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SugarSync

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SugarSync
Developer(s)SugarSync, Inc.
Initial releaseNovember 2009
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows
Mac
iOS
Android
Available inEnglish
TypeOnline backup service
LicenseProprietary software
Websitesugarsync.com

SugarSync is a cloud service that enables active synchronization of files across computers and other devices for file backup, access, syncing, and sharing from a variety of operating systems, such as Android, iOS, Mac OS X, and Windows devices. For Linux, only a discontinued unofficial third-party client is available.

The program automatically refreshes its sync by constantly monitoring changes to files—additions, deletions, edits—and syncs these changes with the SugarSync servers. Any other linked devices then also sync with the SugarSync servers.[2] Deleted files are archived in a "Deleted Files" folder. The files are not actually deleted until the user does so manually.[3][4][5][6]

Originally offering a free 5 GB plan and several paid plans, the company transitioned to a paid-only model on February 8, 2014. Under the new model, the company offered temporary promotional pricing and encouraged subscribers to use subscription auto-renewal. However the auto-renewal takes place at the non-promotional rate and no refunds are allowed through the new model.[7] Moreover, if the account cannot be auto-renewed due to expiration of a credit card or some other change in payment terms, the account is automatically cancelled and the data deleted from the company's servers at the same time the account is cancelled. If emailed warnings are not received SugarSync will delete a company's entire cloud-computing storage account.

Sugarsync was acquired by J2 Global in March 2015. [8]

Company history

SugarSync was born out of a company named Sharpcast, which was incorporated in 2004 by Gibu Thomas (CEO) and Ben Strong (Chief technical officer). In 2006, Sharpcast unveiled Sharpcast Photos, a tool for synchronizing images between multiple devices including PCs and mobile phones. Both founders left the company in November 2008. In December 2008, Laura Yecies was appointed as the CEO. Yecies and her team re-focused the company and renamed it SugarSync in 2009.

In March 2013 Mike Grossman took over as CEO. In his self-introductory blog he promised to focus the business on mobile, sharing and collaboration, and enhancing the sync and mirrored capabilities of the product. The blog post was inundated with requests for a Linux client such that the top Google result for searches relating to SugarSync on Linux returned Mr Grossman's introductory message.[9]

Product history

The company's first product was Sharpcast Photos, software designed to make it easier for people to view their photos on multiple devices and share them via the Internet.[10]

Sharpcast Photos was shut down at the end of 2009. Users were given the option to migrate to the SugarSync service or retrieve their photos.

In June 2013 Samir Mehta posted, on the Introductory Blog post of SugarSync's new CEO, that SugarSync were "in the process of evaluating a SugarSync Linux app". As of January 2015, no further news has been posted about a Linux client for SygarSync.[11]

In December, 2013, SugarSync announced that they would be discontinuing their free 5 GB plan and transitioning to a paid-only service by February, 2014.[12]

API and third-party addons

In March 2010, SugarSync unveiled an API.[13] As a result, there are several unofficial SugarSync addons and applications available. These addons come both in the form of web services and browser extensions and desktop applications such as SugarSync Linux desktop client (now discontinued) by Mark Willis.

See also

References

  1. ^ Board of Directors. SugarSync. Retrieved on 2013-07-14.
  2. ^ Sharpcast wants to free your data - Alpha Blog - alpha.cnet.com.
  3. ^ Low, Daren. "Will Cloud Storage Provider Delete My Files?". GCS. Retrieved 26 November 2014. SugarSync is one company that places these types of files in the Deleted Files folder immediately during the syncing process (but they can be retrieved at any time before you permanently delete them from the Deleted Files folder yourself).
  4. ^ "Permanently deleting files and folders from SugarSync". SugarSync. Retrieved 7 October 2014. Any time you delete a file or folder, SugarSync places those items in the Deleted Items folder. From there, you can either restore them or delete them permanently.
  5. ^ "Removing files from SugarSync". SugarSync. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  6. ^ "SugarSync FAQs" (PDF). Boise State University. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  7. ^ http://www.sugarsync.com/terms.html
  8. ^ http://investor.j2global.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=903006
  9. ^ Allow me to introduce myself - Mike Grossman's Introductory Blog post
  10. ^ PC World - Sharpcast Photos.
  11. ^ Samir Mehta's commend on Mike Grossman's Introductory Blog post
  12. ^ "SugarSync Transitions to Paid-Only Service Model". Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  13. ^ Announcing the SugarSync Developer Community and our new beta Platform API.
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