Cloud file systems are the new black

Software development and the cloud go hand in hand. Companies have been able to build better and more robust solutions using cloud-based tools. The latest thing developers are moving to the cloud for is file infrastructure. With solutions like Uploadcare, your entire backend file system can be configured in minutes, saving your development team months of work and headaches!

What is cloud file infrastructure?

A lot happens from the time a user uploads a file to the time it’s served up perfectly on your website. First, the user needs to be able to quickly upload their files or images; second, they need to be stored and easily accessed; third, those files need to be properly processed with your site requirements, and finally they need to be called on and delivered with blazing fast speed. Building this backend can take a team of developers months and maintaining it even longer. Luckily this backend can be integrated as a cloud solution.

The needs of a cloud file system

• Uploading — The user needs to be able to easily upload files and images from multiple sources. These sources could include not only the user’s computer but also personal cloud storage or even social media sites.
• Storing — Once uploaded, the images and files need to be stored securely. At the same time, they need to be able to be seamlessly accessed and available for use.
• Processing — Often, the images received are not in the exact format required to be actively showcased on the client website. Manipulation of these images needs to be processed quickly and without the need for manual edits.
• Delivery — The now stored images will be delivered via a Content Delivery Network and served on the client’s website. It requires blazing fast speeds and the ability to deliver terabytes of data.

An end to end solution

Existing solutions cover only part of the process described above. Uploadcare is able to manage the entire lifecycle. This not only gives developers an easy tool for their toolbelt but also gives the end user a friendly and enjoyable experience. Today many use four separate tools to manage their user-uploaded files. That means four integration points and four tools to manage and maintain. Uploadcare is only ONE service you need to integrate with and can perform all the functions! For our customers, we take complex parts of backend infrastructure and replace them with one service.

These quotes from our customers highlight the value we have brought to their businesses:

In just days we implemented a cross-browser, reliable large file upload and management solution into our site. Even better, we’ve had no problems or usability issues since going live.

— Chris Midgley, Founder and CTO Unidesk

We’ve wasted too much time toiling over uploading, validating and storing the images our users wanted to use in their texts. Uploadcare turned out to be the silver bullet for all of our problems.

— Artem Kiselev, CTO TimePad

Uploadcare is a perfect example of a laser-focused application which solves a real problem. And it worked and works perfectly for us.

— Serge Barysiuk, Co-Founder and CTO PandaDoc

How Uploadcare works

Uploadcare is a PaaS (platform as a service) that you can use to do the complete activity required in a file system backend. The service is completely integrated into your own website, so the user does not even realize they are using another service. Uploadcare can support many different file types, including images, audio, text, video, documents, and archives. Our widget also allows users to upload these files from multiple sources — Dropbox, Instagram, Facebook, their own personal clouds or computer, and many more.

Once files are uploaded, they are securely stored. Uploadcare then handles the processing of the files. As for images, we can automatically resize and manipulate them using URL additions. After processing, files are ready for fast delivery. Our Content Delivery Network uses top-performing partners that makes sure your content is there when you need it.

If you are gathering files from your users, Uploadcare can help make this an easy, frictionless, and friendly experience. This allows you to get better quality content, access to more types of content, and happy end users!

Integrating with your technology stack

Integration is as easy as implementing 3 lines of code. Our documentation makes it easy to either integrate our widget or use our raw upload API. Both of these paths require limited technical effort. The setup process is often completed in hours. We also support multiple programming languages and libraries. For those that want to first test this solution, we offer a 14-day trial and a free plan option that never expires.

Using a service like Uploadcare will shorten your time to market as developers focus on core product development and not infrastructure. You can now spend more time building features and keeping on top of your competition and less time building backend systems. Our service also eliminates the need to perform tedious maintenance and updates. Giving time back to development teams is our biggest value add. We do all the backend work, letting our customers focus on what really matters!