Creating a Virtual Space for Your Media Transfer

Some of the Internets application protocols are well known and used, such as email and http (the server engine behind the web). Others have been and are critical to the web but are not as visible as they used to be. Two examples are FTP (file transfer protocol) and NNTP (network news). Though these protocols are still and will continue to be vital, other internet applications with larger feature sets and therefore greater application toward providing solutions are taking the forefront.

Take local Tacoma software company Topia Technologies Skoot. Though the rudiments of large file transfers might be satisfied by an FTP server, there are too many limitations and vulnerabilities to provide a broad range of file sharing and transfer solutions. Skoot attempts to address these issues and more.

Sharing large files (like audio, video and high resolution photos) can be problematic. This is especially if you just want to share them with close family and friends, or if they are sensitive in nature. The internet and several sites such as YouTube, flicker and the like provide a great resource, but they don’t provide much in the way of exclusivity and protection.

If you are a graphics artist or work and film and video and you leverage the internet, you should be paying attention. Worried someone can come in and steal your work? In answer to that question, (and because it uses the work virtual, (I love that word)), here is a sample from Topia's Q and A on it.

“Q3. Can the members of my Skoot Workspaces get to the other files on my hard drive? A3. Absolutely not. Think of your SkootSpace as a virtual environment—because it’s virtual, people sharing any of the Skoot Workspaces within it cannot access anything you don’t want them to—and nothing other than your Skoot Workspaces. Others can only access files in a Skoot Workspace you invited them to join.”

In putting their solution into practice, Topia has introduced TroopSkoot as a solution for our troops, separated from their family and friends. As Topia puts it “The Skoot service lets them send photos, videos and other information they wish to share – securely and effortlessly. Skoot is their very own "Private Family Network.” Topia has gotten the attention of Congressman Adam Smith for their efforts, and he mentions them and the program in his technology update.

For another customer viewpoint, check out the article by Darrel Bowman, CEO of solutions provider AppTech written for the ChannelWeb network.