Proxure, the developers of KeepVault have today announced a new file synchronisation application for a wide range of devices, including Windows Home Server which promises to make syncing and sharing files easy between multiple computers, mobile phones and other networked devices.
The product, KeepSync, works via an application which is installed on each device you wish to synchronise. You then select the folders you wish to monitor and the application will copy files to those devices and keep them synchronised.
The application works with music, video and photo files as well as documents, and includes an option to transcode videos to a lower resolution for playback and storage on a mobile device as well as reduce the size of photos on the fly.
Proxure have announced support for Windows-based PCs, NAS servers, USB keychain drives, external hard disks as well as Android and Windows Mobile based phones. An add-in for Windows Home Server is in development, along with a client for the iPhone – looks like a viable competitor for Live Mesh will be available soon! Proxure are hoping to have the Windows Home Server add-in available in February, along with an update to their KeepVault online backup add-in for the platform.
Whilst the add-in is not yet available, the KeepSync can still be used with Windows Home Server today using the product’s “SyncVault” feature which copies new or changed files to the home server via a UNC path.
The application is free, and local syncing between devices (ie. via your home network) is also completely free. Users will have to pay for credits (from 1 cent per MB) to keep devices synchronised over the internet however.
You can download a 15 day trial of the product for Windows PCs now at www.keepsync.com
Here’s their press release:
Proxure Unveils Revolutionary KeepSync(tm) Synchronization Solution
Simple Application Keeps Digital Pictures, Music, Video, and Documents Synchronized Across PC Computers, Storage Devices, and Smart Phones
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Jan. 5, 2009 — Proxure, Inc. today announced the availability of its new KeepSync synchronization solution, which allows consumers and business users to synchronize everything from digital photos to office documents. Unlike other synchronization solutions, which are often limited to handling just emails, contacts and calendars using a USB connection, KeepSync offers a much broader solution. It not only allows people to synchronize a wider array of content, including videos and photos, but it also allows them to synchronize content either in a home-network environment or over the Internet. For example, with KeepSync, you can automatically and simultaneously sync photos from your mobile phone to your laptop, your desktop, and to friends and family — without ever having to plug in a device!
Simply install KeepSync on all the devices you wish to synchronize then choose the folders you want to monitor. KeepSync will continually and automatically look for new or changed files. Those files will then automatically be copied to the appropriate recipient devices and tagged with the sender’s information to make finding the file that much easier. KeepSync automatically keeps track of which files have been copied and which ones are yet to be copied — even when recipient devices are off-line — and then copies them when the devices are back online.
KeepSync works with Windows-based PCs, storage devices such as NAS servers, external hard drives, USB keychain drives, and several Smart Phones (Android and Windows Mobile based phones). It also creates a patent-pending ecosystem where users can easily share digital pictures, music, video, and office documents without having to rely on older methods like email and sharing sites.
Just add other KeepSync users to a “share” list. When you add or modify shared files or folders, they will be notified through an icon in the Windows tray. KeepSync delivers the files directly to the PC, storage device, or Smart Phone; no online storage site is required. KeepSync allows users collaborating on documents to know which version is the latest. Videos and photos can optionally be trans-coded by the recipient or sending device for optimal playback.
Users don’t pay for the KeepSync application. Nor do they need to subscribe to a service where they’re hit for a fee every month. Instead, KeepSync uses a “pay-as-you-go” model where the user buys credits to sync over the Internet.
KeepSync Availability
Keepsync is currently available for download at http://www.keepsync.com and a fully functional 15-day trial is provided (though Internet sharing is limited to 25 credits).
5. January 2009 at 6:11 pm
The UI looks to much like Live Mesh…copyright infringement? maybe. But it does look like a serious competitor to Live Mesh’s storage syncing. I especially like the transcoding part. I believe Live Mesh Apps (which we have yet to learn much about) is what will to set Live Mesh apart from any copy cats.
5. January 2009 at 7:10 pm
Ugh!, I started to like this stuff till I read 1 cent per megabyte to keep devices synchronized!
5. January 2009 at 7:16 pm
Just had a clarification from Proxure – the charge for synchronisation is only when transferring via the internet. Local syncing to/from a WHS or other device is free.
5. January 2009 at 9:02 pm
Ow! that changes things!
5. January 2009 at 11:00 pm
I don’t think it changes much when Mesh is completely free. 1 cent, (probably 1p in £, I know is probably closer to 0.5-0.6p but it never works that way for us!) per megabyte is a total sweep under the carpet when theres a completely free alternative.
6. January 2009 at 2:01 pm
I still don’t get why services like this and Mesh aren’t already built into WHS, I thought this type of thing was the whole point of the product!