[1] Traditionally, Sterling Connect:Direct used IBM's Systems Network Architecture (SNA) via dedicated private lines between the parties involved to transfer the data.
IBM Sterling Connect:Direct is used within the financial services industry, government agencies and other large organizations that have multiple computing platforms: mainframes, midrange, Linux or Windows systems.
In terms of speed, Connect:Direct typically performs slightly faster than FTP, reaching the maximum that the interconnecting link can support.
Since being acquired by IBM, the add-on has been folded into the base product, so it always supports the latest encryption and security standards.
In the mid-1980s, several employees of UCC (University Computing Company subsequently renamed to Uccel Corporation) left to form "The System Center, Inc." in Dallas, Texas.
While researching the requirements of this new software package, it became clear that a more marketable tool would be a high-speed file transfer product.