Soonr offers three different ways for you to show a file to other people. In the action menu for each file are the Send and Create Link options. In your Project folders the additional option to Share appears. So what is the difference between these three options and when would you pick one over the other?
First we need to understand a few variables – bandwidth, interaction and privacy. In each of the options Soonr offers something special to make the experience a little better. Let’s examine each variable and see how it would affect your decision.
BANDWIDTH:
Upon first inspection, you may think to yourself, “What does my bandwidth have to do with anything?”. It is not your bandwidth that we are concerned with, it is the bandwidth of the recipient. Soonr will always make things as efficient as possible. When someone receives your invitation to interact, only the smallest possible bits of data are sent over the air. Soonr will optimize the pages in a presentation or pictures in a folder so that the recipient can have a good experience even on a mobile phone. A link or share is the most efficent bandwidth option.
INTERACTION:
What do you expect the recipient to do with the file(s) sent? Are they just going to look over it or perhaps they will add a few comments? Will they need to download the entire file and make changes to send back to you? Will the file be circulated to many people working together on a project? Sharing is the best interaction option.
PRIVACY:
Is the file a sensitive document that should only be accessed by key individuals? Does it need to be password protected or is it ok for anyone with the weblink to see it? Is the file a basis for collaboration where many people will comment and change it?
So now that you know what the variables are, let’s look at the SEND, LINK, and SHARE options.
SEND:
This option can be applied to any file that is backed up or any file in a project. The recipient will get a conventional email in their inbox with a file attached. If you send this to multiple people, each will get a copy of the file. What Soonr adds is that you do not have to upload the file to the mail server to relay it along to the recipients. The mobile phone or web browser you are using to access your account is simply a remote control. You are instructing the Soonr service to create the mail and forward the file. If you are on a mobile phone, sending along a large multiple megabyte presentation becomes a simple task that doesn’t consume huge amounts of bandwidth. The interaction model is like regular email. Unless you keep copies of past emails, it’s difficult to track the history or changes made to the file. Furthermore, the privacy level is the same as your email system. Send works, but is a basic file transferring method. We can make it better!
LINK:
Link is one step above Send and hardly uses any bandwidth. Soonr will create a URL (Web Link) to the file that you can send along to anyone. The recipient will get to take advantage of the rendering abilities of Soonr to see over 50 file types without downloading the file. If they need the original file they can download the file. The Link option doesn’t offer much interaction with the file outside of a download or the ability to resend the link to someone else. You can’t really track activity beyond whether or not the file was accessed and how many times. As for privacy, Soonr allows you to assign a password to the file and also determine the lifespan of the link. The link can “die” in a day or not at all. You can choose what works for you. However, users can forward the link to anyone they want. You don’t have a lot of control over its distribution.
SHARE:
Share is the most unique option as it offers all the advantages of the previous options, but also includes a multitude of collaboration capabilities. Shares can be applied to Project Folders and the files they contain. Like the Link, a Share is very efficient as only a web URL is sent to the recipients. The interaction model is VERY rich. Users can leave comments and notify each other of changes. Full version control for individual files are active so that changed files do not overwrite previous edits. User may have the ability to forward the shares to others or invite additional participants to collaborate. Sharing even includes the ability to notify mobile users of changes via SMS when their computers are not on. Finally, the privacy level of a share is very high. Only users that are part of your Team (Company) or invited guests can access a Share. All users must log into their accounts to see the share and furthermore, they only have access to the share if they are invited. As an administrator, you can decide who has access to the Share and what their rights are.
Sharing a Project is the most powerful way to collaborate
Whether you choose to Send, Link, or Share, Soonr offers the most efficient way to show files to others. Everything that you have backed up is available to you, and with Project Folders you can even include files from multiple machines and/or multiple people in a shared workspace. Explore the many options for collaborating online with your account. All this is available even when you are using a mobile phone with limited bandwidth. Ditch the antiquated method of copying and relaying files via email. There’s a better way to do get things done Soonr!
