Managing Cloud CSV File Sharing with StarfishETL

Using CSV files for customer data may be an old school strategy, but many businesses still prefer the format. Before we get into how StarfishETL can help manage CSV file sharing, especially over the cloud, let’s take a moment to understand why businesses choose these types of files over another medium, and the challenges they must overcome to effectively put them to work.
Comma separated value (CSV) files aren’t a new phenomenon. CSV’s are basically the plain text version of traditional Excel spreadsheets. The purpose of a CSV file is to hold large quantities of data, separated by commas (wink, wink) in a series of lines and rows. The format reads so simply that nearly any database can export it accurately. Unlike an Excel spreadsheet, a CSV files are limited to simple character data. With such a simplistic and straightforward purpose, the CSV file has become a staple file format for many businesses.
CSV files are:
There’s nothing really “wrong” with CSV files but using them as a primary data source isn’t always ideal for data security and longevity. Since they are so easy to generate and maintain manually, they are often maintained on a user’s desktop or laptop even though the file may contain data critical to the company’s success. Here’s a real-world example: A few years back, a company came to us in a complete frenzy. An employee had recently passed away, leaving all his customer information saved in a CSV file on his computer…which then crashed, and was dispersed into the digital universe, never to be found.
This panic prompted the company to adopt CRM, which is why they came to us for help. But unfortunately, there was nothing we could do about the lost CSV file. The company had to assign a team of people to make awkward phone calls to everyone who may have been the rep’s customer and attempt to piece together a picture of the data. Obviously, this was a nightmarish situation, and hopefully one that will never happen to you. But, it’s the perfect example of why backing up your CSV files in a secure Cloud storage space is essential. Backing up your CSVs offers many benefits, the most obvious (as you can see from this example) being data peace of mind. With your data tucked away securely in the Cloud, you can rest assured your critical information will always be available.
Other benefits of CSV File sharing in the Cloud are:
Your data is way too valuable to risk moving without the right tool. Savvy businesses know they should look for a platform that offers deep security and can work with the cloud platform they prefer. This is where StarfishETL comes in. StarfishETL offers CSV connections to all the major cloud storage platforms, including:
Multiple layers of encrypted security (balanced between AWS and our internal servers) ensure your CSV file sharing is locked down and safeguarded from malicious activity.
CSV files remain a strategy for many businesses to keep data readable and easily shared. However, without proper data management, a file mishap can turn into a disaster. Don’t trap your data on-premises where it can get lost or jumbled. Use cloud storage to keep data sharable, current, and secure. Contact Sales to learn more about managing your CSV file sharing and how StarfishETL can help.
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