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An unusual way to transfer large data files, maybe?
RICHARD WEINER
Technology for Lawyers
Published: September 26, 2014
Large data file transfer. The very term conjures up difficult assignments, especially for firms that have limited resources.
Transferring 10,000-page PDFs or video depositions can cause lots of problems. First, as always, is security. Transfer through the cloud, like through Dropbox, and you run into that problem, as well as data storage limits.
Physically downloading the data onto a medium that is then mailed or walked over to another computer, which techies call the “sneakernet,” is slow and inconvenient.
Now, BitTorrent, the peer-to-peer data file sharing company using the file-sharing protocol of the same name, has released a service that may help in transferring large data files. If you want to try it.
The company has released BitTorrent Sync, in beta in July, and just updated it to the more user-friendly version 1.4.
The idea behind Sync is to create a simple and secure way to share large files without using the cloud or the sneakernet.
To allay confusion here, the name BitTorrent can refer to either the file transfer protocol itself (developed between 2001-2008), or a software company with the same name. The latter is the reference here.
The former is often known as a protocol for illegally transferring movies and music, but that’s not what this is.
Sync has been downloaded more that 10 million times between its release and Sept. 1.
The latest version seems to act like Dropbox, in that files can be transferred between computers by having the parties connect through a simple invitation via email, or by sharing an HTTPS link. Once the invitation is received, the recipient can look at it and decide whether or not to accept and transfer the file.
Sync generates a QR code for mobile device users.
Again, because this is computer-to-computer (peer-to-peer), there is no intervening cloud server. This means that the transfer would be very difficult to hack, between two or more trusted peers. This also means that the file is not stored on the cloud, for better or worse. There is also no size limitation.
It’s always taking a chance to go this far outside of the norm for a law office. But if your office has large numbers of large files to transfer, my guess is that this is worth a look.