WS_FTP Professional 2006 - What’s New: Ipswitch just released the lastest version of WS_FTP, one of the most venerable FTP clients around. They come out with a new version every year, and I keep wondering what else they’ve thought up each time around.
Looking over their feature list this year, I find myself wondering if this is the ultimate evolution of the FTP client. I mean, just how much functionality can you shove into an FTP client? FTP ain’t a complicated thing, so in order to get people to keep upgrading, you apparently have to keep pushing feature after feature into the software.
This one includes the ability to automatically zip files before transfer, WebDAV integration, about every form of encryption possible, more scripting functionality with email notification, more Explorer integration, etc.
At what point does a product manager sit back and say, “Well, I think we’ve pretty much done all there is to do.” Put another way, if your protocol doesn’t really advance (FTP is, after all, still just FTP), how far outside the lines do you color before you don’t have an FTP client anymore?
Looking back, I said this exact same thing almost exactly two years ago when they came out with version 8.
FTP software is essentially a commodity product — the functionality and purpose is narrow by definition. At what point do you run out of bells and whitsles to add? WS_FTP does almost everything we can possibly think of for FTP and a lot that we never considered. When does a product reach complete and utter maturity?
WS_FTP Professional - Features: In what has become something of a tradition around here, it's time to dissect the latest release of WS_FTP and figure out in what direction they're further bloated extended this product. If you read prior editions of this tradition -- WS_FTP v8 WS_FTP 2006 and Maximum Client Maturation -- you'll…
FileZilla Homepage: I may be a little late to this party, but it's worth mentioning that FileZilla is a great little FTP client. I've used WS_FTP for years -- since version 3 or something. On two occasions, I've discussed the insane bloat that WS_FTP is going through. They're on…
FTPplanet.com - A community site for users of FTP: Not only does WS_FTP have every feature under the sun, they have a blog as well. A blog "for users of FTP." This is something I would suspect of being a corporate mouthpiece, but they posted a link to my WS_FTP…
The guys over at SoundSpectrum gave me a free copy of G-Force Platinum, their high-end visualizer for media players. While I have no need at all for a visualizer (I always minimize my media player), I played with it for a while this morning and I can vouch for…
WS_FTP Pro - Whats New: The latest version of the venerable WS_FTP is out. It has auto-thumbnailing for image files (on both local and remote sides), the ability to edit files on the remote server in the editor of your choice (based on file extension), and a HotDrop folder…
Perhaps you meant to say, WS_FTP 2006 and Maximum Client Saturation?
Other file transfer clients who rely on 128 or 192 cipher keys are just not as secure. WS_FTP Professional 2006 uses 256 bits to protect your data at maximum security levels.
Sounds like they're getting desperate for new features.
No, "maturation," as in "maturity." Did I not get that right?
Yeah, it was a joke... "saturation" as in "saturated". Lots of features. You know... saturated.
(Ba dum dum.)
Nevermind...
On the one hand customers expect regular new software releases with new features and on the other software developers like me face the dilema of creaping featurites. This blog post http://blog.surfulater.com/?p=24 I've just written touches on this and points to a good article "Featuritis vs. the Happy User Peak" by Kathy Sierra.
