Fileblaze is a new service that lets you backup, preview, send, and receive unlimited files instantly and securely. The site is easy to use and they say they are the fastest on the web. Fileblaze has some unique features like multi-tasking and instant preview. It is built on a “sophisticated, scalable architecture” which should make sure the site remains stable, fast, and available when you need it. CEO Chuck Baker is hoping to bring something useful to a somewhat confusing niche.
Fileblaze is definitely entering into crowded territory here, but it offers a set of features that differentiate it from potential competitors and aim to solve a specific problem. There is more data available to us than we can handle. This becomes abundantly clear when you start trying to collaborate with others for business. We have seen a lot of activity in the collaboration and cloud storage space because of this, but no one service offers a complete solution. Fileblaze wants to be that solution. Their mission is to “empower professionals to manage & track their data, instantly & securely.”
Security is a major focus in Fileblaze. User customizable DRM protects your files from piracy and unauthorized distribution, a feature valuable to music and video content creators. You can also give away the goods, but keep some control on who can download your files using the Link Expiration feature. 128-bit encryption ensures your data remains safe even if someone is snooping on your network. Forwarding files can be disabled at will. Fileblaze scrambles file URLs using UUID so the location of those files isn’t easily guessed. You also benefit from analytics so that you can see who you sent files to, who is downloading your files, and even how many times they’ve been accessed.
The Fileblaze web interface makes uploading files a snap. You can queue up multiple files at a time and even bulk upload. Fileblaze figures out file types for you and sorts them accordingly, making it easy to find what you want. Multitasking allows you to play music while handling other tasks and you can even create playlists for your media in the cloud.
Currently in Beta, Fileblaze gives every user a 2GB free account forever. You can also send 1GB of files from the homepage without signing up. After their commercial launch in August, we should see 25GB, 50GB, 100GB, and 500GB plans rolled out. For many applications, it offers a better solution than services like YouSendIt, Megaupload, Box.net, and even Dropbox (my personal favorite). Check out Fileblaze and tell us what you think.