Look for enterprise-grade data transfers for the modern cloud? You’re not alone.
Enterprise customers are approaching us with a specific need: a way to replace legacy managed file transfer systems, such as IBM Sterling Connect:Direct, without the complexity, licensing headaches, and aging infrastructure.
Our web-based file transfer solution, StorageLink, delivers event-driven, API-triggered file transfers between cloud storage environments. There are no agents to install. No on-prem servers to maintain; just secure, automated data movement that integrates with your existing workflows.
For enterprises, this means you can finally retire Connect:Direct and other legacy MFT systems in favor of a cloud-native solution.
Transfers happen automatically with StorageLink, triggered by your systems rather than manual processes, and everything works across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. Perhaps most importantly, there’s no third-party access to your data, ever. We don’t touch your data!
Why Enterprises Are Moving Away from Connect:Direct
Connect:Direct was built for a different era. It relies on a proprietary protocol that limits flexibility and locks you into IBM’s ecosystem. Encryption isn’t included by default; that requires purchasing a separate add-on. And because expertise is concentrated among IBM specialists, professional services alone can cost as much as implementing an entirely new solution.
StorageLink takes a different approach. It’s built on modern, open standards that your IT team already understands. Every transfer is encrypted in transit, and every event is logged automatically. Because your data never passes through our systems, you maintain complete custody throughout the entire process.
That architecture also simplifies compliance. Whether you’re operating under SOC 2, HIPAA, or other regulatory frameworks, StorageLink provides the audit trails and security controls you need without bolted-on modules or complex configurations.
Why “We Don’t Touch Your Data” Is More Than a Marketing Line
Some managed file transfer vendors route your data through their own infrastructure as part of their product. That’s not necessarily nefarious; it’s just the architecture they chose. But it has real implications for your organization.
Every system your data passes through could be breached, subpoenaed, or misconfigured. It’s another vendor relationship that has to go into your security questionnaires. It’s another access control to manage and audit.
StorageLink is built so that your data moves directly between your cloud storage environments: S3 to Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage to S3, whatever the combination, without transiting Thorn’s systems. Our software is deployed by you and orchestrates the transfer in your environment. We don’t touch files. That architecture isn’t a feature we added. It’s a deliberate design choice that keeps data custody entirely in your hands.
Who Is Actually Using StorageLink
The organizations getting the most value from StorageLink tend to fit a few patterns.
Healthcare systems moving patient records between cloud environments on automated schedules — triggered by EHR events or discharge workflows — and needing complete HIPAA-compliant audit trails without managing an on-prem MFT server.
Financial services firms that have been running Connect:Direct for 15 years are finally modernizing their infrastructure. The IBM licensing cost alone often justifies the switch. The reduction in specialized IBM expertise required to maintain it makes the ROI obvious.
Logistics and supply chain companies are doing high-volume, event-driven transfers between trading partners across multiple cloud providers. StorageLink’s API-triggered model fits naturally into the automation they’ve already built.
If any of those sound like your situation, we should talk about it. To see StorageLink in action, check out this video walkthrough.
