ZumoDrive

ZumoDrive
Developer(s) Zecter, Inc.
Initial release February 2009
Stable release 0.989 / June 21, 2010; 20 months ago (2010-06-21)
Development status Inactive
Operating system Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, Palm webOS
Available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese
Type Online file syncronization and storage service
License Proprietary
Website www.ZumoDrive.com

ZumoDrive is a cloud-based file synchronization and storage service operated by Zecter, Inc. On December 22nd, 2010, Zecter announced its acquisition by Motorola Mobility.[1] The service enables users to store and sync files online and between computers using their HybridCloud storage solution.[2] ZumoDrive has a cross-platform client (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and Palm webOS) that enables users to copy any file or folder into the ZumoDrive virtual disk that is then synced to the web and the users' other computers and handheld devices.[3] Files in the ZumoDrive virtual disk may then be shared with other ZumoDrive users or accessed from the web. Users may also upload files manually through a web browser interface. A free ZumoDrive account offers 2 GB of storage, and users may upgrade to paid plans ranging from 10 GB to 500 GB for a monthly subscription fee.[4][5] The ZumoDrive service is also integrated into Yahoo! Mail allowing users to send or receive any file on their ZumoDrive,[6] and powers HP's recent CloudDrive technology, bundled on all new HP Mini netbooks.[7]

Contents

Functionality

While ZumoDrive functions as a file synchronization and storage service, it employs an approach that allows content in the cloud to appear local to the filesystem.[7][8][9][10] ZumoDrive synchronization uses SSL transfers with AES-256 encryption, and it supports revision history—by use of deltas or delta encoding technology—so files deleted from the ZumoDrive virtual disk may be recovered from any of the synced computers. ZumoDrive's version control also helps users know the history of a file they may be currently working on, enabling more than one person to edit and re-post files without edit conflicts or loss of information. There is no limit to file size for files added via the ZumoDrive client. ZumoDrive uses Amazon's S3 simple storage service to store files in the cloud.

The ZumoDrive service is a unique file sync and storage service in that content appears local to the filesystem and can be streamed from the cloud on demand.[8][11][12] Users can stream music directly from ZumoDrive to iPhone, iPod Touch, Android and WebOS devices.[4] The ZumoDrive service also offers intelligent "predictive caching" which allows copies of frequently used files to be stored locally so users can access these files when they don't have internet access.[13] ZumoDrive allows users to selectively synchronize individual files, folders, or the entire virtual drive. Users can also link folders in place on their computers to their ZumoDrive, and these folders and all content will stay in sync across all devices.[11] The ZumoDrive service allows storage-restricted devices (e.g., netbooks, iPhones, WebOS and Android handsets), to have full access to the cloud, thereby making these devices appear to be as large as there is data available in the cloud.[7][14][15]

History

ZumoDrive was created by the Silicon Valley based company Zecter, which was founded by David Zhao and Kevin West in 2007. Zhao is a former application developer for Amazon while West is a former Microsoft employee. The third founding member of the team is Vijay Mani, who is also a former Microsoft employee.[2]

The company received seed funding from Y Combinator, Tandem Entrepreneurs, and other seed and early-stage investors. An additional round of $1.5 million in funding has been secured as of late October 2009, led by Sherpalo Ventures, with Tandem Entrepreneurs and VeriFone CEO Douglas Bergeron participating.[16] Development for ZumoDrive began in 2008 and the product launched in January 2009.[2]

On December 22nd, 2010, Zecter announced its acquisition by Motorola Mobility.[1]

Criticism

Slow broadband connection speeds can make streaming large files, such as movies to mobile and other remote devices difficult.[9]

While ZumoDrive encrypts transport of all content with 256-bit SSL, and stores that content encrypted on Amazon S3 servers, that content is still accessible to ZumoDrive administrators.[17][18]

Similar Services

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Zecter Acquired by Motorola Mobility". ZumoDrive. http://blog.zumodrive.com/zecter-acquired-by-motorola-mobility/. Retrieved 2010-12-26. 
  2. ^ a b c "ZumoDrive: About Us". ZumoDrive. http://www.zumodrive.com/about. Retrieved 2009-11-26. 
  3. ^ Leena Rao. "ZumoDrive Brings Cloud Storage And Syncing Application To Android And Palm Devices". TechCrunch. http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/16/zumodrive-brings-cloud-storage-and-syncing-application-to-android-and-palm-devices/. Retrieved 2010-03-27. 
  4. ^ a b Kevin C. Tofel. "ZumoDrive Public Beta Adds iPhone Music Streaming, Cheaper Clouds". GigaOM. http://gigaom.com/2009/02/25/zumodrive-public-beta-adds-iphone-music-streaming-cheaper-clouds/. Retrieved 2009-11-26. 
  5. ^ Peter Ha. "ZumoDrive Goes Live, iPhone App Tags Along". CrunchGear. http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/02/25/zumodrive-goes-live-iphone-app-tags-along/. Retrieved 2009-11-26. 
  6. ^ Kevin C. Tofel. "ZumoDrive Expands: Linux Client, Proxy Support, Yahoo! Mail Integration". jkOnTheRun. http://jkontherun.com/2009/06/12/zumodrive-expands-linux-client-proxy-support-yahoo-mail-integration/. Retrieved 2009-11-26. 
  7. ^ a b c Leena Rao. "ZumoDrive Lands Deal With HP To Power Storage And Syncing On Mini Netbooks". TechCrunch. http://www.techcrunch.com/2010/01/05/zumodrive-lands-deal-with-hp-storage-and-syncing-app-to-power-clouddrive-on-mini-netbooks/. Retrieved 2010-01-06. 
  8. ^ a b Jerry Jackson. "ZumoDrive Review". NotebookReview.com. http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4925. Retrieved 2009-11-26. 
  9. ^ a b Ewan Macleod. "ZumoDrive is going to change EVERYTHING". Mobile Industry Review. http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/01/zumodrive_is_going_to_change_everything.html. Retrieved 2009-11-26. 
  10. ^ Rick Broida. "Keep Your Files in the Cloud with ZumoDrive". PCWorld. http://www.pcworld.com/article/164991/keep_your_files_in_the_cloud_with_zumodrive.html. Retrieved 2009-11-26. 
  11. ^ a b Walt Mossberg. "ZumoDrive Service Is a Silver Lining In 'Cloud' Storage". The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704107104574572002476586722.html. Retrieved 2009-12-02. 
  12. ^ Michael Arrington. "ZumoDrive Takes Cloud Storage and Syncing Up a Notch". TechCrunch. http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/01/16/zumodrive-takes-cloud-storage-and-syncing-up-a-notch/. Retrieved 2009-11-26. 
  13. ^ Cody Overcash. "ZumoDrive Beta Review". ModMyi. http://modmyi.com/forums/mac-news/479541-zumodrive-beta-review.html. Retrieved 2009-11-30. 
  14. ^ Anthony Ha. "ZumoDrive brings its cloud storage to HP netbooks". VentureBeat. http://venturebeat.com/2010/01/05/zumodrive-brings-its-cloud-storage-to-hp-netbooks/. Retrieved 2010-01-06. 
  15. ^ Kevin C. Tofel. "HP Mini Netbooks with CloudDrive Have Nearly Limitless Storage". jkOnTheRun. http://jkontherun.com/2010/01/05/hp-mini-netbooks-with-clouddrive-have-nearly-limitless-storage/. Retrieved 2010-01-06. 
  16. ^ Leena Rao. "ZumoDrive Lands $1.5 Million For Cloud Storage And Syncing Application". TechCrunch. http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/14/zumodrive-lands-1-5-million-for-cloud-storage-and-syncing-application/. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
  17. ^ Colin Percival. "ZumoDrive rolls a hard six". http://www.daemonology.net/blog/2010-03-11-zumodrive-rolls-a-hard-six.html. Retrieved 2010-03-29. 
  18. ^ "ZumoDrive rolls a hard six (Discussion)". Hacker News. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1183308. Retrieved 2010-04-23. 

External links