FTP allows two computers to connect over the Internet so that files can be transferred between a client and server. It was created in 1971 at MIT by Abhay Bhushan to transfer data over the new ARPANET. FTP works through a request, response, transfer, terminate cycle. It converts files to binary for transmission and allows downloading and uploading of files. While over 30 years old, FTP continues to be used and modified to meet user demands.