GO TO MAIN BEEHIVE SECURE FILE TRANSFER SITE

New Beehive https protocol support makes ftp obsolete. File Transfer users now enjoy secure, proxy tolerant, file transfers.

P R E S S ~ R E L E A S E

Version 1 December 18, 2001
Version 2 March 30, 2003
Version 3 October 15, 2005


Beehive Software replaces ftp, the old Internet standard for file transfer, with Beehive Https - the first multi-platform implementation of a secure, high speed, Https Large-File transfer system using Apache web servers. Now anybody on the Internet can send Gigabyte files to any other user that has a current browser and an email address. This new protocol breakthrough is another piece of the Beehive file transfer framework designed to bring reliable, secure file transfer solutions to the Graphic Arts, Newspaper and Medical Imaging Industries.

The Beehive Https protocol brings printers and other imagesetting companies 5 key benefits:


Beehive Https is the final piece of a Beehive 7 part file transfer framework for printers:

1) Email style interface, similar to Hotmail or Yahoo.
Internet users are comfortable with the user interface of web based email but are discouraged with the inability of SMTP to deliver large files. Beehive integrates an email interface with industrial strength file transfer protocols. Users can keep track of the jobs they send and receive with in-boxes and out-boxes.

2) Simple as 1-2-3, drag and drop folder sending utilities for Mac, Windows and Browser Interfaces.
Sending files in a production environment is as Simple as (1) - dragging the folder onto the Beehive icon, (2) - Filling out the form that pops open, and (3) - Clicking "Send".

3) Smart html forms for creating job tickets, order forms, quoting forms and more.
Using any standard html editor, administrators can create virtually any form for use with Beehive. Beehive supplies a variety of templates for such applications as on-line quoting, job tickets, on-line proof rendering, auto-printing of courier shipping forms, auto-cataloging of digital assets and more. Built-in Scripting makes Beehive "Smart forms" completely customizable using the Perl scripting language. Beehive forms can fulfill both sales and production purposes - for example the customer can fill out a Beehive Smart Form, receive an automated quote, and upon approval, attach files and submit the job for imaging.

4) Auto-file processing agents for Macintosh, Windows and LINUX.
Beehive provides the printing facility with their choice of Macintosh, Windows or LINUX processing agents for automatic handling of received files. These agents save considerable processing time at the printing facility by moving files, deleting files from the server, decoding Macbinary files, decompressing files, printing forms, sending receipts and notifications and executing any scripts that are loaded. All of these functions may be selected ala Carte and run automatically without any user intervention. Beehive also offers tools for integrating Beehive with the Asset Management system of your choice.

5) Internet Service Protocol for automatic updates and administration of the file transfer network.
Printers will never have to distribute file transfer client upgrades again! All clients, Macintosh, Windows and Browser can automatically check the central administrative site for new forms, site keys and versions. Printers can even implement a rotating banner to their customer's desktop.

6) Internet Appliance or ASP Subscription Implementation options.
Beehive Software is sold in two ways : as an appliance or as an ASP. For sites that want all of the Beehive file transfer functionality bundled with web, email and other typical Internet services - Beehive offers a complete "one box" Internet appliance solution.

As an ASP, Beehive costs about the price of a cell phone. Beehive Software maintains the central portal site which launches the client software, keeps track of all users and passwords and provides the central administration site for all sponsor printing sites. Any printer can log into their account on Beehive and see all of the users on the system, they can add/delete/modify forms, users and logos and they can even control send and receive rights of their users and the version of the software they run.

7) Beehive Https - Secure, proxy-tolerant, standards-based, file transfer with file compression.
Beehive Https uses the de facto Internet standard for web-http servers - Apache; this ensures that virtually any environment can run Beehive Https with the minimum of modifications. Beehive Https uses SSL to ensure that file transfers are secure. Beehive Https also encapsulates a variety of special file transfer functions into our Https protocol suite to enhance its functionality. For instance, Beehive Https encapsulates built-in "On-the-Fly" streaming file compression, which removes the overhead of pre-compressing files and simplifies the sending process. Beehive Https also encapsulates the Beehive Service protocol (described above in item 4) and a variety of ftp-like functions such as REST (resume transmission on error).

Beehive (including its private label versions) is the most widely installed file transfer software in the printing, prepress and newspaper industries with over 1000 site licenses and 20,000 end users. Beehive is private labeled under several names including Ftp Central by RR Donnelley, PipLink by PIP Printing, X2X by globalX technologies, and ReproNet by Service Point (U.K.). Beehive also runs at most Gannett newspapers.

Contact:
Mark Bennett
P.O. Box 29527 Bellingham, WA 98228
Tel: 360-738-6863
email: mbennett@thebeehive.com