Mangosoft Corp. is looking to cut down on the inefficiency of e-mail with a
service that allows users to access a file online, make changes to it and automatically
synchronize changes once they are online again.
The Westboro, Mass., company, which leases storage from Storage Networks
Inc. and hosts applications at Exodus Communications Inc., on Monday will announce a
multi-user Internet file service called Mangomind. The service, which provides 128-bit
encryption on transferred and stored files, acts like a local drive where authorized users
can create, delete, change and save files.
Mangosoft officials say Mangomind provides secure file sharing without the
need to install a Virtual Private Network. The service uses public keys on the server
and private keys on the client, so systems can be authenticated with only authorized users
gaining access to the files.
"Data is encrypted at the client and can only be decrypted at the client,"
said Jonathan Meltzer, Mangosoft's senior product marketing manager.
Mangomind, which is slated to be demonstrated at IT Expo next week in
Orlando, Fla., is all about ease of use, officials said. A user creates drives and
designates permissions for files and folders. Other users then link to the Mangosoft
Web page to download client software and install it on their PC.
They can then work on the files online or offline.
"This is intended as a business service," said Robert Primmer, vice
president of marketing at Mangosoft. "We are not interested in the consumer
market. We are interested in the B2B market".
Mangosoft, which considers itself an application service provider, will sell
the service directly or through OEM deals and channel partners.
As an introduction, the company will offer a 10-seat, 100MB drive for free
until the end of this year. The basic list price for a single-user license is
$29.95 a month per seat and includes 10MB of managed storage space per seat. Users
invited to access the drive are not charged.
