BitTorrent, the company best known for its peer-to-peer file-sharing technology, is launching an updated Sync API that some say could provide an alternative to cloud computing. The company’s Sync service is similar to Dropbox and Box, but unlike those cloud-based services, it allows users to transfer files among devices that are connected to each other even if those devices aren’t connected to the Internet.
The new API is said to make it easier to build apps that use the Sync service. Already one enterprise file-sharing service called Onehub plans to use the new API to deliver faster file-sharing than is possible with cloud-based services. Others say the new API could be very useful for wearables or other devices that aren’t always connected to the Internet.
