Signiant Media Shuttle has been a go-to file transfer tool for teams who need to transfer files for many years. But while Signiant remains a strong performer, its cost and complexity has often left many teams scratching their heads – and looking for alternatives to handle their big data transfer needs.
Cloud-native file transfer tools such as MASV, on the other hand, offer incredible advantages for simplifying and reducing the cost of large file transfer workflows (and with even better performance and reliability, in many cases).
Although both platforms are clearly better than shipping hard drives, let’s break down why MASV is a superior Signiant Media Shuttle alternative by addressing some frequent misconceptions around performance, scalability, technology, security, and cost.
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A Universal File Uploader for Any Workflow
MASV makes it easy to send and receive big data with drag-and-drop tools.
Signiant vs. Cloud-Native File Transfer: How Each Stacks Up
Signiant Media Shuttle is a peer to peer (P2P) system, an older technology platform that moves files from point A to point B along your available bandwidth. This system requires hardware and software installations and configuration on both ends, and comes with significant drawbacks.
Let’s break down how Signiant Media Shuttle compares to a cloud-native file transfer service like MASV when it comes to reliability, performance, total cost of ownership (TCO), security, ease of use, and the ability to integrate with other systems.
Reliability ✅
Under a P2P file transfer workflow, if point B is unavailable (such as if the connection fails or storage is full), the delivery will fail at point A.
- That adds up to extra time for your team fielding troubleshooting calls and on the part of those sending files (who often need to retry them until they work—a notable frustration for freelancers who will either bill you for that extra time, waste their time retrying transfers, or get frustrated and work with someone else).
- Cloud-native file transfer, on the other hand, uses a relay system that sends files to the cloud before the destination, such as a storage platform or individual recipient.
In MASV’s case, all data is sent to our secure and express S3 cloud, with zero impact on file transfer turnaround times. This cloud buffer ensures that even if there’s an outage at Point B, your files are securely kept in cloud storage and delivered as soon as Point B is available.
That means in case of interrupted transfers the system will continue retrying the transfer, relentlessly, until it reaches its destination (without starting over, thanks to checkpoint restart).
Not requiring your stakeholders to babysit or retry failed transfers can also be the difference between constant turnover and retaining talented freelancers.
Advantage: MASV.
Performance and scalability 🏎️
While traditional managed file transfer (MFT) software can be migrated to the cloud, it usually requires an expensive lift-and-shift involving virtual machines (VMs).
From a performance perspective, a VM-based approach can have severe ramifications when sending multiple large files simultaneously.
- That’s because traditional file transfers are limited to the bandwidth of an individual instance, while cloud-native file transfer multiplies your bandwidth when sending multiple files simultaneously.
- You can get around the above scenario by purchasing more VMs or instances, but that comes at a significant cost (a cost that’s not required with cloud-native file transfer).
MASV cloud-native transfer leverages Amazon Web Services (AWS) global cloud infrastructure: With only a browser (no plugins), a customer can send files via MASV and reach speeds of up to 10 Gbps per transfer when sending any size file.
It’s like a superhighway, where data gets on at the nearest on-ramp (AWS data center) and travel at accelerated speeds to the offramp closest to the recipient. For even better performance, MASV chunks data by breaking large files into smaller pieces, sending each chunk to a cloud data center separately, and reassembling them when the transfer is complete.
Additional MASV bandwidth management tools allow admins to schedule file transfers by date and time, pause and resume transfers, or set transfer priority.
Both services feature a file transfer acceleration app: The Application de bureau MASV and the Signiant App.
Avantage: It’s a toss up (if sending individual files); MASV (if sending multiple files).
Total cost of ownership (TCO) 💰
You can always solve your performance and scalability issues by purchasing more and faster VMs for better compute speeds, but that comes at a significant cost – a cost that is simply not required when using a cloud-native service like MASV.
And although Media Shuttle is more affordable than other legacy systems, like Aspera, Signiant charges five-figure (or larger) fees to most of its users including per-seat user fees. And that’s not even counting the weeks of sales calls, proofs of concept, and training that come with a Signiant Media Shuttle engagement (along with significant internal IT expense to configure and manage the solution).
Other cost considerations include:
- The Signiant platform is contract only; MASV offers pay-as-you-go, transfer credits, subscription, and custom plans with multi-year contracts.
- MASV doesn’t require an IT resource to install, update, and manage software and security—Media Shuttle does.
- MASV doesn’t charge per-seat user fees; Media Shuttle charges extra fees for additional users.
- MASV support covers your account holder, team, and their clients; Media Shuttle generally only supports account holders.
- MASV only charges when users download files; Media Shuttle charges based on the number of active users, even if they don’t upload and download anything.
MASV also offers unlimited, free file request and upload Portals that can be fully customized with your company branding, and even embedded into SaaS solutions and internal systems. Portal administrators can enforce file naming conventions, set a maximum file size limit, and restrict uploads to specific file extensions.
Advantage: MASV.
Security 🔒
Both MASV and Signiant Media Shuttle are TPN Gold verified and share SOC 2 certification. Both offer user permissions, authentication, expiry settings, and password protections. Files are secured with in-flight and at-rest encryption in both services.
- Both platforms offer granular, role-based permissions and access controls such as SAML and multi-factor authentication (MFA).
- But Signiant Media Shuttle relies on users to apply the latest software patches and updates, scan for malware, and protect the ports they ask you to open to the internet.
That’s a problem, because manual updates and patches must be performed one at a time, putting a significant burden on your IT team. Manual patching is also usually reactive, not proactive. And sometimes manual updates and patches are even forgotten or delayed, which is a major security risk.
Cloud-native file transfer services take care of all this maintenance for you, with updates and patches performed centrally (and immediately) for all users at the same time.
With MASV, in particular, you also don’t need to open ports to the internet. MASV leverages world-class AWS security and updates, offers team-enforceable MFA, optional SSO, download limits, and has additional third-party credentials including ISO 27001 and data protection compliance. All MASV users receive a notification when any recipient downloads files, for increased security.
Advantage: MASV.
Note : Visitez le MASV Trust Center for a full description of our security credentials. our layered security model, and the latest security reports.
Ease of use 🌴
MASV users can get started in minutes and scale on demand with browser-based, drag-and-drop file transfer tools that even your parents can use without any help. If you can send an email, you can send large datasets with MASV with zero training or tutorials. MASV even maintains the original structure of the sender’s folders.
Signiant Media Shuttle, on the other hand, requires software downloads, expensive hardware purchases, and time-consuming setup (including firewall tweaks and plugin installations).
- But it doesn’t end there, even after all that time-consuming configuration, because your IT team also needs to be on standby for technical and security issues that may arise as you use the system.
- Alternatively, you can lean on a cloud-native file transfer provider’s help team if you run into technical trouble.
- MASV allows teams to scale and build workflows as needed with minimal friction with no-code automations via the optional MASV Desktop App, Agent MASV, or full API support.
MASV Team admins can also delegate roles to users with varying permissions, including admin, member, guest, and integrated manager. Espaces d'équipe MASV provide even more granular user control.
Advantage: MASV.
No-code integrations and transfer automations 🤖
While Signiant Media Shuttle has Submit, Send, and Share portals, you’re limited to sending one package to one destination. In today’s fast-paced reality of non-negotiable deadlines and massive file sizes, this “chain of events” file transfer workflow simply isn’t good enough.
Enter the next-generation workflows enabled by cloud-native file transfer. Le MASV no-code integrations with dozens of cloud and connected on-prem storage and asset management platforms, enabling something we like to call “MASV-to-many” file upload workflows.
MASV integrations also allow you to send directly from storage, even connected on-premises storage, using our Remote Files feature: Users just need to browse their data in the MASV web app, select the data they want to send, and MASV does the rest.
- Once a MASV Portal is properly configured, users upload media to the portal via drag-and-drop tools.
- Preconfigured, no-code MASV integrations automatically transfer uploaded data to as many locations as you need. Deliver to 25-plus cloud storage and asset manager integration options, including Frame.io, Amazon S3, your on-premises NAS or SAN, or other destinations with a single upload.
- You can set routes for uploaded files to land in a specific subdirectory using Custom Paths.
Advantage: MASV.
MASV vs. Signiant Media Shuttle: The Choice is Obvious
MASV’s cloud-native file transfer technology means the challenge of looking for a Signiant Media Shuttle alternative is a lot easier than it used to be, thanks to a less expensive yet more reliable (and, in many situations, better performing) solution that’s easy to set up and use.
Got questions about how MASV can help improve file transfer and data management at your organization? S'inscrire gratuitement right now to test your workflows, or reach out to [email protected] and we’ll get you sorted.
The Best Signiant Media Shuttle Alternative
MASV is a TPN Gold Shield verified cloud transfer solutions for sending big files fast and reliably.