About the INFOSCREEN FileExchange Service...

Email messages with large attachments can wreak havoc on email servers and end-users' computers. Downloading such email messages can take hours on a slow Internet connection and block any sending or receiving of messages during that time. In some cases, the download will fail repeatedly, breaking the recipient's ability to receive mail at all. Also, Internet email clients add considerably to the size of the file being sent. For example, saving an Outlook message with an attachment adds up to 40% to the file's size. To share files larger than 1MB, use the INFOSCREEN FileExchange to temporarily make a file (or files) available to another user across the Internet, in a secure and efficient manner.

There are two distinct kinds of users that will be accessing the INFOSCREEN FileExchange system: inside users, who are associated with running the service, and outside users, which encompasses the rest of the Internet.

An inside user is allowed to upload files to anyone, whether he or she be an inside or outside user. An outside user is only allowed to upload files to an inside user. There are two ways in which a user can upload multiple files at once:

• Attach each file individually on the upload page
• Archive and compress the files into a single package and upload the resulting archive file. There are many ways to archive and compress files:
  • Mac users can select the files in the Finder and Compress (see the File menu)
  • Windows users can create a "compressed folder" or use WinZip
  • Linux/Unix users, give the zip utility a try

Uploading

When users upload files, they enter some identifying information about themself (name, organisation, and email address); identifying information about the recipient(s) (name and email address); and choose what files should be uploaded. If the files are successfully uploaded, an email is sent to the recipient(s) explaining that an upload has been made. This email also provides a link to access the upload. Other information (the Internet address and/or omputer name from which the upload was made, for example) is retained, to help the recipient(s) check the identity of the sender.

Downloading

There are two ways to download files that have been uploaded:

• All users can click on the link provided in the notification email they were sent.
• An inside user, once logged-in to the system, can display their "Inbox" which is a list of all uploaded files waiting for them. Once logged-in, an inside user is able to access the files without needing the email message.

When viewing an upload, the user will see quite a few things:

• The list of files that were uploaded
• The sender and recipient information that the sender entered when the upload was created
• The computer name and/or address from which the upload was created
• Optionally a list of downloads that have been made

The recipient has 14 days to pick-up the files. Each night, uploads that are older than 14 days are removed from the system.

Please note that the uploaded files are scanned for viruses, but the recipient should still exercise as much caution in downloading and opening them as is appropriate. This can be as easy as verifying with the sender mentioned in the notification email that he or she indeed made the upload. One can also check the computer name/address that was logged when the upload was created, to be sure that it is appropriate to the sender's Internet domain; IP addresses can be faked, though, so the former identity verification is really the most reliable.