BitTorrent launches SoShare, allows users to share files up to 1TB

After releasing Surf, an in-browser torrent client for Chrome, BitTorrent is making yet another attempt at pushing really big files around the web. The protocol that supports peer-to-peer file sharing has launched SoShare, a utility that will let users move around massive projects up to 1TB in size around the web.

While 1TB might seem like a really large amount of data to share over the web (most people don’t even possess hard disks that have that much space), BitTorrent says that this service is being launched for people working in creative industries. Coders, designers and content creators need to transfer files back and forth between peers to get work done.

1TB is a lot of data!

And still, says BitTorrent, media professionals do not have a media delivery service. “You can’t fit everything into an attachment. Syncing services have caps. Delivery services have limits. SoShare doesn’t.”

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So how does the service that allows up to a whopping 1TB of data space work? BitTorrent says that SoShare allows for distributed transfers as is the standard BitTorrent protocol, while keeping a master copy in the cloud for constant access. Not much is clear about how distributed transfers will work with SoShare.

It is evident that users will have to upload the full copy of the file they intend to share before other users can access it. And this could be a problem area for SoShare as uploading such massive amounts of data will not be an easy task. It should not be too difficult, though, as the target audience of this service are people who work in creative sectors, who will possibly have access to a fast Internet connection.

Here’s how SoShare will essentially work. The service is based on a BitTorrent browser plug-in. After installing it, users can choose files they wish to upload, add email addresses, name the bundle, add a quick message and let SoShare do its work.

Even if the browser window is closed, the plug-in ensures that the upload still continues. SoShare will keep tabs on delivery status – letting you know once the goods have gotten there as well as whether your collaborator or client has opened the file.

Recipients need not even sign up for the service to access the file. You can also create a public link, if you want to share via chat, Twitter or Facebook. Files are live for 30 days but uploaders will have the feature to let files die anytime they choose before the time is up.

While the service seems to be a good one with the solid backing of BitTorrent’s services, it is possible that the audience this service hopes to target – the creative and corporate sector – has already put its support behind one of BitTorrent’s competing services like Dropbox or Google Drive. There are many other dependable cloud storage providers in the market already and besides offering 1TB of storage space, BitTorrent will need to prove over time that SoShare is a good performer.

You can create a SoShare account here.