BitTorrent is preparing to take down the construction signs around its file storage software and release an official version of Sync, a service that leverages the privacy and security of the company's peer-to-peer network.
BitTorrent Sync is an ambitious product that comes out of the gates with its eyes set on overtaking Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox. The peer-to-peer take on file storage service promises unlimited storage, file replication and the ability to transmit large files securely.
Sync has gone through alpha and beta testing periods, but BitTorrent sees the need, or the opportunity, to make the service more feature-rich.
While BitTorrent will offer a free version of Sync, its premium version could be another reliable stream of revenue. The company has already released a secure messaging service, which makes use of the BitTorrent network to make voice calls and text messages virtually untraceable.
BitTorrent's well-established network of peers is enabling the company's Sync service to become a contender in the data storage space in short order. Rivals like Google and Microsoft rely on cloud servers, while BitTorrent will lean on its peer-to-peer network for file storage and sharing.
Targeting the lucrative and reliable enterprise market, the premium version of Sync will offer new controls that cater to the collaborative environments both inside and outside large organizations.
"Capabilities like having access to very large folders, controlling ownership and permissions for shared folders, and keeping information automatically consistent across your desktop and mobile devices will now be possible," says Erik Pounds, vice president of product management for BitTorrent Sync.
Sync 2.0's file replication is another feature BitTorrent is dangling before enterprises. The current version of Sync allows IT professionals to roll out files and programs across 1,000 machines simultaneously, but BitTorrent hopes to expand that capability to support more machines by the time Sync 2.0 arrives.
BitTorrent has already begun work on spinning off Sync's features into a stand-alone app. The yet-to-be named app will make use of Sync's engine to enable users to share caches of media files between common mobile platforms.
"AirDrop is nice if you're sending between iPhones, but we live in multiplatform world and apps need to just work without constraints," says Pounds as he talks up the spin-off app.
Most of the improvements to BitTorrent's Sync software are expected to arrive at some point in 2015. Sync 2.0's Pro version is expected to cost $40 a year.
