Where Teams Typically Start with Managed File Transfer

Most teams don’t wake up one day and decide to roll out an entirely new file transfer platform across their organization.

They start with a problem - something urgent and specific like:

• A new partner needs a secure SFTP endpoint
• Customers need a compliant way to upload files
• Email attachments and ad-hoc tools aren’t cutting it anymore

First use cases are rarely complex. For teams who want to get something working quickly, prove it’s reliable and secure, and then decide what to build next, our Starter and Power plans are designed exactly around this pattern.

You can get started right now with a single workflow, a single team, or a single integration - and still be confident you’re on a platform that won’t need to be replaced later.

What the Starter and Power Plans Actually Mean for Your Team

Our self-service plans aren’t about limiting support or pushing teams to figure things out alone. It’s about removing friction when teams are ready to act.

For most teams, self-service means you can move forward immediately - without waiting for approvals, demos, or long evaluation cycles - and start solving real problems right away.

In practice, that looks like:

• Getting started today, instead of days from now
• Implementing real use cases, not hypothetical demos
• Validating a platform in production conditions
• Converting to the paid plan on your own, within the app
• Deciding when and how to expand on your own terms

Self-service gives teams control over the when and how of adoption, while still leaving room to scale into a broader platform over time.

What Teams Actively Try to Avoid

Just as important as what teams are looking for is what they’re actively trying to avoid when getting started. Many teams want to move forward without being gated by sales conversations just to try a basic use case, or forced into demos that don’t reflect how their real workflows operate.

Long configuration or onboarding cycles can slow momentum, and trial environments that don’t resemble production make it harder to evaluate whether a platform is truly a good fit. Together, these obstacles create friction at the exact moment teams are ready to act, which is why self-service experiences are designed to remove them.

How Self-Service Sign-Up Works on Files.com

Getting started on Files.com is intentionally straightforward. You don’t need to talk to sales, schedule a demo, put down a credit card, or commit to a long-term contract just to see if it fits your use case.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Start by creating a Files.com account online - no sales qualification, no manual approval process, and no waiting period. As soon as you sign up, you have access to the same core platform teams use in production.

Step 2: Set Up Your First Use Case

Most teams start by setting up a single, common workflow — like secure SFTP access, a file request, a sharing link, or a basic automated transfer. The goal isn’t to configure everything at once, but to get one real use case working quickly.

Step 3: Validate with Real Files

Self-service is about testing real workflows, not evaluating hypotheticals. Teams use real files, connect actual partners or systems, and confirm that permissions, logging, and security controls work as expected. This is often when teams gain confidence that the platform fits their needs.

Step 4: Expand at Your Own Pace

Once the first use case is live, you can start expanding. Add automation, connect additional systems, onboard more users, or standardize transfers across your team only when it makes sense.

Step 5: Scale Without Disruption

When requirements grow, upgrading is immediate and seamless. There’s no migration, no downtime, and no need to rebuild existing workflows — everything you’ve already set up carries forward.

How First Use Cases Shape Long-Term Adoption

The first use case a team implements often shapes everything that comes next.

Early workflows influence permissions, automation, and governance, setting patterns for how files move and who has access long before a broader rollout is considered. That’s why starting with the right use case matters more than choosing the perfect plan upfront.

Teams that begin with a clear, high-value workflow tend to expand more easily, standardize file transfers faster, and scale without reworking what they’ve already built. Self-service makes this possible by letting teams focus on outcomes first — solve one real problem, see it working, then decide how far to go next.

Ready to get started?

Pick a first use case, get it live today, and expand when it makes sense for your team - no demos, no sales calls, no long-term commitment.