and support.  

Our customer had the on-premises solution in place but is now in the process of moving to the AWS cloud. We are part of the migration team so are moving on-premises jobs from the on-premises version and MOVEit to the cloud. 

The GUI base is handy because you don't have to run commands. 

The dual interface accommodates Windows or Linux installations. 

The API call feature is valuable because we can build jobs in the solution but run them via external triggers. Most other products do not allow this type of action. 

The solution is user friendly so anyone can learn it with some background knowledge of managed file transfers, encryption, types of protocols, configuration, and key items for authentication.

The advanced controls for security and compliance are important. Standard protocols are SFTP and FTP but compliance teams will not agree to FTP because any middleman can steal data with a user ID and password.  Banking companies prefer SSH keys with authentication and the solution includes this feature. For example, IBM shares their public key to JP Morgan Chase's system and then IBM uses their private key to make connection. PGP encryption is also used to convert plain text to encrypted data that cannot be hacked without the private PGP key. 

There is an automated process for receiving and processing daily files or regulatory documentation. 

The file synchronization option stands out from competitor products. The advanced workflow engine allows you to write code for file or folder synchronizations. For example, an Excel sheet has 14 tabs and it is saved into the local FSX. The solution reads the tabs, converts each to a separate CSE file, and sends all 14 files to the destination S3 bucket. 

A job skeleton can be used from test to production so you don't have to build jobs from scratch in production. Once created in the test environment, jobs can be exported in the .JSON format and imported to production with minimal changes to the source or definition files. This is a great feature and saves a lot of time. 

The solution lags a bit when you have thousands of jobs, multiple users, and multiple developers accessing it at the same time. A typical login should only take five seconds but IT is experiencing loading delays. Connection profiles for configuration changes should immediately apply and refresh. 

I have been using the solution for one year. 

The solution is stable but there are some lags when jobs or users increase to high levels. The database itself is very stable. A prior upgrade made some improvement to lag time. Once we upgrade again, stability should be aligned and good. 

The solution is scalable. A dedicated, cloud-based tool called ARCUS is available for scaling. The solution also allows storage in S3 buckets which is a unique feature. 

We troubleshoot errors ourselves so have not needed technical support. 

I started my career with Busy Link. It was used to transfer between different entities or within an organization. Very few companies still use it because there are so many products in the market. 

Our customer previously used the solution's on-premises version and MOVEit.

The setup is in the cloud and we focused on migrating from on-premises and other solutions. 

Creating jobs can seem difficult until you get used to it. If you have a basic understanding of MFT, then you can learn how to write event rules and other things within a few month's time. Once you build a few jobs, the solution is very easy to use. 

Our company handles migrations for our customer. For the use case mentioned, we migrated all Sterling Integrator and 300 MOVEit jobs and that took three to four months. Everything but the solution was decommissioned. Our client is very happy and has saved a lot of money on licenses or support for multiple systems.

Our customer has realized ROI because they no longer have to manually upload files, purchase licenses, or contract for support for multiple systems. 

The solution is reasonably priced in comparison to other products. 

There are so many tools in the market such as Current Direct or Sterling Integrator. Gartner chart for managed file transfers is a top four tool in the market. 

The solution is new so it grabbed our attention. It can be used for any company in the file or retail domain as a transferring tool. Two key points that attract customers to the solution are its user friendliness and reasonable pricing. 

Connect Direct is difficult to handle because it is installed on Unix, mainframes, and Windows so you have to be skilled in all three environments. You also need peer-to-peer transmission so the solution must be installed on both sender and receiver systems or it won't work. 

Sterling Integrator is a major, robust tool that is used by many companies. It can handle EDM mapping which is not available with the solution, so it is a bit of a different product. You can use the map editor to edit, build, and send files. 

Sterling Integrator can handle huge amounts of data but troubleshooting logs is cumbersome because you have to go to the business processes and read logs line by line. Whereas the solution handles troubleshooting logs better because it pushes an error notification, the failure location, and download or upload steps. Only very skilled people can work on Sterling Integrator. 

For our use case, we decommissioned file transfers for each and every interface that was running in Sterling Integrator and migrated them to the solution. We did the same for more than 300 jobs that were using MOVEit. 

The solution is easy to use and configure. Scalability or lag time can be improved across thousands of jobs to ensure the solution is available 24/7 at a moment's notice.

If you want EDI separate from MFT, then the solution is the best choice and I rate it a nine out of ten. 

FIS provides software and network services for financial institutions. We mostly use the solution for fire transfers; internal to FIS and clients, and from clients.

We are not the only FIS group who uses Globalscape Managed File Transfer (EFT). There are two other groups within FIS with totally separate groups and environments from us who also use Globalscape EFT.

It resides on our virtual servers. 

When it comes down to bank and traditional requirements, 90% of our transfers can just utilize Globalscape's plain vanilla options. However, for some of the stuff, we need to get creative using PowerShell scripts and the Advanced Workflow Engine (AWE) Module of Globalscape. You can do massive scripting within the AWE Module. Some of our transfers definitely require this. So, this was something that we evaluated when we were getting Globalscape: Its ability to have an out-of-the-box solution for us to deal with more complex jobs. This solution has allowed us to script more complex transfers, not just plain vanilla ones, from point A to point B.

It has the capability to smoothly handle high volumes.

I find it easy to use and understand. I have been working with transmissions for a while. Once you know where to go for what you need, it is fairly easy to get used to it. There is an initial learning curve, but nothing major. 

Globalscape EFT provides advanced controls, alerting, and reporting for security and compliance. We deal with financial institutions and other people's money, so these features are very important.

In the application, we use it by domain groups. Only certain admin groups have access to the application, which is important to us.

The solution’s centralized platform for the management of file transfer operations is very handy and valuable. It has everything in a location where others can connect, then perform implementations, new jobs, support, etc.

In some cases, we use Globalscape EFT to automate the submission of regulatory documentation. This has been an important feature for us.

I am running a version back. We are in the process of upgrading to 8.0, which has some good features. You can set up a data set so you can read it and consolidate transmissions. They also added a zip capability to the remote agent. There is a lot of good stuff on 8.0.

I have been using it for about four years.

I have had some concerns/issues in the past, but it is now easy to add a new node. You can increase your scale by adding nodes to your cluster, and that is not a humongous task. It is a very simple process, so you can increase your horsepower easily.

We have two nodes.

There are approximately 15 users on and off, including a handful of senior folks and staff who set it up, doing the day-to-day tasks/jobs, adjustments, or support. The administration of the entire platform falls onto three or four people.

They are very knowledgeable. I don't have many complaints as far as Globalscape stepping up to the plate and helping us when we have had some crunches for various reasons. We rely on them. We like the knowledge that they bring to the table.

Sometimes you get someone who is not as knowledgeable as you want, but depending on how critical things are, they have no issues escalating per our request to get someone more senior. Therefore, I would rate them as eight out of 10.

Globalscape is willing to meet you halfway. They listen to us about whether it would be cool to have something, then they take it to developers. It is not something that we will get right away. However, they listen to us as far as what could be added on as well as what benefits or works for a lot of their clients, including us.

Positive

The solution provides efficiency and stability versus our previous software, as something always breaks with transmissions, e.g., file not having the right name, folder not existing, or connectivity. This is why this solution's efficiency, reliability, and stability are the biggest pluses for us. 

Before we had around 10 different sites and 10 different platforms running on each site, this has allowed us to start migrating everything over to Globalscape EFT and have a centralized software handling everything. 

Comparing Globalscape EFT to our previous solutions is a hard comparison. The other solutions were cheaper, but they didn't give us the peace of mind to go to bed and know that we were going to have a good night of sleep, which we get with Globalscape EFT. For Managed File Transfer to have issues, that is rare.

We use it with most of our clients. There are other transmission groups within FIS who use other solutions, such as MOVEit or Control-M. For the internal groups that I support, we definitely use Globalscape Managed File Transfer. It is the standard transmission solution for the applications that I support.

We have a couple resources who know Linux. However, having it specially designed for Windows is easier to support as well as train employees when they come aboard so they can contribute right away. We also use Connect:Direct, which is NDM and has Linux and Windows versions, and chose their Windows version for the same reasons. 

In the beginning, it could be considered a bit challenging. If you have experience with other platforms and dealing with transmission for a few years before getting into Globalscape, then it is just a matter of learning which buttons to push, e.g., where they are. Therefore, it didn't take us long to be able to support it without having to call Globalscape all the time.

It was a process to deploy because it was a robust, high availability, active-active environment. It wasn't your simple standalone. While the installation took a weekend, the preparation for the actual deployment day took at least a few months. The preparation accounts for server building, installing stuff on servers, getting SQL servers set up, and ensuring the network and firewalls have all the requirements for the application to work. 

We are getting close to the end. There is some stuff still out there that needs to be migrated.

In the beginning, we had to rely on Globalscape to help us with the initial install. We also had some classes where we learnt as we went. This was just because we didn't know much about how things worked in Globalscape EFT.

It made things easier. Before, there were five to 10 different software solutions spread out over 10 different servers. Now, everything is being centralized into one location; facilitating, supporting, maintaining, training people, etc. There have been gains just because Globalscape EFT is more efficient at moving things around than our previous other applications. For instance, if I am connecting to someone over the Internet or transmitting for the client, the speed of transmitting those files through SFTP is 20% to 30% faster than our previous automated solution. Therefore, we have seen time savings.

We have been able to free my time by assigning easier things to set up and maintain to different levels of resources. By having them handle the easier things, then I don't have to deal with them anymore. I just stick with the more complex things.

As far as the efficiency and reliability of the application and its capability of handling high volumes and being stable, you cannot put a price on that with the business that we handle.

Maintenance and services for Globalscape EFT have an annual price tag, and it is not cheap. 

We were looking for a more robust software to handle the growth that we had planned. A few years back, we knew there was a lot coming. With trust lacking in our previous software, we looked at other software in the market, i.e., competitors to Globalscape, and then we ended up selecting Globalscape Managed File Transfer as our go-to.

The last two horses in the race were Globalscape and MOVEit. There is a different group in FIS who already uses MOVEit. We had heard of some issues, mostly related to databases. Therefore, we thought (by going with Globalscape) that we would not go down the route. That was the key differentiator.

It is a very good application. I would rate it as eight out of 10.

We use the EFT application for file transmission, and we also use Workspaces, which is within the same EFT environment. We use an unlimited license. On my side, I'm just administering it. 

We did a lot of architectural design work over the last couple of years in making it more secure. We have two DMZ servers for Globalscape that are passing the data or doing the file transmissions in a secure manner. We also have two EFT nodes for replication so that in case the primary node goes down, we have a secondary node that would pick it up.

We use Workspaces quite often, and we have got rave reviews for that. We have outside consultants. We have legal teams from the outside, and they need to send files securely. Workspaces has been an awesome tool for that.

It secures sensitive data inside our internal network so that only verified users have access. This is very important for us.

It allows us to use automated scripts. It is very important because as IT staff, we do function automation and data integration. It takes the burden away from business and IT support from having to manually do that. So, everything is pretty streamlined, but I don't know exactly how much time it saves. It depends on the user intervention required to do something. We manage 45 to 50 files a day, and for somebody to manually move these files, maybe by using Ipswitch or something like that, it could take about five minutes. It probably saves about four to five hours a day.

It connects to popular ICAP servers to perform antivirus and data loss prevention functions. We use Carbon Black for our servers, and it has been good for our security posture. Its connection to the servers helps in inspecting content for sensitive information. This is very important for us.

The Event Rules functionality is a key feature. It is very simple to understand and work with. If you have a support team that doesn't know anything about coding, they can really relate to the way event rules are designed. So, I try to make them as simplistic as possible when we create file transmissions. When I first started working in Globalscape, a lot of the file transmissions were handled through Advanced Workflow, which is a similar product. We had a lot of scripts in Advanced Workflow. I moved them to Event Viewer in Globalscape because of the simplicity of building scripts and understanding how they work. It literally takes 5 to 10 minutes to set one up, but if you're in an advanced workflow, it could take an hour to two hours to understand via code what it is actually doing. It has definitely been a plus.

I do like keyring for PGP and SSH. I've used other products where I had to have that outside of the application. It is a lot more centralized by having keyring within the application. If necessary, it is easy to export those keys out.

Its centralized platform for the management of file transfer operations is very good and important. The graphical user interface of the application is very good.

The folder monitoring services need improvement. Currently, with the folder monitoring services in Globalscape, if any changes are made to our firewalls, network, or something else that affects the directory services where the files are located, for some reason, the folder monitoring services get cut out, and the files are left there. They remain in the folder without being sent. I have over 50 file transmission processes that I would have to go to manually re-drop a file into the folder so that it processes the file transmission. There are times where even though I re-drop a file, it still doesn't work. In that case, I have to resynchronize the folder monitoring process, and it is a very big headache on my side that I have to deal with. It is not only related to Globalscape or their development team. It is on our side too. I just sent a support case where we found out yesterday that we had a file transmission that hasn't run in a whole year, and it was an important one. No one on the business side or the IT support side, as well as the vendor, had indicated that the file wasn't received or the data hadn't been updated. I found out that it was the folder monitoring service that was the problem when I initially had the problem last October, and this was the file that I just missed. So, I re-dropped the file in yesterday, and the monitor worked. It runs every week, so we sent a file to that folder, and it processed that out. 

There are a couple of things I'd like to do in the future. One would be that instead of getting emails sent to IT support when a file is successful, it should somehow trigger something if the folder monitoring service isn't working. There should be a way that we can get notified or I can get notified when a particular file hasn't been processed in a while. If a file is sitting there for more than 24 hours, they should have something to send me an indication that there is something wrong. The folder monitoring service should also be able to re-sync if there is an issue with our directory services. There was some kind of network change that caused the monitoring algorithms to not work for some reason.

I like the ability to connect to vendors and do some testing, but at times, I have to use FileZilla or WinSCP to actually make sure that the files got there. I know they have another product called CuteFTP, but it needs to be integrated into the EFT application. If I send a test file out there and I want to know that it actually got there, I can look at the logs for sure, but if I want to physically see that the file actually got sent there, it would be neat to just click on something that takes me right to the file. I know they are trying to make some money, and they have another product to do that, but it would be neat if it was in the application.

The reporting in Globalscape is just okay. It isn't great. Sometimes, I'd like to see more graphical reports. If I do a query on a particular file transmission over a course of six months, I basically get logs or records of data. If the data is put into a graphical or visual presentation to show what it looks like and how many times it ran, it would be nice.

I'm looking at getting a dashboard application that sits on top of Globalscape so that we can visually see all transmissions in a centralized way. An admin person can go in once a day and see this graphical dashboard that just shows which files have been successfully transferred and which ones failed. Right now, we're just sending email notifications out to the support team, and they're barraged with hundreds of emails all the time. They may not see that there was an issue with one of the files. Only when they tell me, I go in and look over the report or the logs to find out the problem. I am not sure if HelpSystems has a product like this, but if such a product was integrated within EFT, it would be awesome. 

Aqua has been using this application for about seven or eight years. So, there has been a good footprint here for using the application. I've been here only for two years, but because of all the stuff that was going on with COVID, I feel like it has been less than that. I'm still learning Globalscape to a point, but I have a good knowledge base on what the product is. I have many years of experience in IT applications.

The stability of the application is very good. We've had a couple of instances where we had a little bit of slowness, but the only big issue that I have at times is with the folder monitoring services. It could be because of our network team, but Globalscape should have a fail-safe or a notification. For example, the folder monitoring application should sense that a file is sitting in the folder for more than 10 minutes, and then an email should be sent out to inform that the file hasn't been released, and there could possibly be a folder monitoring problem. If I have to deal with 50 file transmissions along with all the meetings that I have to attend every day, having the transmission go one by one and making those changes to just get it to work is a pain.

We can definitely scale it. One of the things that I like about Globalscape is that it has the ability to scale. If we need to add on architecturally, we have the ability.

It is utilized every day 24/7, and I use it pretty much every day. Initially, when we were having a problem with the folder monitoring services, I thought that we probably were extending the folder monitoring services too much or maybe we had too many file transmissions. They did say that we were getting to a point, and they had me do a registry edit in the operating system. Since I did that, I haven't really experienced many problems with adding more file transmissions for the folder monitoring services. There are probably other companies that use it way more than I do. I'm talking about only 50 file transmissions a day. I've heard them say that they've had companies that have 300 to 1,000 file transmissions going on in a day, and their environment is a little more complex than ours.

For its maintenance, right now, it is just me. I don't know what's going to happen in the future, but I manage the application pretty much on my own. If anybody has any problems with their shares or registering them, I am helping them. We have a security rule that says that if you haven't logged in, your account will be disabled after 60 days. Sometimes, I get emails saying, "Can you re-enable my account?" That's the kind of work that I've been doing on Workspaces. They are just administrative types of tasks. On the EFT side, on file transmissions, I'm setting file transmissions up through Event Rules. We don't use Advanced Workflow that often, but we do have a couple of Advanced Workflow rules.

At times, I feel it is great, and at other times, I feel that it is not so great. I would rate them a seven out of 10. 

When I first started, their call center would have somebody who was knowledgeable and would answer my question within a matter of minutes, but because they moved to HelpSystems, they structurally changed some of the things around. Now, when I call HelpSystems, I'm in a queue, and they'll say, "All right, we got your info." I can submit a case online, but nobody is going to help me until somebody calls me back or emails me. I'm not really happy with that. I don't think it was relayed or communicated to me that this would happen, and because of that, they may go back and revert to what they had, but that's what I experienced over the last year and a half.

I've used other products in the past. When I got on board at Aqua, they'd been using Globalscape for a long period of time. They definitely decommissioned everything that they had prior to implementing Globalscape.

We also have Automate, which is now bought by HelpSystems. We got Automate from the merger of Peoples Gas. Aqua and Peoples Gas merged into one company called Essential Utilities. I support not only Globalscape but also Automate. I just started to learn Automate, and it is pretty much Advanced Workflow. When comparing these two solutions, I like Globalscape over Automate, but I know Automate has similar features as Globalscape. As I understand, Automate has a dashboard integrated in there. I haven't had a chance to look at it yet, and we still haven't made a decision about whether or not we're going to fully transition to Automate or Globalscape. That decision is probably going to be made in the next one to two years.

I would think its ROI is good.

It is a very good product in terms of purchase. It didn't cost that much, even with the way we had scaled and architecturally put things in place. It is definitely comparable to other products.

Looking at the product and being trained on it, I find Globalscape to be a great file transmission application. I have been here only for two years, and we've upgraded the application only one time. A lot of the security has been improved, but the general functionality is pretty much the same.

In our company, we have different types of operating systems. We have Linux, and we have Windows. We don't seem to have Macs here. The majority of our application servers are on Windows, so it is very important for us that Globalscape is designed specifically for Windows, but we do have some application servers that are on Linux.

It provides advanced controls, alerting, and reporting for security and compliance to a certain extent. Reporting is more in terms of when files are getting sent back and forth, and it could be better. In Event Rules in Globalscape, you can set conditional statements for encryptions not working and other things for security and compliance.

It hasn't enabled us to reassign resources who were writing custom file transfer scripts or compiling file transfer audit reports to other tasks because that's not applicable to what we do. We don't have anybody creating custom scripts outside of what we do in Globalscape.

I would rate it an eight out of 10.

It's our managed file transfer platform that we mainly run for the folder monitor event rules. We've got about 3,000 event rules and about 1,000 users.

We have regulatory information that flows through it. From a managed file transfer perspective, we move a lot of files and this is just another file transfer for us. But the reporting around compliance has been good for us to ensure that we're moving things securely.

By going with Globalscape, we have been able to decommission Sterling B2B Integrator, Connect Enterprise, MOVEit, and soon, ExaVault, and that has streamlined and standardized our processes, drastically, and has helped with cost savings.

The most valuable features are the scheduling and folder monitor capabilities. It fits well with our workflows, as we strive to be event-driven rather than scheduled. Event-driven fits well with folder monitoring.

The fact that it is Windows-based was a huge factor for us because most of our endpoints are Windows-based. And the ability to configure it means standardization is available with the product.

Also, the ARM (Auditing and Reporting Module) database has been a very important feature for us in terms of research and reporting. When a client asks us if their file has been transferred, it's very important that we have that reference. And from the compliance and records-management perspectives, it's great to have all of that information.

The solution’s centralized platform for the management of file transfer operations is also great. The administrative interface is locally installed and remotes to the servers and that is important for us.

There is also the fact that it allows us to use automated scripts. We were doing that in our other platforms as well, but Globalscape has the edge. PowerShell integrates naturally and it has an advanced workflow editor built-in. It has reduced workload to a certain extent, but that just comes down to standards more than anything, and how we implement transfers. I don't know how to put a number on the time saved, but hypothetically it would be about 20 percent.

I do have some complaints or concerns around the centralized platform for the management of file transfer operations, and I know that they're working towards a better solution there. At its core, it's a good feature, but needs some improvements. I would like to see a web interface so that there is universal support across versions, because we have test and production environments that aren't always in sync. It would be nice to have one administrative interface to access both.

The other aspect is not to be limited to the configuration of one server at a time, because we have multiple administrators. Someone might want to do work on one of the nodes in our cluster but isn't able to do that because other administrators are leveraging a different node.

Also, as a result of working on different versions of the product, I have found that some of the features that were in older versions have been forgotten in newer versions. One of them is how you copy and paste conditions within event rules, and how they're placed. In an older version, 7.4.13.15, you are able to copy a condition and paste it after the selected condition, but in version 8 and above, when you copy a condition, it has to go at the top of the rule.

The other thing that I can think of is key management. Within the PGP or SSH management console, when adding a key in older versions, that dialogue would refresh and put the new key at the bottom so it was easy to find. In new versions, it does not refresh. You have to exit out of the dialogue and re-enter it and it's not shown at the bottom, so you have to dig for it.

I've been using Globalscape Managed File Transfer for about five years.

We've had some issues in clustering and with the high-availability functionality, as far as file shares go, but I believe they have been resolved in newer versions.

As long as it's configured as an HA solution from the get-go, it's very easy to add nodes. If you start it as a standalone server and want to upgrade to a cluster, it is not really great, but that's also on the roadmap already and will hopefully be improved.

The solution has a pretty large footprint within our company, so any increased use would be based on company growth.

In the past, the tech support that we got from Globalscape was very good. As of late, it has been far less impressive in response time, the knowledge of tier-one agents, and the willingness to escalate to tier-two and three. Lately, it's been really disappointing.

Neutral

We had a few managed file transfer platforms before. One was Sterling B2B Integrator. The Globalscape interface is more user-friendly, but as with anything, once you're familiar with the less user-friendly solutions, they take about the same amount of time to use.

The initial setup was pretty straightforward, and I know that it has only gotten easier in newer versions.

We used Globalscape's Quick Start Service. It was a learning process, and it took about eight hours because we went through a lot of training as we were doing it.

In terms of an implementation strategy, we had some of our own standards for naming things within the product, but we went with the advice of HelpSystems when it came to resources and infrastructure to be applied.

For maintenance and operations, we have nine FTEs. Their responsibilities include implementing and configuring, troubleshooting and managing/upgrading.

The ROI from our early solution, Connect Enterprise, was great. But in comparison to the others, like IBM Sterling File Gateway and Sterling B2B Integrator, the return on investment from Globalscape is far higher. There is a much better return.

A large factor in our decision to go with Globalscape was the price. Obviously, that's everybody's first go-to.

We looked at a few options, but we already had an instance of Globalscape within the company, one that was used on a much smaller scale, and that's part of what sent us down this path.

The differences really came down to the user interface and scalability.

My advice would be to implement naming standards early for the policies you apply.