Software firm HelpSystems has announced the acquisition of FileCatalyst to boost the speed and security of its file transfer offerings.
FileCatalyst specializes in helping transfer extremely large files in organizations at hundreds of times faster than what the file transfer protocol allows. These include the sharing of video and other media-rich files, big data and extensive databases, which are particularly important for industries such as broadcast media and live sports.
This enables businesses to work more efficiently while avoiding latency and packet loss when moving around large amounts of data across global networks.
This type of service has become increasingly important as a result of the shift to home working brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, with file sharing often taking place across insecure channels, networks and devices. For instance, last year a study found that nearly half of SME businesses regularly share confidential files via email, including financial and employee data in spreadsheets.
Kate Bolseth, CEO of HelpSystems, commented: “Our customers and partners have expressed a growing need to move significant volumes of data more quickly than ever before, and FileCatalyst addresses this problem effectively for many well-known organizations.
“FileCatalyst is an excellent addition to our managed file transfer and robotic process automation offerings, and we are pleased to bring the FileCatalyst team and their strong file acceleration knowledge into the global HelpSystems family.”
Chris Bailey, CEO and co-founder of FileCatalyst, said: “We are thrilled to become part of a company with deep roots and expertise in both cybersecurity and automation. Our customers will find value in pairing our file transfer acceleration solutions with HelpSystems’ extensive solution suites.”
This announcement follows a number of other recent acquisitions by HelpSystems, including cloud-based data protection provider Vera last month and data classification companies Titus and Boldon James in June 2020.