WinZip Flies To The Clouds With The Release Of ZipShare's Beta Version
Is WinZip (review) still relevant among the numerous free compression software applications available today? Should you even consider purchasing the license for this program considering that there are so many alternatives to choose from that don’t cost a dime?
Clouds and local storage
The developer of the most popular file compression program since the 90s would point out that things aren't too shabby for them, especially since WinZip is still being downloaded in excess of 30 million times a year. However, they are aware that the technological paradigm is slowly but certainly shifting from the offline to the online, from local storage to the cloud file hosting and sharing. Therefore, WinZip has introduced a new way of managing, compressing, encrypting and sharing files directly IN the cloud: ZipShare.
Is ZipShare going to be a new cloud hosting platform?
Not at all, as company representatives put it, ZipShare does not attempt to compete with the well established cloud-based file hosting services. In essence, their ZipShare application is designed to function like a plug-in that integrates with the most popular cloud hosts out there, including Google Drive, Dropbox, CloudMe, OneDrive and many, many other.
On a side note, the 17th version of WinZip launched back in 2012 did incorporate certain cloud functions but, as Jacques Lamontagne explains, ZipShare is the very first one that was not designed specifically for a single, local environment. With ZipShare, they’re trying to create a file compression and management utility that works agnostically from the platform on which it runs.
Who can benefit from WinZip’s transition to the cloud?
Everyone who employs cloud services on a regular basis, really. For instance, since you can compress the files that are currently saved in your cloud’s storage, you can considerably maximize the free space available without having to download and re-upload them to the account. Furthermore, larger files can be sent faster and easier. Thirdly, the compressed files benefit from an extra layer of AES-256 encryption, improving the safety of data. And last, the interface facilitates access to all the cloud storage services in a single window. It’s a quadruple win for everyone!
How much will ZipShare cost?
As previously mentioned, ZipShare is still in the beta phase and currently the full array of sharing, compression and file management functions are available free of charge. However, from the 1.0 version forward, free accounts will only benefit from the basic services. The “Pro” ZipShare version will most likely be available in the form of a $39.95 yearly subscription, but the developer is also entertaining the idea of introducing a $9.95 monthly fee. Let’s not forget that this payment plan is likely to change depending on the success recorded during the beta testing phase.
