I'm intrigued by Travis' SkyDrive Pro/SharePoint implementation as we are also looking at moving to Office 365. I will echo, from experience, that managing permissions in SharePoint can be a bit of a maze. That is one of the big things I like about the solution we've been using for around a decade, Biscom Secure File Transfer (recently renamed from Biscom Delivery Server).
http://www.biscom.com/sft/sft-index.htm User management and permissions are baked into the solution in such a way that it requires almost no management.
- External users can self-register through the web page, creating there own username and password. External users send rights are limited so it cannot be used as an open file sharing portal.
- Internal users can use there same Active Directory account login. Accounts can be set to expire after a set period of time.
- Only the recipient of the email notification regarding the posting of files has rights to access those files. Additional recipients can be added later if needed.
Additionally, there is integration with Outlook which makes creating and sending a file package as easy as sending an email with attachments, but the attachments never touch Exchange.
We purchased the internal dedicated server version many years ago. They now have a VM instance deployment and I believe also offer it as a hosted service.
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Michael Chervenak
Design Group Inc. Architects & Planners
Columbus OH
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-29-2013 19:18
From: Travis Hamera
Subject: FTP alternatives - SKyDrive vs. Sharepoint or ??
The SkyDrive you received with Office 365 should be SkyDrive Pro (different from the normal consumer SkyDrive that is similar to drop box). SkyDrive Pro is actually an element of SharePoint, not a separate system. It gives the drop-box like experience to the more powerful SharePoint system, as well as integration into the MS Office programs. We are seeing a rather rapid increase in adoption of SharePoint within our industry and it is a great replacement to the "antiquated" FTP server, although SharePoint does require a greater investment up-front to be successful. As for access control, SharePoint has extensive capability in this area. Just be careful not to "over-control". Permissions can become overwhelming without a solid and consistent strategy. My recommendation, if you are managing this in-house, find a sharepoint consultant in your area and "buy" some time from them to give you advise. If you need a recommendation, I could provide a reference through separate email (prefer not to publicly endorse consultants through a forum post).
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Travis Hamera AIA
Project Manager
Vanir CM
Sacrmento, CA
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