File transfer is a critical business function for exchanging bulk transaction files and other digital content internally and with customers, partners and suppliers. From moving batch transactions to an outsourced payroll provider to sending a video for a marketing campaign, the work is challenging as organizations face high data volumes and demanding performance expectations. Advanced file transfer solutions offer high-speed capabilities, the latest security and full visibility to detect issues like failed transfers or delays before they impact downstream processes and miss SLA commitments.

The most important consideration is how fast a solution can move large data files—from gigabytes to terabytes—online. This includes determining the upload speed of the solution itself, as well as factors like network congestion, external drive write speeds and the distance between the sender and recipient.

Once these variables are in place, calculating the data transfer rate is simple. The first step is to find the size of the file (in KB) and the transfer speed—in Mbps or MB/s, for example—and multiply them to determine how long it will take to move that size of file over a given interface. It’s also important to note that the transfer speed is based on bits and bytes, not kilobytes or megabytes—there are eight bits in a byte. This calculator provides an estimate of the time to move a given size file, and the results should be considered conservative. For a more accurate estimate, companies should consider their use cases and the technology available to them. upload big files