What is West Data Capture?
West Data Capture is a division of the Publishing Technology group at West. West Data Capture provides efficient, centralized systems that automate retrieval and receipt of electronic data.
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What methods are available for uploading files to West Data Capture?
West Data Capture supports five different methods for uploading files: FTP, the World Wide Web, Dial-up, Internet Email, and WESTSend. There is an entire section of West Data Capture's web site devoted to this topic.
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How Secure and Reliable are the various methods for uploading files?
Each uploading method has its own levels of security and reliability.

FTP: FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a very reliable method of transmission. The data provider is connected to West Data Capture's FTP server for the entirety of the transmission, so errors are easily detected. Though there is no encryption built into the FTP protocol, data providers may send files encrypted with Network Associates PGP software via FTP to ensure security.

World Wide Web: Uploading files through the World Wide Web is not as reliable as FTP because it relies on emerging standards for transmitting files via the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). But World Wide Web transmissions have proven nearly as reliable as FTP in West Data Capture's testing, and it is a much more reliable method for data transfer than Internet email. West Data Capture's web site uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to transparently encrypt and decrypt transmissions. An SSL capable browser, like Netscape Navigator or Communicator or Microsoft Internet Explorer, is necessary to use these security features.

Dial-Up: Because of the nature of modem connections and protocols, dial-up connections are not as reliable as Internet connections. But because the data provider dials directly to West Data Capture, bypassing the Internet, dial-up connections are very secure.

Internet Email: Internet email is the least reliable of the five supported uploading methods. Email does not travel directly from the sender's computer to the recipient's. Instead, email bounces around from one Internet mail server to the next, until it reaches the recipient. This type of transmission has proven reliable, but not at the same level as FTP or the World Wide Web. It also opens security issues, though West Data Capture supports email encrypted with Network Associates PGP software.

WestSend: WestSend uses the same transmission method as Dial-Up connections, so security and reliability are the same.

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What types of compression can be used to cut upload times?
West Data Capture supports three different types of compression. All three are available for a variety of computer platforms and operating systems, including Windows 95/98/NT, Macintosh, and UNIX.

PK-ZIP/Info-ZIP: The ZIP format is one of the most common compression formats available. The standard extension for ZIP files is .zip. PKWARE's PK-ZIP and WinZip are available for DOS/Windows machines to write this format. Macintosh users should use ZipIt or a similar utility. The Info-Zip distribution of zip and unzip are available for UNIX.

GNU ZIP: The free software group GNU has released their own version of ZIP galled G-ZIP. Various utilities are available for many platforms to deal with G-ZIP files. The common extensions for G-ZIP files include .gz and .gzip.

UNIX Compress: UNIX operating systems include a program called compress. West Data Capture supports archives created with this program. Utilities are also available for Macintosh and Windows to create UNIX Compress archives. The file extension for UNIX Compress archives is .Z.

In addition to those three types of compression, West Data Capture also supports tar archives. Tar archives are one way to bundle multiple files into one larger file, but offer no compression. Tar archives usually have an extension of .tar. Tar archives are often compressed with G-ZIP. When this is done, the extension is usually .tar.gz or .tgz. Utilities are available for Macintosh, Windows, and UNIX for creating tar archives.

Macintosh users should note that West Data Capture does not support StuffIt Archives, the most common form of compression on the Macintosh. Since Aladdin Systems doesn't offer UNIX versions of their StuffIt utilities, West Data Capture has chosen not to support this type of archive.

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Who can download files from West Data Capture?
Under certain arrangements, West must transmit data to various parties. One method for doing this is through West Data Capture's FTP site and Bulletin Board. In order to use this feature, West Data Capture must make prior arrangements and set up special permissions. Most Data Providers do not need this functionality.

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What methods are available for downloading files from West Data Capture?
West Data Capture supports three different methods for downloading files: FTP, World Wide Web, and Dial-up. There is an entire section of Data Capture's web site devoted to this topic.
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How do I contact West Data Capture?
The easiest way to contact West Data Capture is from this web site.

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